The nation’s oldest operating commercial plant, Oyster Creek in Lacy Township, awaits its fate, with its initial 40-year license set to expire this year. Meanwhile, PSEG Nuclear took official steps this month to extend the licenses of its three Salem County plants. ...
At Salem, the original license for Unit 1 expires in 2016, the Unit 2 license expires in 2020, and Hope Creek is licensed until 2026. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission requires considerable lead time for re-licensing, and there should be sufficient time to answer questions from citizens, experts and the NRC itself.
Since the region needs its power, Oyster Creek has backed regulators into a corner. Its deadline is here. Although the NRC is reportedly in no rush, design concerns could get glossed over.
When decision day arrives for Salem 1, hopefully, there will be better answers about the suitability of operating a plant with 40-year-old technology for another 20 years. To start with, the federal government must honor its obligation to complete a spent-fuel storage site at Yucca Mountain or offer a viable alternative.
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