Holtec Execs Open To Meeting With Lacey Officials About Lawsuits

LACEY, NJ — Holtec International says it's pleased that Lacey officials want to meet with the executive team about the decommissioning of the Oyster Creek Power Plant. The relationship between the company and Lacey officials has become "unconstructive," a Holtec spokesperson told Patch.

Holtec, which is decommissioning the shuttered Oyster Creek power plant, filed two lawsuits Sept. 16 against Lacey Township to overturn an Aug. 24 Planning Board Decision. The board rejected Holtec's proposal Aug. 24 to add 34 storage casks of spent nuclear fuel to the site. Read more: Holtec Sues Lacey Over Denial To Expand Cask Storage

The Lacey Township Committee, hoping to resolve issues and prevent legal fees, discussed meeting with the Holtec International CEO. Read more: Lacey Officials Want To Discuss Lawsuits With Holtec CEO

Holtec spokesperson Joe Delmar said the company is pleased with the development from Lacey officials.

"Activities that should receive enthused support from the township’s officials have sadly become mired in litigation," he said. "To resolve matters, we would welcome the opportunity to meet with Lacey Township leadership at our Camden facility to discuss the decommissioning of Oyster Creek, including the storage of used nuclear fuel onsite that best aligns with the interests of the local community."

The Planning Board rejected their proposal Aug. 24, expressing concerns that the radioactive waste would never leave Lacey. The steal and concrete casks contain spent fuel rods that have powered the plant since it began operating in 1969. The rods can take years to cool off in the plant's spent fuel cooling pool.

The company filed a federal lawsuit against Lacey contending that the Planning Board interfered with the federal government's authority. A second lawsuit, brought in Ocean County Superior Court, says the board's decision showed "an active display of bias" against Holtec.

Mayor Steven Kennis confirmed that Lacey officials have requested a meeting with Holtec about the future of the Oyster Creek site.

"The Township is dedicated to ensuring the safety of our residents and community during the decommissioning process," Kennis said in a statement. "We welcome open lines of communication with Holtec and its subsidiaries to keep the township informed of the processes of the decommissioning."

Read the full statement from Holtec below:

"We are pleased to learn that Lacey Township officials would like to meet with Holtec’s executive team led by the Company’s President & CEO Dr. Kris Singh to help reset the relationship. Unfortunately, the relationship has become unconstructive and detrimental to the vital interests of all stakeholders, especially the local residents, whose health and safety ought to be everyone’s overriding concern.

"Activities that should receive enthused support from the township’s officials have sadly become mired in litigation. To resolve matters, we would welcome the opportunity to meet with Lacey Township leadership at our Camden facility to discuss the decommissioning of Oyster Creek, including the storage of used nuclear fuel onsite that best aligns with the interests of the local community.

"Holtec remains committed to its decommissioning plan that is being executed to protect the public health and safety of the local community and the environment to the fullest extent possible. We believe a direct high level dialog in good faith between the leaderships of Holtec and the township would help dispel misunderstandings, strengthen our relationship and secure the township’s commitment to our vision to serve the people of the region with our world-class technology developed right here in New Jersey.

"We consider the imminent transfer of the used nuclear fuel from the spent fuel pool to Holtec’s impregnable storage casks to be an overriding safety imperative for the local community, that when properly explained to the township officials will transform the ongoing contentious situation into a cooperative one. We await the township’s correspondence in this matter.

"We should also note that the people of Ocean County should be heartened by the vigilance of New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection, which has been serving as a knowledgeable stalwart of public safety."

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