Co agrees to test wastewater:
The company dismantling a former nuclear power plant along Cape Cod Bay won’t release radioactive water into the bay unless tests confirm local marine life won’t be harmed, US Sen Ed Markey’s office said.
The Massachusetts Democrat held a hearing in Plymouth, Massachusetts, on Friday about nuclear safety and security issues, where the decommissioning of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station by Holtec International was discussed.
Markey said Holtec officials assured him they wouldn’t discharge radioactive water from the plant into the bay without the consent of stakeholders. The company followed up with a letter this week to Markey, which his office released.
The letter, signed by Holtec International’s president, says the company will voluntarily refrain from releasing the water, even if lawfully permitted by federal authorities, until scientific testing confirms the radiological levels are low enough to ensure local marine life remains protected. (AP)
Baby eel fishing industry up:
Maine’s baby eel fishing industry is wrapping up one of the most successful seasons in its history. Maine is the only state in the country with a significant fishery for baby eels, which are also called elvers. They’re sold to Asian aquaculture companies that raise them to maturity for use as food.
Fishermen have just about tapped out the season’s quota of about 9,300 pounds of eels, state regulators said. The eels were worth nearly $20 million at the docks, with a per pound price of $2,162, regulators said.
The per-pound price was the third highest in state history and the total value was at least the fifth highest, state records show.
The season also represented a rebound from 2020, when prices sank to $525 per pound due to disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Members of the industry have said the re-emergence of global trade has helped the industry grow in value. Last year’s totals were much improved from 2020. (AP)