New Jersey to Regulate Plant's Nuclear Material

NEWFIELD, N.J.-- New Jersey officials have been given oversight of decommissioning nuclear materials once used by a southern New Jersey company.

The federal Nuclear Regulatory Agency ruled Wednesday that it is appropriate for New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection to be given jurisdiction over the cleanup at Sheildalloy Metallurgical Corp.'s facility in Newfield.

The NRC previously tried to hand over the responsibility. But the company sued, fearing the state would force it to ship its radioactive waste to a facility in Utah.

The company says it would be better to cap it in New Jersey -- a move that would be cheaper.
A company spokesman did not immediately return a call Wednesday.

The firm, a subsidiary of Wayne, Pa.-based Metallurg Holdings, Inc., stopped producing alloys in Newfield in 2006.

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