The Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved a petition to extend the review deadline for documents related to Holtec’s proposed interim storage site, according to a recent commission filing.
The Commission on Friday released a memo approving the extension and moving the deadline to Jan. 28 after a pair of interest groups petitioned the NRC for an extension.
Fasken Oil and Ranch Ltd. and Permian Basin Land and Royalty Owners filed a joint petition, dated Thursday, asking the Commission for extra time to read through the more than 1,000 pages of licensing documents made available for the proposed Holtec consolidated interim storage facility in New Mexico.
Interested parties usually have 30 days following the release of such documents to formally lodge objections with the NRC. The two groups said they sought the seven-day grace period because the COVID-19 pandemic and the holiday season amounted to “extenuating circumstances” that prevented them from adequately reviewing the Holtec licensing documents.
The licensing of Holtec’s interim storage sites is one of the biggest issues facing the Biden administration. The NRC is working on environmental impact statements for both Holtec’s proposed site and another planned by the Orano-Waste Control Specialist team, Interim Storage Partners, in Texas. Neither environmental review will be finished for months.
