Final Report Finds Oyster Creek Safe Following Fukushima Disaster

Oyster Creek Generating Station is operating safely and has effective response plans to deal with potential emergency situations, the final report of Gov. Chris Christie’s Nuclear Review Task Force found.

"Based on information provided by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and licensed operators of New Jersey's nuclear plants, Task Force members have a high level of confidence that New Jersey's nuclear power plants are operating safely and have effective action plans to address the lessons learned from the Fukushima incident,'' said Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin, who chairs the Task Force.

The Task Force examined lessons learned from the nuclear emergency that occurred in Japan last year and found that New Jersey’s plants have adequate safety features and a reliable emergency preparedness and response system.

The state will continue to work closely with the NRC to ensure the lessons learned are used to strengthen nuclear plant’s emergency response, Martin said. Any upcoming reports from the NRC on the situation in Japan will also be monitored.

“We said when the Task Force came out, we’re committed to continuing to ensure that Oyster Creek runs safely under all conditions and that we can safely shut the plant down if we need to,” spokesperson Suzanne D’Ambrosio said. “We follow the regulations to the letter. We’ll continue to operate the plant within the regulations that are put before us.”

The Task Force, which was established by Christie in March, examined emergency response protocols, technical reviews of plant operations, the chain of command and control at each of the nuclear facilities, evacuation plans and emergency communications to the public. The report also covers issues including power supply, spent fuel storage, emergency planning zones, communications, interaction between the state and federal government and coordination between the state and neighboring states.

Final recommendations according to a press release by the NRC include:

• Power Supply: The NRC should enhance safety by working with the operators of New Jersey power plants by developing procedures to quickly move essential equipment when dealing with potential emergencies.
• Spent Fuel Storage: Increase the number of emergency diesel pumps at nuclear plants to handle cooling for all damaged systems; add monitors to view the spent fuel pool level from multiple locations; create regional agreements between nuclear plant operators to provide access to redundant pumps and generators; press the NRC and federal Department of Energy to create a national depository for spent nuclear fuel.
• Communications: Ensure battery backup is installed in a timely manner for siren network surrounding Oyster Creek; seek alternative methods to increase the effectiveness of delivering emergency messages to the public; support federal initiatives for emergency preparedness drills that feature multiple natural disasters.
• General Recommendations: Coordinate with New York and Pennsylvania to plan emergency response exercises for nuclear reactors in those states that impact New Jersey; more clearly define the roles and responsibilities of the state and federal government in handling potential emergencies; implement needed information technology (IT) upgrades at the State's emergency response headquarters.

Despite the recommendations and potential for improvement, Edith Gbur of Jersey Shore Nuclear Watch is still uneasy.

“The best lesson learned from Japan is that nuclear plants are unsafe and they should be shutdown,” Gbur said. “Oyster Creek has the same design as Fukushima and they have violations that they have not been corrected. In addition to the problems that Fukushima had, Oyster Creek has even more.”

Oyster Creek has more waste on site and is located in a more densely populated area than Fukushima, she said. Communication in Japan broke down when backup power failed.

“If they can figure out how to create nuclear power without creating waste, then they have the right to have a task force on safety,” Gbur said. “Until that’s figured out, the best plan and lesson from Fukushima is to shut down the plant as soon as possible.”

Jeff Tittel of the New Jersey Chapter of the Sierra Club thought the report showed many positives but wonders what's next.

"Is there going to be any implementation or is it just a report that sits on a shelf?" he said. "It's nice to say we should have more pumps but will they mandate that they need more pumps?"

There are some issues such as enhanced monitoring and an updated evacuation route that were missing from the report, Tittel said.

"We were critical of the Task Force from the beginning," he said. "How deep did they actually look in the first place?"