Exelon Generation had requested a reduction in emergency planning requirements after it permanently defueled the Oyster Creek reactor, according Neil Sheehan, a public affairs officer at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

The decision will allow the operator to discontinue the Emergency Planning Zone within a 10-mile radius of the Lacey Township plant and eliminate the use of emergency sirens.

But the changes cannot be implemented until 12 months after the plant’s closure, allowing the spent fuel to cool sufficiently to reduce the risk of a fire and radioactivity spread, Sheehan said.

Oyster Creek closed on Sept. 17. The plant must continue to maintain an on-site emergency plan and emergency response capabilities. In the event of an emergency, the operator must notify the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and state authorities.