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Mayor's Petition To Bolster Oyster Creek Evaluations Shot Down
By Catherine Snipe
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) rejected an attempt by Brick Mayor Joseph Scarpelli to broaden the standards it uses to review plants such as Oyster Creek when they apply for a re-licensing.
The agency rejected two such petitions, one from the Brick mayor and the second from a Westchester, NY county official advocating for rules for a nuclear plant there, Indian Point. The petitions demanded major rule changes in the way the NRC evaluates such plant plans, specifically regarding emergency planning, terrorism and spent fuel storage.
This week, the NRC said the petitions were denied because they were a rehash of changes considered by the commission as far back as the mid-1990s. The issues were either already decided, are managed by the ongoing regulatory process, or are beyond the commission's regulatory authority.
Oyster Creek, the nation's oldest operating nuclear power plant, is due to shut down in 2009 if its license is not renewed for another 20 years by the NRC. Scarpelli questioned the re-licensing application in his petition, which cited concerns similar to Spano's fight against the N.Y. plant re-licensing.
Scarpelli said he is concerned with the safety of the Oyster Creek facility. The petitions both demanded that the licenses be renewed only if the respective plants would meet the criteria for a new facility constructed today. Events such as the 9-11 attacks raised concerns as to whether the facility is built to withstand the effects of such an attack, according to the petition.
The mayor also cited regional tourism and the area's huge population growth, questioning whether a nuclear power plant remains
a good fit for the region.
According to the NRC's Denial of Petition, "these issues are managed by the on-going regulatory process or under other regulations; or are issues beyond the commission's regulatory authority."
Oyster Creek's re-licensing has brought out both sides to the debate as to whether the plant is a worthwhile ratable providing essential energy, or whether its age and environmental impact will lead to growing safety concerns.
Oyster Creek, located in Lacey Township, generates power for almost 600,000 homes. A poll commission by Oyster Creek representatives and produced by Bisconti Research that said more than three-fourths of respondents support license renewal for Oyster Creek Generating Station.
According to the poll, conducted in May, an average of 80 percent of respondents near the plant and statewide support continued plant operation beyond the initial 40-year license, as long as safety requirements are met. That is an increase from 2005, when an average of 73 percent said they supported license renewal for the plant under those conditions.
"We have always believed that as people learn and understand more about Oyster Creek and nuclear power in general, they come to appreciate the huge benefits of this energy resource," said Tim Rausch, Oyster Creek Vice President in an August statement.
However, independent groups are advocating for its closure, or for safety upgrades. That includes celebrities such as actor Alec Baldwin, who will moderate a December 8 symposium hosted by the Environmental Law Clinic at Rutgers School of Law, Newark. The event focuses on the safety, health, and environmental threats posed by the Oyster Creek.
The Rutgers clinic represents the Stop Relicensing of Oyster Creek Coalition in legal action opposing the re-licensing.
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