Holtec arrives at City Council: Citizens share opposition or ask city to remain neutral

As reported by the Roswell Daily Record.

State could block nuclear storage site near Carlsbad even if federally licensed

As reported by the Carlsbad Current Argus.

New Mexico Cattle Growers’ Association resolution in opposition to Holtec/ELEA CISF

Text of resolution passed several weeks ago by the New Mexico Cattle Growers' Association in opposition to Holtec International/Eddy-Lea [Counties] Energy Alliance's (ELEA) centralized interim storage facility (CISF) targeted at southeastern New Mexico:

New Mexico Cattle Growers’ Association

Hi-Store Consolidated Interim Storage Facility Project Resolution

Whereas:              In southeastern New Mexico Holtec International has proposed a consolidated interim storage facility, known as Hi-Store, for nuclear waste to be built and operated; and

Whereas:              New Mexico Cattle Growers (NMCGA) is greatly concerned that the input of local ranchers and land lessees has not been sought or considered during Eddy-Lea Energy Alliance, LLC’s (ELEA) and Holtec’s process; and

Whereas:                  NMCGA wants verifiable assurances that every effort is being made to inform those directly involved by the Holtec International HI-STORE CIS project including the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and State land lessees and the surrounding communities and their input should be considered.

Now Therefore Be It Resolved:       New Mexico Cattle Growers’ Association opposes Holtec International's        Hi-Store consolidated interim storage facility project proposed in Eddy and Lea Counties, NM; and

Furthermore be it Resolved:           New Mexico Cattle Growers’ Association supports the residents, communities, and state government officials in their opposition to construction and operation of the Hi-Store consolidated interim storage facility in New Mexico.

Action Plan

Distribute resolution to the following:

U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Rick Perry

New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez

New Mexico Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich

New Mexico Representatives Ben Ray Lujan, Steve Pearce and Michelle Lujan Grisham

The New Mexico State Legislature

Holtec International                      

Eddy –Lea Energy Alliance, LLC

New Mexico Media Outlets

NRC officially rejects environmental coalition's call for extension of public comment period, postponement of legal intervention deadline, re: Holtec/ELEA CISF

By a letter dated July 30th, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) officially rejected a 38-group environmental coalition's call for an extension of the environmental scoping public comment deadline, as well as a postponement of the legal intervention deadline, re: Holtec International/Eddy-Lea [Counties] Energy Alliance's proposal to construct and operate a centralized interim storage facility for 173,600 metric tons of highly radioactive waste in southeastern New Mexico.

Thus, the July 30th deadline for environmental scoping public comment has now passed (but opponents to Holtec/ELEA's proposal nonetheless met that deadline in a big way, with over 25,000 public comments in opposition to the CISF!)

And groups planning to legally intervene in the NRC's Atomic Safety (sic) and Licensing Board (ASLB) proceeding on the application, face an arbitrarily and capriciously short 60-day deadline, that expires on Sept. 14, to establish legal standing, and to submit quality contentions that the ASLB would allow for hearings on the merits. Beyond Nuclear, as well as a broad coalition of other environmental groups, plan to do just that! Beyond Nuclear's legal counsel are Diane Curran of Washington, D.C., and Mindy Goldstein of Emory University's Turner Environmental Law Clinic in Atlanta, GA.

A ‘poorly conceived push’ for nuclear waste storage

As published by the Santa Fe New Mexican, a letter to the editor by Sasha Pyle:

Former N.M. representative and chairman of the Carlsbad mayor’s nuclear task force, John Heaton said the Holtec International facility’s opponents (“Nuke waste project planning enters next phase,” Aug. 1) are “emotional” and “non-factual.” This poorly conceived push to bring the nation’s spent fuel rods to an “interim” facility, hoping some corporate or governmental agency will return in a century to remove them to a theoretical permanent repository, is where facts are ignored.

I challenge Heaton to talk with me about the region’s hydrology/geology; escape pathways; health effects of exposure; inadequate cask design; the fanciful transportation plan; the history of corporate and government victimization of populations of color; and the legal requirements that Holtec fails to meet.

I have studied nuclear issues for three decades. No hysteria is needed to detect the myriad flaws in this scheme. It’s all about profits — and pretending there’s a solution to America’s waste backlog. No technically viable disposal plan exists. Holtec does nothing to solve that. A dispassionate robot could reach the same conclusion.

Sasha Pyle

Santa Fe