ARLINGTON, VA. — The Nuclear Regulatory Commission needs another month to review Holtec International’s application for a proposed consolidated interim storage facility for spent nuclear fuel, an agency official said here this week.
NRC is “in the process” of reviewing new information submitted this week by Holtec, so the agency will not be ready to make a final licensing decision on the company’s proposed site in New Mexico until March, John Lubinski, director of the agency’s Division of Materials Safety and Safeguards, told RadWaste Monitor Tuesday at the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management’s annual Spent Fuel Management Seminar.
NRC in November projected the call would come down in February.
But that was before the agency on Monday received another package of information from Holtec that the commission needs to complete its security review of the company’s proposed Lea County, N.M., interim storage site.
NRC has delayed its licensing review for the proposed Holtec site a half-dozen times over the last 12 months or so as it collects required information from the company. Each time, the projected date of the agency’s final licensing decision has slipped.
Despite the lag time, however, NRC staff in July recommended that the commissioners grant Holtec a federal license for the project. State officials in New Mexico have opposed the project, including the state attorney general who has sued the agency and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D).
If built, Holtec has said that its proposed interim storage site would initially be able to store around 8,700 tons of spent nuclear fuel in 500 canisters. That capacity could be increased by 10,000 canisters via future license amendments.
The proposed site faces staunch opposition in Santa Fe. State Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D), recently reelected, in November petitioned the White House to step in and block Holtec from moving forward. New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas is also suing NRC in the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals over the project.
