Holtec, SCE Still Weeks From Finishing Assessment of Canister Scare at SONGS, NRC Says

As reported by the ExchangeMonitor.

While the troubled, highly controversial Holtec dry cask storage facility at San Onofre, CA holds a fraction of the waste from two reactors, its proposed consolidated interim storage facility targeted at southeastern New Mexico would hold 173,000 metric tons of irradiated nuclear fuel, generated at well over 100 reactors across the U.S. However, Holtec's troubled UMAX dry cask storage system design at San Onofre would be the same design used at its CISF in NM, showing clearly that the troubles at San Onofre are cautionary tales for the kinds of incidents and accident that could well happen in NM.

The Tax Break Application Had a False Answer. Now the State Has Put the Break on Hold.

After WNYC and ProPublica identified a false answer on nuclear company Holtec International’s New Jersey tax break application, state officials have frozen the break pending further investigation.

As further reported by WNYC and ProPublica.

Sources: Subpoena issued to New Jersey Economic Development Authority seeks documents on Holtec

As reported by Politico.

The news follows an earlier exposé by Politico and WNYC, dated May 23, 2019, re: Holtec's false testimony to the State of New Jersey on an application which won the company a $260 million tax break. Holtec testified that it had never been barred from doing business with the federal government or any state government. This was false. It had been barred from doing business with the Tennessee Valley Authority, due to a bribery conviction at the Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant in Alabama.

Beyond Nuclear appeals to U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission against Holtec's CISF in NM

Beyond Nuclear's legal counsel, Diane Curran and Harmon Curran in Washington DC, and Mindy Goldstein of Turner Environmental Law Clinic at Emory U. in Atlanta GA, have appealed to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) against the May 7, 2019 Atomic Safety and Licesning Board (ASLB) rulings in favor of Holtec International's license application. Holtec is targeting southeastern New Mexico for consolidated interim storage of 173,600 metric tons of commercial highly radioactive waste.

See BEYOND NUCLEAR’S BRIEF ON APPEAL OF LBP-19-04.

Also see BEYOND NUCLEAR’S NOTICE OF APPEAL OF LBP-19-04.

And see Beyond Nuclear's media release, accompanying the appeal.

Update on June 4, 2019 by admin

Beyond Nuclear's environmental coalition allies opposed to the Holtec/ELEA CISF also appealed the ASLB's bad rulings. See Sierra Club's brief, and notice, filed by attorney Wally Taylor; see Don't Waste MI et al.'s (a seven-group coalition) brief and notice, filed by legal counsel Terry Lodge.

Fasken Land and Minerals, Ltd. and Permian Basin Land and Royalty Owners also submitted a notice and petition for review, filed by its legal counsel, Robert Eye. Fasken and PBLRO are also opposed to the Holtec/ELEA CISF.

NRC writes D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, urging it dismiss Beyond Nuclear's lawsuit against CISFs

See, here, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's most recent motion to dismiss Beyond Nuclear's legal challenge against consolidated interim storage facilities (CISFs) for highly radioactive irradiated nuclear fuel, targeted at New Mexico and Texas.

Update on June 7, 2019 by admin

Beyond Nuclear's legal counsel, Diane Curran of Washington, DC, and Mindy Goldstein of Atlanta, GA, sent a letter to the second highest court in the land, rebutting yet another motion to dismiss filed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission on June 3rd, re: the consolidated interim storage facilities targeted at New Mexico and Texas. See Beyond Nuclear's June 7th letter, here.