Centralized Storage
With the scientifically unsound proposed Yucca Mountain radioactive waste dump now canceled, the danger of "interim" storage threatens. This means that radioactive waste could be "temporarily" parked in open air lots, vulnerable to accident and attack, while a new repository site is sought.
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Lacey Officials, Oyster Creek Generating Station Owners Disagree on Land Use Oversight
As reported by TheSandpaper.net.
The company involved in this legal dispute, Holtec International, is also proposing a highly controversial consolidated interim storage facility in New Mexico for commercial irradiated nuclear fuel, including that from Oyster Creek.
[As a courtesy to our allies in the fight against the Holtec consolidated interim storage facility, we share this News from Don't Waste Michigan, et al., with you. ---Kevin Kamps, Radioactive Waste Specialist, Beyond Nuclear, <kevin@beyondnuclear.org>, (240) 462-3216]
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DON'T WASTE MI, et al. FILES FEDERAL LAWSUIT CHALLENGING NATIONAL HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE DUMP TARGETING NEW MEXICO |
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Petitioners charge Nuclear Regulatory Commission inadequately disclosed irradiated nuclear fuel transport routes through 45 states |
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WASHINGTON, D.C., JUNE 24, 2020 -- On June 22, 2020, the national grassroots environmental coalition Don't Waste Michigan (DWM), et al. filed an appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (Case No. 20-1225), requesting review of an April 23, 2020 Order by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). NRC's Order rejected DWM, et al.'s challenges to Holtec International/Eddy Lea Energy Alliance’s application to build a massive “consolidated interim storage facility” (CISF) for nuclear waste in southeastern New Mexico. Holtec proposes to store as much as 173,000 metric tons of highly radioactive irradiated nuclear fuel – more than twice the amount currently stored at U.S. nuclear power reactors – in shallow pits on the site. Barbara Warren, Executive Director of Citizens’ Environmental Coalition (CEC), said: “Multiple New York activists share serious concerns with our friends in New Mexico about the deficient environmental review for the long-term storage of nuclear waste that will be hazardous for millions of years. NRC has not required controls adequate to handle both short-term and long-term hazards for this dangerously radioactive irradiated nuclear fuel. In addition, there has been NO evaluation of the entire hazardous journey high-level nuclear waste will require, the enormous costs to fix transport infrastructure and the potential for disaster along the entire route, where freight and passenger trains must share rail lines. In addition, barge transport poses unique hazards." “The proposal to make New Mexico a national sacrifice zone includes tens of thousands of rail shipments of irradiated nuclear fuel and may be one of the most dramatic long-term transport efforts in the history of the United States," observed Leona Morgan, Coordinator of the Nuclear Issues Study Group in Albuquerque. "We're joining six other organizations in a total of five states to challenge the federal government demanding that the 200 million+ people living within 50 miles of rail corridors have a say in this decision to allow deadly radioactive waste to come through their communities." Michael Keegan, Co-Chair of Don't Waste Michigan, said: "Holtec's 'Return to Sender' policy, for Mobile Chernobyl shipments that show up in New Mexico externally contaminated, leaking radioactivity, or damaged, is illegal. It would mean communities across the country would be exposed to high-level radioactive risks, coming and going. This includes for Fermi Unit 2's irradiated nuclear fuel, in Holtec containers, that would pass by rail through the heart of metro Detroit, during both legs of the nonsensical, high-risk, 3,000-mile round-trip journey." Attorney Terry Lodge, Toledo, OH-based legal counsel for Don't Waste Michigan, et al., charged that, "The Holtec proposal is a corporate welfare trough that will make the nuclear waste problem in this country worse, putting millions of people along transport routes at unnecessary risk." “My community does not want dangerous radioactive waste, despite claims made by nuclear lobbyists and politicians who see us as their dumping ground,” said Rose Gardner, a founder of Alliance for Environmental Strategies, who has been fighting low-level radioactive waste in her community for years. AFES is an ally of Don't Waste MI, et al., in opposing the Holtec CISF, as well as a related CISF that Don't Waste MI, et al., also opposes, Interim Storage Partners at Waste Control Specialists (WCS) in Texas. “Two companies now want to bring in the deadliest of all radioactive waste, from around the entire country, store it in our backyard and keep it there for decades. We don’t want it and we don’t consent to being dumped on. We live here. We have children. And we’re not the sacrifice zone for wealthier communities,” Gardner added. Gardner lives in Eunice, New Mexico, 5 miles west of the proposed WCS radioactive waste storage site, and less than 40 miles southeast of the proposed Holtec/ELEA site, proposed for midway between Carlsbad and Hobbs, NM. The June 22, 2020 filing deadline at the federal court of appeals came just one day before the NRC held its first of two scheduled public comment webinars/call-ins regarding its Draft Environmental Impact Statement on Holtec's proposed CISF. The webinar/call-in took place from 5 to 10pm Eastern, Tuesday, June 23, 2020. Representatives of Don't Waste Michigan, et al. submitted verbal comments at that time. A second webinar/call-in for public comment is scheduled to begin at 5pm Eastern on Thursday, July 9, 2020. NRC's current deadline for public comment is September 22, 2020. During the preceding environmental scoping stage public comment period in 2018, more than 30,000 public comments opposing the Holtec CISF were submitted, a record-breaking number for the subject matter. |
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| Beyond Nuclear is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization. Beyond Nuclear aims to educate and activate the public about the connections between nuclear power and nuclear weapons and the need to abolish both to safeguard our future. Beyond Nuclear advocates for an energy future that is sustainable, benign and democratic. The Beyond Nuclear team works with diverse partners and allies to provide the public, government officials, and the media with the critical information necessary to move humanity toward a world beyond nuclear. Beyond Nuclear: 7304 Carroll Avenue, #182, Takoma Park, MD 20912. Info@beyondnuclear.org. www.beyondnuclear.org. |
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MEDIA COVERAGE:
11:30am Eastern, Wed., June 24, 2020 --
2:03pm Eastern, Wed., June 24, 2020 --
Tweet by Scott Stapf of the Hastings Group:
https://twitter.com/stapf/status/1275848353583190016
Brand new, empty, highly radioactive watse Holtec container heavy haul truck shipment to Vermont Yankee flipped over on the side of the road in Andover, VT, June 19-20, 2020.
6:34pm Eastern, Wed., June 24, 2020 --
As reported by the Richard Eeds Show on KTRC in Santa Fe, NM. Listen to the 13-minute audio recording, here.
"Coalition asks federal court to review NRC decisions in Holtec proceeding," by Andrea Jennetta in Washington, S&P Global Platts Inside NRC, Volume 42/Number 14/July 6, 2020, Page 1 (continued on Page 7). This article is available by subscription only.
| Document Title: | Transcript of Proceedings - Public Online Webinar for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Holtec Hi-Store Consolidated Interim Storage Facility, June 23, 2020, Pages 1-202 |
| Document Type: | Meeting Transcript |
| Document Date: | 06/23/2020 |
SUBJECT: REMINDER OF PUBLIC MEETING WEBINAR TO RECEIVE COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT FOR THE HOLTEC INTERNATIONAL CONSOLIDATED INTERIM STORAGE FACILITY AND ANNOUNCEMENT OF A SECOND WEBINAR
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) will conduct TWO public meetings via webinar soliciting comments on a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Holtec International’s (Holtec) proposed Consolidated Interim Storage Facility (CISF) for spent nuclear fuel in Lea County, New Mexico. The draft EIS evaluates potential environmental impacts of Holtec’s request to build and operate the proposed CISF.
The public meeting webinars will be accessible to the public by navigating, on the day and time of the meeting, to the internet link below and entering the event number associated with the date of the webinar when prompted. Telephone access is also provided by dialing the telephone number and entering the passcode provided below. The NRC staff will present the results of the draft environmental impact analysis and receive the public’s comments on the draft report. The NRC invites members of the public to attend the public meeting webinar and to present oral comments on the draft EIS. Both public meeting webinars will commence at 3:00 pm Mountain Daylight Time (MDT), the first on June 23, 2020, and the second on July 9, 2020.
WEBINAR 1 - Tuesday, June 23, 2020 – 3:00 pm MDT (5:00 pm EDT)
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Webinar Internet address: https://usnrc.webex.com/ |
Event Number: 199 800 0026
Password: HOLTEC
Telephone access:
Telephone number: 888-454-7496
Telephone passcode: 5790355
WEBINAR 2 - Thursday, July 9, 2020 – 3:00 pm MDT (5:00 pm EDT)
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Webinar Internet address: https://usnrc.webex.com/ |
Event Number: 199 943 8370
Password: HOLTEC
Telephone access:
Telephone number: 800-475-0220
Telephone passcode: 9575497
Those wishing to present oral comments are asked to pre-register by June 22, 2020 for the webinar on June 23, 2020; and by July 8, 2020 for the webinar on July 9, 2020, by contacting Ms. Antoinette Walker-Smith via e-mail at: Antoinette.Walker-Smith@nrc.gov. The public may also submit written comments on the draft EIS before September 22, 2020. [The deadline had been July 22nd, but has been extended by two months.] A notice published in the Federal Register (FR) on April 27, 2020 (85 FR 23382; https://www.federalregister.gov/), announced the availability of the NRC’s draft EIS and provided instructions for submitting written comments.
The draft EIS can be found on the NRC public webpage for the Holtec CISF license application at https://www.nrc.gov/waste/spent-fuel-storage/cis/holtec-international.html. If you do not have internet access, contact the NRC Public Document Room at 800-397-4209 for assistance.
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U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (TX-35th) wrote NRC, urging public comment meetings across the Lone Star State be delayed until after the pandemic emergency -- currently raging in Texas -- ends, and the public comment period be held open until after the in-person meetings are completed, including in his congressional district.
Similarly, U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD-8th) has written NRC, urging the comment period be extended "throughout the duration of the pandemic," and to end it "no sooner than six months after this FEMA-declared emergency has passed."
Since March 20th, the united New Mexico U.S. congressional delegation has stood strong in its demand that NRC hold five in-person public comment meetings across the Land of Enchantment -- which inevitably will mean an extension to the current Sept. 22nd deadline in the Holtec CISF proceeding, in order to accommodate them.
Such calls are also being backed up by 24 Democratic U.S. Senators (including five who were recently campaigning for the presidency); see their April 8th letter to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), here.
Both congressional letters in early April demanded that the White House Office of Management and Budget suspend public comment and participation periods, in light of the pandemic emergency.
Instead, thus far, NRC has attempted to ram through the CISF public comment periods, exploiting or taking advantage of the pandemic emergency in order to do so.
SUBJECT: US NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION ANNOUNCES PUBLIC MEETING WEBINAR TO RECEIVE COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT FOR THE HOLTEC INTERNATIONAL CONSOLIDATED INTERIM STORAGE FACILITY
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) will conduct a public meeting via webinar soliciting comments on a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Holtec International’s (Holtec) proposed Consolidated Interim Storage Facility (CISF) for spent nuclear fuel in Lea County, New Mexico. The draft EIS evaluates potential environmental impacts of Holtec’s request to build and operate the proposed CISF.
The public meeting webinar will be accessible to the public by navigating, on the day and time of the meeting, to the internet link below and entering the event number associated with the date of the webinar when prompted. Telephone access is also provided by dialing the telephone number and entering the passcode provided below. The NRC staff will present the results of the draft environmental impact analysis and receive the public’s comments on the draft report. The NRC invites members of the public to attend the public meeting webinar and to present oral comments on the draft EIS. The public meeting webinar will commence at 3:00 pm Mountain Daylight Time (MDT) on June 23, 2020.
Tuesday, June 23, 2020 – 3:00 pm MDT (5:00 pm EDT)
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Webinar Internet address: https://usnrc.webex.com/usnrc/onstage/g.php?MTID=e518b15b4271391e6b7c7232571f289d3 |
Event Number: 199 800 0026
Password: HOLTEC
Telephone access
Telephone number: 888-454-7496
Telephone passcode: 5790355
Those wishing to present oral comments are asked to pre-register by June 22, 2020, by contacting Ms. Antoinette Walker-Smith via e-mail at: Antoinette.Walker-Smith@nrc.gov. The public may also submit written comments on the draft EIS before July 22, 2020. A notice published in the Federal Register (FR) on April 27, 2020 (85 FR 23382; https://www.federalregister.gov/), announced the availability of the NRC’s draft EIS and provided instructions for submitting written comments.
The draft EIS can be found on the NRC public webpage for the Holtec CISF license application at https://www.nrc.gov/waste/spent-fuel-storage/cis/holtec-international.html. If you do not have internet access, contact the NRC Public Document Room at 800-397-4209 for assistance.
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U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (TX-35th) wrote NRC, urging public comment meetings across the Lone Star State be delayed until after the pandemic emergency -- currently raging in Texas -- ends, and the public comment period be held open until after the in-person meetings are completed, including in his congressional district.
Similarly, U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD-8th) has written NRC, urging the comment period be extended "throughout the duration of the pandemic," and to end it "no sooner than six months after this FEMA-declared emergency has passed."
Since March 20th, the united New Mexico U.S. congressional delegation has stood strong in its demand that NRC hold five in-person public comment meetings across the Land of Enchantment -- which inevitably will mean an extension to the current Sept. 22nd deadline in the Holtec CISF proceeding, in order to accommodate them.
Such calls are also being backed up by 24 Democratic U.S. Senators (including five who were recently campaigning for the presidency); see their April 8th letter to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), here.
Both congressional letters in early April demanded that the White House Office of Management and Budget suspend public comment and participation periods, in light of the pandemic emergency.
Instead, thus far, NRC has attempted to ram through the CISF public comment periods, exploiting or taking advantage of the pandemic emergency in order to do so.
