New Jersey Gov. Mike Sherrill signed a bill to ease state permitting requirements at PSEG’s Salem Nuclear Power Plant on Wednesday.
The bill, sponsored by Senate President Nick Scutari and Sen. Paul Sarlo, would modify the permitting process for nuclear waste storage under the Coastal Area Facility Review Act. The bill would allow the state Department of Environmental Protection to determine whether a nuclear plant’s method of storing nuclear waste is safe and adheres to federal standards.
“Across America, a nuclear renaissance is taking shape with new plants, new partnerships, new funding and new opportunities, and New Jersey is uniquely positioned to lead,” Sherrill told reporters at the bill signing. “For too long, outdated laws have kept us from even considering new nuclear facilities.”
Background: Before Sherrill took office, New Jersey lawmakers debated a bill that would subsidize a new nuclear power plant in the state. That bill drew vociferous opposition from a wide range of interests, including business groups, environmentalists and consumer advocates.
