Lacey Officials Not Doing Enough to Prepare for Oyster Creek Closure: Candidate

LACEY – Shawn Judson, a Democrat candidate for township committee said this week that her incumbent opponents are not doing enough to prepare for the closure of the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station and criticized the fact that renewable energy alternatives aren’t being pushed for the site.

The closure of Oyster Creek, America’s oldest operating nuclear power plant, is easily the most significant challenge facing the southern Ocean County community, which has relied on the tax windfall from the plant to finance public services in the township over the lifespan of the plant.

On Monday, Democratic congressional hopeful Andy Kim was in town for a meet-and-greet sponsored by the township’s Democratic club.

Lacey Township Committee candidate Shawn Judson (D – Lacey) said on her campaign Facebook page that she spoke with Kim about “… how our current committeemen have failed to produce alternate clean energy options.”

“They have not been prepared for the closing of the power plant,” Judson said in a campaign video. “And they have brought in big box stores and given them huge tax breaks – which is going on the burden – on the backs of our taxpayers,” she said, critical of recent commercial development that has been changing the face of Lacey Township in the past decade.

Republican incumbents Gary Quinn and Tim McDonald are seeking reelection in the 2018 township committee campaign. Judson, who has previously ran for office in Lacey, is the sole Democrat candidate on the ballot in this year’s race.

 Loading ...

Editor’s note: the author was recently interviewed for the documentary “Nuclear Shutdown” which is exploring issues associated with the Oyster Creek plant’s closure.

Print This Article