A proposed consolidated interim storage facility for spent nuclear fuel won’t need a special construction permit from the Army Corps of Engineers, the military civil works formation said in a recent letter.
If Holtec International got the go-ahead from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to build its consolidated interim storage facility (CISF) in southeastern New Mexico, it “would not result in the discharge of dredged/fill material into waters of the United States,” the Corps of Engineers said in a letter dated April 1 and published Tuesday by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
In an investigation completed March 29 the Corps determined that there were no bodies of water belonging to the United States nearby the proposed Holtec site in Lea County, N.M. The site does contain “ephemeral” water features, but they don’t contribute directly to surface water flow, the letter said. The proposed site also isn’t at risk from flooding in a typical year, the Corps said.
The current determination is good for five years, but Holtec needs to keep the Corps up to date if their project changes so they can reassess, the letter said.
A spokesperson for the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED), which has jurisdiction over state water quality, said in an email Tuesday evening that the agency was aware of the Corps’ determination.
“These waters do fall within the definition of ‘waters of the State’ and are protected under the New Mexico Water Quality Act, as reflected in NMED’s comments to NRC throughout the NEPA process,” the spokesperson said.
Holtec’s proposed CISF is one of two such sites awaiting a licensing decision from NRC. The commission is waiting on some additional information from the company so that it can complete a required security assessment. The commission said March 25 that it would have to delay the security report until Holtec gives more detail about its hazard safeguards and aging management plans.
The proposed New Mexico site will also have to pass the commission’s environmental assessment, which the agency has said will be done in the coming months.
