Tough Questions Expected For the N.R.C. At Tonight's Safety Assement of Oyster Creek

By: Rosetta Key

Oyster Creek's re-licensing opponents will be calling the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's continued plant monitoring and license approval process into question during tonight's safety assessment in Tom's River. The group is taking the stance because they say problems continue to exist at the Lacey Township nuclear power plant. Eastern Environmental Law Center Legal Director Richard Webster says not only does he and the coalition he represents take issue with the recent discovery of a tritium-contaminated water leak, they recently sent a letter to N.R.C. officials to address concerns about metal fatigue when a crack was found on the reactor's recirculation nozzle.
"The idea was that all these problems would be solved before the license was granted. Instead of doing that, the N.R.C. basically left them for ongoing operations and we don't believe that that's appropriate."
Webster says for that reason, the coalition doesn't think the license was properly granted.
Meanwhile, the tritium contaminated water leak discovered in some of Oyster Creek's monitoring wells continues to draw the attention of Ocean County-based state lawmakers and now even State Environmental officials. 9th District Assemblyman Brian Rumpf questions the handling of the whole situation. He says, "We actually want to know why the leak wasn't actually discovered before it was detected in the monitoring wells? It frankly calls into the question the procedure which was used."
Rumpf says "D.E.P. Commissioner Mark Mauriello will continue its investigation into the tritium contamination. He says we believe it's very important because quite frankly we're not satified with the initial investigation outcome."
During a teleconference Tuesday, N.R.C officials promised to discuss all the issues that have occurred at the nation's oldest operating nuclear power plant in Ocean County today. The annual safety assessment is being held at the Toms River Holiday in on Route 37 east starting at 6 p.m.