A New Mexico state senator’s latest attempt to keep a proposed interim storage facility for spent nuclear fuel out of the Land of Enchantment should soon see a floor vote, after clearing a second state senate committee this week.
The measure, which proposes amending state law to ban the storage of spent nuclear fuel in New Mexico without state approval, passed on an 8-1 vote in the state Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday afternoon. The panel recommended to the full chamber that the bill, sponsored by state Sen. Jeff Steinborn (D), pass.
The measure cleared the state Senate Conservation Committee in January. The full chamber was scheduled Friday to debate the bill.
If made law, Steinborn’s legislation could serve as a check to Holtec International’s proposed interim storage facility in Lea County, N.M. According to the bill, no such site could be built in the state until Santa Fe has “consented to or concurred” in its construction.
The proposed measure would also bar the storage of spent fuel in the Land of Enchantment until a national permanent spent fuel repository is open, and would add private storage facilities to the purview of an existing statewide radioactive waste task force.
Steinborn has tried and failed in the last two legislative sessions to push similar legislation through the state house. The state senator’s last attempt at blocking the proposed Holtec site never saw a vote in the state Senate.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which is responsible for licensing the proposed Holtec site, has said that it could make a final decision on whether to approve the project by March or so. NRC staff in June recommended that the project receive a license.
If built, Holtec has said that its proposed facility could store up to 8,700 tons of spent nuclear fuel in 500 canisters, with capacity upgrades of up to 10,000 canisters to be added via future license amendments.
