Deadline for public comment on nuke waste site extended

As reported by the Albuquerque Journal:

Deadline for public comment on nuke waste site extended

By Theresa Davis / Journal Staff Writer

Published: Monday, April 27th, 2020 at 10:52pm

Updated: Monday, April 27th, 2020 at 11:04pm

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has extended the public comment period for a draft environmental impact statement of Holtec International’s proposed nuclear waste storage facility in southeast New Mexico.

The comment deadline is now July 22.

The extension comes after New Mexico’s congressional delegation and at least 50 environmental groups said the public needed more time to comment in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The NRC released the draft impact statement in March, along with a recommendation to issue a license to Holtec for the project. The facility would initially store spent nuclear fuel in 500 canisters, and the full project would have a capacity for 10,000 canisters.

Comments may be made online at https://www.regulations.gov or emailed to Holtec-CISFEIS@nrc.gov.