Today, the NRC Commissioners will likely reject most, to all, of the remaining legal and technical objections that opponents have raised against the environmentally unjust Consolidated Interim Storage Facilities targeted at west Texas and southeastern New Mexico.

If that is the case, almost all of the parties that have intervened against the licenses are prepared to appeal NRC's final decisions to our second highest court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. In fact, Beyond Nuclear, Don't Waste MI, et al. (a seven-group coalition), Sierra Club, and Fasken Oil & Ranch, are already there on the Holtec, New Mexico case. And these same parties may soon be there too, on Interim Storage Partners, Texas.

On Dec. 17th, the five U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commissioners unanimously rejected all appeals raised by Beyond Nuclear, as well as Don't Waste Michigan, et al. (a seven-group, national grassroots environmental coalition), re: the Interim Storage Partners Consolidated Interim Storage Facility targeted at the Texas side of the New Mexico/Texas state line, in Andrews County, west Texas.

The NRC Commissioners did remand a single contention raised by Fasken Land and Minerals, Ltd., back to the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board panel for its further consideration.

Beyond Nuclear, as well as Don't Waste Michigan, et al., plan to appeal the NRC Commissioners' rulings to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in the next couple months.

See the NRC Commissioners' order, here.

Don't Waste Michigan et al. is comprised of the following organizations: Don't Waste Michigan; Citizens' Environmental Coalition (of New York); Citizens for Alternatives to Chemical Contamination (of Michigan); Nuclear Energy Information Service (of Illinois); Public Citizen (of Texas and Washington, D.C.); San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace (of California); Sustainable Energy and Economic Development Coalition (of Texas); and Leona Morgan, individually. Morgan is a co-founder of Nuclear Issues Study Group of New Mexico. Toledo, Ohio-based attorney Terry Lodge serves as Don't Waste Michigan et al.'s legal counsel.

Beyond Nuclear's legal counsel include Diane Curran of Washington, D.C., and Mindy Goldstein of Atlanta, GA.

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