NY nuclear plant spills oil into Hudson

Oil spilled into the Hudson River in New York following the failure of a transformer at a nuclear power station, state Gov. Andrew Cuomo confirmed.

Unit 3 of the Indian Point nuclear facility was shut down Saturday after operator Entergy reported a failure of an electrical transformer. The unit was shut down and the fire was extinguished by onsite personnel.

"There was no release of radioactivity and no threat to the safety of workers or the public," the company said in a statement.

Gov. Cuomo said that, following a track record of issues at the plant, he had concerns about the facility that extend beyond the safety and security of the surrounding communities. Secondary concerns extend to the environment, he said, and oil from the facility has now reached the Hudson River.

"There is no doubt that oil was discharged into the Hudson River," he said in a statement Sunday. "Exactly how much, we don't know. That will be part of an ongoing investigation."

The state Department of Environmental Conservation is on site responding with containment boom to control the oil flow in the river and from the discharge pipe linked to the power station.

The Indian Point facility is about 24 miles from New York City.