Resistance against high-level radioactive waste CISFs continues

Opposition to consolidated interim storage facilities (CISF) for irradiated nuclear fuel, targeted at the Southwest, persists. On Dec. 17, a coalition of environmental groups defended their legal standing, and dozens of legal and technical contentions, challenging the Interim Storage Partners (ISP) CISF for 40,000 metric tons of highly radioactive waste, targeted at the Waste Control Specialists (WCS) national "low-level" radioactive waste dump in Andrews County, West Texas. Meanwhile, the licensing proceeding has moved ahead for the Holtec International/Eddy-Lea Energy Alliance, targeting southeastern New Mexico -- just 40 miles from WCS -- with a CISF for another 173,600 MT of irradiated nuclear fuel. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Atomic Safety and Licensing Board has ordered oral argument pre-hearings in Albuquerque beginning at 9am Mountain Time on Wed., Jan. 23. Beyond Nuclear has legally intervened against both CISFs, after NRC rejected our motions to dismiss both licensing proceedings, for lack of legal jurisdiction or authority to even consider such proposals. What can you do to help stop these CISFs? When it comes to radioactive waste transportation, we all live in TX and NM. Urge your city, county, and/or state to pass resolutions opposing these CISFs, as many other communities have already done! To learn more, see our Centralized Storage and Waste Transportation website sections.