On July 20, the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) released the highly anticipated and long-overdue draft discharge permit for Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station (OCNGS) in Lacey Township.  OCNGS currently operates using a once-through cooling system in which approximately 1.2 billion gallons of water, taken from tributaries of nearby Barnegat Bay, pass through daily. 

     The draft permit is an outrage and fails to set forth the best solution to address Oyster Creek’s pollution discharges and that is protective of the marine environment.  The State of New Jersey needs to take a stronger stand and require a closed-cycle cooling system, and Exelon, the parent company of OCNGS and a multi-billion dollar company, needs to be a good neighbor and use this best available technology to protect the local ecosystem.  Scientific studies obtained by COA about Oyster Creek’s current once-through cooling system show substantial negative impacts to waterways and numerous harmful impacts on marine life, including injuries and death from impingement, entrainment, thermal discharge, and chlorination.

     Citizens are urged to attend the public hearing on August 29 from 1-4pm and 7-9pm at the Lacey Township Municipal Building.  COA will attend the hearing, as well as submit comments.  For a detailed Position Paper prepared by COA, visit “Issues & Campaigns."