Nuclear Facilities Being Guarded

TRENTON, N.J.: Air space has been closed around four nuclear reactors in New Jersey and dozens of other plants across the nation in light of this week's new terrorist alert. The federal order issued Tuesday creates no-fly zones around the plants. The only exceptions are for law enforcement, medical evacuations, search-and-rescue missions and firefighting aircraft with express permission from air traffic controllers.

The order does not apply to commercial airliners and military aircraft under air traffic control.

In New Jersey, the restrictions prohibit planes from flying within 11 miles of the Salem I and II and Hope Creek plants, all in Lower Alloways Creek Township, and the Oyster Creek plant in Forked River.

The federal order apparently caught many private aircraft owners by surprise. The confusion was compounded by errors in listing power plants and affected airports, according to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, a national general aviation group based in Maryland.

James Peters, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration's eastern regional office in New York, would not comment on the group's claim.

"We're not disclosing why some power plants are on the list and others are not," Peters told the Asbury Park Press of Neptune for Thursday's editions.

(Copyright 2001 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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Author: 6 - ABC, Action News