David Benson, plant spokesman, said that the outage was extended so crews could perform proactive maintenance to further prepare the plant for summer operations. The crews have also found and stopped two small leaks in underground pipes believed to be the source of tritium, a weak radioactive substance recently detected on the plant’s property. The pipes also were replaced.
The Oyster Creek nuclear plant was opened in December 1969 and was granted a new 20-year operating license in April 2009. The plant generates 636 megawatts of electricity, which is enough to power 600,000 homes annually. It provides 9% of New Jersey’s electricity.
