Public meeting slated for Friday to discuss results of Oyster Creek emergency drill

    Oyster Creek Generating Station in Forked River. (Exelon Corporation, file)

    Oyster Creek Generating Station in Forked River. (Exelon Corporation, file)

    Representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency will host an emergency drill at Oyster Creek Generating Station in Forked River Tuesday.

    A public meeting, slated for 1 p.m., Friday, March 21, will focus on the results of the drill. The annual exercise tests the response of nuclear plant workers as well as municipal, county, and state agencies during a simulated emergency at the power plant.

    The meeting will be held at the Ocean County Office of Emergency Management located at the Ocean County Airport on Route 530 in Berkeley. 

    According to Ocean County Sheriff Michael G. Mastronardy, coordinator for emergency management, the county’s Office of Emergency Management along with 17 municipal Offices of Emergency Management will test their ability to respond to an emergency event at the nuclear power plant. The 17 municipalities are all located within a 10 mile radius of the facility. 

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    “The Ocean County Office of Emergency Management participates annually in drills that focus on the nuclear power plant,” Mastronardy said. “This year’s exercise will be monitored and reviewed by FEMA. The federal agency will look at the actions taken by the participants and will review it for both efficiencies and any deficiencies they may find.”

    Oyster Creek opened in December 1969 as the first large-scale commercial nuclear power plant in the United States, according to operator, Exelon Corporation.

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