LACEY – Holtec Decommissioning International LLC, (HDI) which is overseeing the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station, has a month to either pay a $150,000 fine, challenge the violation or request an alternative solution.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) spokesman Neil Sheehan issued a statement on December 22 about the $150,000 civil penalty for violations at Oyster Creek which will require a dispute resolution between Holtec and the NRC.
The NRC identified a violation by Holtec “for apparent security-related violations at the Oyster Creek
nuclear power plant. Because of the sensitive nature of these violations, the NRC will not publicly provide specifics; however, the agency has determined the overall security program at the non-operational plant remains effective.”
The NRC added that “Holtec has taken steps to address the concerns and overall security performance at the site.”
The plant, which operated for about a half century, permanently ceased operations in September 2018 and is in the process of being decommissioned. The NRC license for the plant was transferred on July 1, 2019 to Holtec.
Sheehan noted that NRC staff notified Holtec about the apparent violations on July 28, which were identified during a discretionary inspection conducted between May 17 and July 15, 2021.
In response, Holtec requested and took part in a closed pre-decisional enforcement conference held at the NRC Region I Office in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 6, 2021, during which the company provided additional information to the NRC.
“The last place you’d want to have security violations is at a nuclear plant, whether it is being decommissioned or operating,” Janet Tauro, Clean Water Action NJ Board Chair told The Southern Ocean Times.
“Over a million pounds of highly deadly radioactive waste remains at Oyster Creek and security should never be an issue and if there were security violations, what else don’t we know about?” she asked.
“For the safety of the 650,000 permanent residents in Ocean County and all in the tri-state area, security at Oyster Creek must be flawless,” she said.
A statement was issued by Holtec, saying, “protecting the security and safety of the public is the number one priority of Holtec International at all our facilities. We have taken steps to address the concerns and overall security performance at Oyster Creek and shared those learnings with our fleet to prevent a reoccurrence.”
Lacey Township Mayor Peter Curatolo told The Southern Ocean Times that he spoke with Holtec Site Vice President Jeffrey Dostal who has made frequent reports to the governing body about the decommissioning process at the power plant site.
“I was assured of the following, once identified, compensatory measures were put in place and these security concerns were ‘negated’ once the company transitioned to their current Fuel on Pad status and away from being a power generating facility,” the mayor said.
Mayor Curatolo elaborated saying, “in other words, it is important for our residents to know that this is no longer a power generating facility but strict internal security standards remain in place as a matter of course and these protocols and quality control standards are continuously monitored internally and by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.”
The mayor said he inquired about overall site security regarding external and environmental concerns that any resident might have. “I was assured with certainty, that this violation was ‘normal’ and every possible security measure is in place for the environment, the actual plant location itself and the residents of Lacey Township.”
Last month it was noted that Oyster Creek might see a small nuclear reactor based at the facility through a partnership between HDI and a subsidiary of South Korean automaker Hyundai. The arrangement calls for the two firms to construct a prototype reactor at the site at some point in the future.
Sheehan told Jersey Shore Online.com on January 3 that “Holtec had not yet responded to the security-related enforcement action we have issued involving the Oyster Creek nuclear plant. The company has up to 30 days to provide a response.
“It can pay the $150,000 fine, or it can opt to deny the violations or request alternative dispute resolution (ADR) with the NRC to resolve this issue. ADR is a general term encompassing various techniques for resolving conflicts using a neutral third party,” Sheehan added.
