65-group environmental coalition urges congressional leadership to oppose CISFs

Beyond Nuclear has joined forces with 64 other environmental groups, in a coalition letter to U.S. congressional leadership, urging opposition to the dangerously unwise authorization and funding of Consolidated Interim Storage Facilities for commercial irradiated nuclear fuel. The high-risk legislative language is contained in Energy & Water Appropriations bills in both Houses of Congress (H.R. 7613 and S. 0000, Sec. 306). See the full text of the letter, spearheaded by NRDC, with the entire list of signatory organizations from across the country, linked here.

One of the numerous major risks is that so-called "interim storage" would become de facto permanent, a surface storage "parking lot dump." This flies in the face of the wisdom embedded in the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, as Amended, which prohibits the U.S. Department of Energy from taking title to irradiated nuclear fuel at an "interim storage" site, unless and until a permanent repository is licensed and operating.

Nearly a decade ago, former U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman (Democrat from New Mexico) emphasized the importance of this prohibition, just as his own state was beginning to be targeted for a massive CISF by Holtec International, a fight that still goes on.

The Nov. 23rd letter followed a very similar Nov. 13th letter, from 19 New Mexican and Texan environmental and environmental justice groups, to congressional leadership, opposing CISF authorization/funding in both Chambers' Energy & Water Appropriations Acts (linked here). NM and TX are targeted with two CISFs, just 40 miles from each other across the state line: Holtec International in NM, and Interim Storage Partners at Waste Control Specialists in TX.

On Nov. 23rd, Nuclear Information and Resource Service put out an alert, where individuals can learn more and take action, by submitting a simple, easy to use webform to Members of Congress.

TX & NM NUKE WASTE DUMPS: What can you do to defend EJ?

Now that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Draft Environmental Impact Statement public comment periods have concluded on the environmentally unjust commercial irradiated nuclear fuel consolidated interim storage facilities (CISFs) targeting the NM/TX borderlands, what can you do? Contact your U.S. Rep., and both Senators. Urge they block any bill authorizing and/or funding CISFs during the lame duck session of Congress, including both House and Senate Energy and Water Appropriations bills (H.R. 7613 and S. 0000, Sec. 306). To learn more about dangerously bad radioactive waste legislation, watch the Nov. 13 EESI/Clearwater congressional briefing, with expert opponents to the CISFs, from NIRS, Southwest Research and Information Center, and Institute for Policy Studies.

TX & NM NUKE WASTE DUMPS: What's next? What can you do?

As reported last week, public comments finished strong on NRC's Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Interim Storage Partners' (ISP) highly radioactive waste Consolidated Interim Storage Facility (CISF) at Waste Control Specialists, Texas. Opponents submitted more than 9,000 comments, including ours. A coalition of 129 environmental organizations also spoke out, as did opponents, by a 10-to-1 ratio, during verbal call-in sessions.

What’s next? Opponents' appeals against the Holtec CISF targeting New Mexico have been held in abeyance by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, until all NRC licensing proceedings conclude. What can you do? Contact your U.S. Rep., and both Senators; urge they block any bill authorizing CISFs during the lame duck.

NOV. 13 NUKE WASTE BRIEFING: What Congress Needs to Know

Please join a one-hour, virtual Congressional briefing Friday, November 13 at 2pm ET on 

"What Congress Needs to Know About Pending Nuclear Waste Legislation" which Clearwater and other groups have organized with EESI.

Nuclear waste issues are coming to a head as more nuclear plants close and enter decommissioning. Congress is considering far-reaching legislation that could upend current law and transform how we handle waste from operating and decommissioned nuclear plants. Bills are pending that could enable consolidated interim storage facilities, trigger thousands of shipments of high-level waste across the U.S., allow owners to offload liability for waste by transferring title to the Energy Dept., and cause other sea-changes in waste and decommissioning practices.

MORE.

TEXAS NUKE WASTE DUMP: Strong finish on 11/3 comments deadline!

The deadline for public comments on NRC's Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Interim Storage Partners' (ISP) highly radioactive waste Consolidated Interim Storage Facility (CISF) at Waste Control Specialists, Texas was November 3, Election Day. Opponents submitted thousands of comments, including ours. A coalition of 129 environmental organizations also spoke out, as did Texas’s governor.

What’s next on these fights? Opponents’ appeals against the Holtec/ELEA CISF targeting southeast New Mexico have been held in abeyance by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, until all NRC licensing proceedings conclude. What can you do? Contact your U.S. Rep., and both Senators; urge them to block any bill authorizing CISFs during the lame duck.