Oyster Creek Emergency Drill, Review Set For This Week

Federal officials will run a drill Tuesday to test the response of Oyster Creek Generation Station plant workers as well as municipal, county, and state agencies during a simulated emergency at the power plant.

Representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency will then discuss the exercise during a public meeting scheduled for 1 p.m., Friday, March 21, officials said.

The public meeting will be held at the Ocean County Office of Emergency Management located at the Ocean County Airport, formerly known as Miller Air Park, located on Route 530 in Berkeley.

According to Sheriff Michael G. Mastronardy, coordinator for emergency management, the Ocean County Office of Emergency Management along with 17 Ocean County Municipal Offices of Emergency Management will test their ability to respond to an emergency event at the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generation Station in Lacey Township during the exercise. The 17 municipalities are all located within a 10 mile radius of the Nuclear Plant.

“The Ocean County Office of Emergency Management participates annually in drills that focus on the nuclear power plant,” Mastronardy said in a statement. “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, Mastronardy said.