Oyster Creek Protesters: 'Enough is Enough'

Local protesters will be participating in a National Day of Solidarity at Oyster Creek Generating Station from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

“The main premise of our demonstration tomorrow is in reference to the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant,” said Benjamin Davies, staff director of the New Jersey Environmental Federation.

A U.S. district judge in Brattleboro, Vt. ruled that the could remain open beyond it’s scheduled shutdown date this year. The state had originally ruled against Vermont Yankee’s federal operating license, which gives the plant 20 more years to operate.

The ruling went against “public and political upheaval,” Davies said, which sparks concerns that the same could happen at Oyster Creek.

“We’re afraid that that ruling and a push from the NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) and other big industry might set a precedence to overturn what we worked for decades to do with Oyster Creek,” he aid.

In January, Oyster Creek said the company despite the federal court ruling.

“Enough is enough,” a press release by Davies read. “We have the right to a clean, healthy future!”

The group of advocates will park their cars about half a mile north of the Oyster Creek facility before marching to the nuclear plant. The event also will feature speakers including Davies, William DeCamp of Save Barnegat Bay and Jeff Brown of Grandmothers, Mothers and More for Energy Safety.

“It’s going to be a peaceful demonstration,” Davies said.

The local demonstration will be made up of community members, New Jersey Environmental Federation Staff and other organizations, Davies said. At least 10 are expected.

The National Day of Solidarity, which is sponsored by Beyond Nuclear, will be taking place at all U.S. nuclear plants that have a GE Mark I Boiling Water Reactor, the , he said.