New Mexico’s state Senate will discuss a new bill Tuesday that would create a “radioactive waste consultation task force” to negotiate waste disposal siting with the federal government.
The New Mexico Senate’s Conservation Committee will hear the bill, introduced by state Sen. Jeff Steinborn (D) on Jan. 19, and vote later on whether to send it to the floor for a vote by the entire chamber.
If it became law, the bill would create a task force consisting of the state secretaries of energy, minerals, natural resources and other officials. The task force’s primary responsibility would be to negotiate with the federal government on the siting and licensing of proposed storage facilities for radioactive waste. The measure would also assess the possible effects of such sites on nearby communities, populations and property and coordinate state investigations into such effects.
Meanwhile, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is working on its environmental impact statement for the proposed Holtec International consolidated interim storage facility in southeastern New Mexico. The review, a gateway for licensing the site, will take until this summer to complete, NRC has said.
