Misinformation about NJ nuclear plant spreads like wildfire during disaster

🔥 Facebook page spreads wrong information about Oyster Creek

🔥A substation was powered down during the fire

The company tasked with decommissioning the former Oyster Creek nuclear power plant refuted social media reports about fires on the plant's property during the Jones Road Wildfire in Ocean County.

An independent Facebook page with lots of followers cited unverified "radio waves" to claim that one building was a "total loss" while "numerous other buildings have small fires."

Pat O’Brien, a spokesman for Holtec International, said the report was wrong.

"Earlier this evening, embers from the fire blew onto a small patch of grass on plant property, north of all buildings and structures, and was completely and safely extinguished," O'Brien said on the company's Facebook page.

"All the buildings on the Oyster Creek site as well as the entire Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation are designed and constructed to withstand fires."

ALSO READ: Wildfire burns 20 square miles, destroys business

Plant closed in 2018

The plant began operating in 1969 and was shut down in 2018. All fuel has been removed from the reactor, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Spent fuel was moved to dry storage in 2021.

Power turned off during the fire

At the request of the Forest Fire Service, JCP&L de-energized a substation at 6 p.m. Tuesday, knocking out power to 25,000 customers in Barnegat, Ocean and Lacey townships.

The utility began restoring power by early Wednesday afternoon, according to spokesman Chris Hoenig.

Trusted sources during disasters

Like most responsible media companies, New Jersey 101.5 reports information from trusted sources with first-hand knowledge of any situation. In the case of a wildfire, that would include the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, the state Department of Environmental Protection and county and municipal law enforcement.

The Forest Fire Service maintains a Facebook page that is routinely updated during major wildfires.

Media outlets should not broadcast or publish emergency radio transmissions without first confirming the information with the agencies involved, as these messages are often incomplete, misunderstood or wrong.

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