Time to decommission Oyster Creek Joseph C. Scarpelli Guest Column The owners of the Oyster Creek Nuclear Genera-ting Station in Lacey Township, the Exelon Corp., have recently announced that their ability to make a profit will be a deciding factor in their decision to seek an operating license extension for the facility. The voices of the growing opposition will have no impact on their decision. They would not consider the opinions of those who live near the plant. That is wrong. This is why we should collectively raise our voices to shut down Oyster Creek. The arguments against the continued operation of the plant are numerous and powerful. The plant is old. In fact, it is the oldest nuclear plant in operation in the entire country. This is particularly alarming when you take into account the fact that over 30 percent of all nuclear reactor accidents are related to age degradation. The design of Oyster Creek’s nuclear reactor is antiquated and obsolete. In fact, the federal Atomic Energy Commission prohibited that design from ever being used again over 30 years ago. If the design was inadequate in 1972, what makes it adequate now? Oklahoma City in 1995 and Sept. 11, 2001, opened our eyes to the lengths that madmen are willing to go to inflict harm. Oyster Creek could prove to be a target for those looking to hurt and kill many people. There are well over 500,000 people who would be affected and possibly exposed to high and lethal levels of radiation in the event of an attack on the plant or even a catastrophic accident. A large portion of the New Jersey shore would be rendered an inhospit-able waste land. It is these facts and the risks associated with them that has led elected official after elected official to voice their opposition to the license extension. The lives and safety of our residents are too valuable to be subjected to the threat that lays in the Pine Barrens. I encourage each and every one of you to write to your state senators, your congressman, Gov. James E. McGreevey, your state representatives, the Nuclear Regulatory Commis-sion and the elected officials of your municipality and let them know you are opposed to the continued operation of the Oyster Creek facility. Together, we will create one unified voice that the NRC and Exelon will have to hear. Joseph C. Scarpelli is the mayor of Brick Township.