Hearing underway for Oyster Creek cooling towers
A public hearing has begun for Oyster Creek nuclear plant. The Lacey Township, N.J., plant — the nation’s oldest — is in discussion with with the state Department of Environmental Protection about a water permit.
The plant, set to close in 2019, wants to continue operating without building cooling towers, the Associated Press reports, because Exelon say the project would be too costly.
The cooling towers reduce damage to aquatic life, and environmentalists are afraid the plan to forge ahead without them includes a loophole that would Exelon to change its mind and continue operations past 2019 — sans towers. Exelon says that won’t happen.
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