SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill visited the Salem Nuclear Power Plant in Salem County on Wednesday to sign legislation to boost energy generation.
For decades, Sherrill said, New Jersey had a de facto ban on building nuclear power plants due to a regulation from the 1970s. “One law required any new projects to point to a method of disposal that quite literally does not exist,” she said of the Coastal Area Facility Review Act, which calls for a specific disposal method approved by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
The new law gives the state’s Department of Environmental Protection the authority to approve permits based on NRC-compliant radioactive waste storage.
Sherrill called it a textbook example of the type of inefficient government that she ran to stop. “I’m signing a bill to cut that red tape, removing a big barrier to new nuclear in our state,” she said.
She also announced a new task force to pursue new nuclear generation projects, saying the group will be focused on delivering safe, clean power to every home.
“We know nuclear has a strong safety record. It’s the most regulated industry on Earth, with meticulous training, monitoring and security,” said Sherrill.
While none of these actions will have an immediate impact on high energy costs, Sherrill said they build the foundation for the future.
“Across America, a nuclear renaissance is taking shape, with new plants, new partnerships, new funding, and new opportunities,” the governor said, “and New Jersey is uniquely positioned to lead.”
