Holtec clears hurdle in bid to build nuclear-waste facility in New Mexico

As reported by the Cherry Hill Courier-Post.

Cherry Hill, NJ, a suburb of Philadelphia, PA, has long been a headquarters for Holtec International's radioactive waste-focused schemes.

The article quotes Beyond Nuclear's radioactive waste specialist, Kevin Kamps:

But the NRC's stance will only stiffen opposition to Holtec's plan, said Kevin Kamps of Beyond Nuclear, a Maryland-based advocacy group that is part of an environmental coalition fighting the project.

"It's just a matter of redoubling our efforts," said Kamps, who noted the project's foes are currently appealing an earlier decision in Holtec's favor by the NRC's Atomic Safety and Licensing Board.

"I think more and more people in this country are realizing this company can't be trusted," he said of Holtec.

Critics previously have expressed concern over the possible release of radioactivity from the canisters and the risks of transporting nuclear waste to the remote facility.

Critics also contend Holtec's facility, although described as an "interim" storage site, could become a permanent fixture.

Kamps predicted the fight over the project could end up in court, because critics contend any license granted by the NRC would violate federal law.