WARETOWN, NEW JERSEY—The public health and safety threats imposed by Oyster Creek are too great to continue the plant’s operation much longer, according to a report released today by the New Jersey Public Interest Research Group. "Unnecessary Risk: The Case for Retiring Oyster Creek Nuclear Power Plant" details overwhelming evidence in support of shutting the plant down at the end of its license in 2009.

"Oyster Creek is a nuclear dinosaur in our own backyard, creating unsolvable problems and exposing the public to unnecessary danger. The plant must be permanently retired in 2009," said Emily Rusch, energy advocate for NJPIRG.

Oyster Creek, the oldest operating nuclear power plant in the country, will be 40 years old in 2009. The plant is scheduled to retire in that year, however the plant’s owners have already shown an interest in applying to relicense the facility to continue operation.

The report outlines ongoing and potential risks to the public from the plant. In the year 2000, Oyster Creek had the highest level of radioactive iodine air emissions of any boiling water reactor in the country.

The plant not only routinely releases radioactivity, but because of structural deficiencies in the substandard reactor design, in the event of an accidental pressure buildup there is a high likelihood of deliberate release of even more radioactivity.

Oyster Creek has also accumulated over 3,025 spent fuel assemblies consisting of highly radioactive nuclear waste, all stored on site at the plant. No safe solution exists for the permanent storage of nuclear waste.

As the reactor’s equipment ages, the risks of an accident are intensified. The "Mark I" boiling water reactor has already proven susceptible to cracks in its core shroud. Over thirty percent of nuclear power plant equipment failures in recent years can be attributed at least in part to age-related degradation.

The heightened alert for intentional terrorist attacks only make the reactor’s continued operation more risky. At Oyster Creek, the plant’s spent fuel pools, containing the most radioactive of the nuclear waste, are located on the top floor of the five-story building, just meters from the heavily traveled Route 9.

Despite these risks, the report documents significant reasons to believe that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission would grant a license extension to the plant to continue operating. The NRC has a long history of putting industry profits ahead of safety, most notably the recent near-disaster at the Besse-Davis plant in Ohio.

"We cannot depend on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The State of New Jersey must step in now and demand the speedy retirement of Oyster Creek to protect public health, safety, and our energy security," said Rusch.

Until the plant’s retirement, the report outlines measures the state should take to better protect the residents closest to the plant. Oyster Creek is unique to the New Jersey reactors because of the large population living within just a few miles of the plant. Over 100,000 people live within 10 miles of the plant, and the population will skyrocket to over 250,000 people in the summer months.

"Current evacuation plans are based on old population data, and do not account for many real-life scenarios. The public must know that it is adequately protected with updated evacuation plans that better protect our health and safety," said Edith Gbur from Jersey Shore Nuclear Watch.

Finally, the report outlines the ability for New Jersey to retire Oyster Creek and continue to meet the state’s energy needs. Oyster Creek provides less than 1% of the grid supply of electricity to the state. By increasing efficiency and developing clean, renewable energy sources like wind, solar, and clean biomass, New Jersey would decrease the demand for dangerous sources of power.

"Now is the time for New Jersey to take charge of its energy future by shifting to clean, efficient energy sources, rather than continuing dependence on antiquated power plants like Oyster Creek," said Rusch.