Holtec Misspent Oyster Creek Decommissioning Funds, Feds Say

LACEY, NJ — Holtec International, the company in charge of decommissioning the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Plant in Forked River, has been issued a violation for apparently misspending decommissioning funds, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

The decommissioning trust fund is specifically meant to be used only for "legitimate decommissioning purposes," according to the NRC. Meaning, the money can be used to remove things from the Oyster Creek site or reducing radioactivity.

However, Holtec used about $62,000 from the trust fund for "community outreach," including contributions towards a celebration day for Lacey, a donation to a local food bank and some community upgrades, according to a recent inspection report.

As part of the violation, Holtec will have to pay that money back, the NRC said.

The spending was named a Security Level IV violation, meaning its of less concern but more than a minor violation, according to NRC documents. This is because of the complexity of actions needed to correct the issue, which will then require a review by the NRC, an NRC spokesman said.

The violation was issued Feb. 29, and Holtec has 30 days from then to respond. Their response will be made publicly available on the NRC website. Holtec is also able to file an appeal, if desired.