LACEY — An emergency situation was declared Saturday morning at New Jersey's oldest nuclear power plant.

The Oyster Creek Generating Station reduced power and declared a so-called Unusual Event after "unusually low tides and high winds impacted water levels in the bay and subsequently, the plant’s intake canal," the facility said in a prepared statement.

The facility said an Unusual Event is the lowest emergency classification.

"Minimum water levels were established as one of many conservative measures to ensure that operators have access to multiple and redundant sources of cooling water in the event of an emergent shutdown," the Exelon Generation-owned facility said.

"Although water levels have returned to normal, the classification will remain in place until operators confirm that this environmental anomaly will not recur with the next tidal change. Exelon Generation remains in contact with all appropriate federal, state and local officials regarding plant conditions."

The power plant, in the Forked River section of this Ocean County township, produces enough electricity to power 600,000 homes.

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