The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has delayed the final environmental review for Holtec’s proposed interim spent fuel storage site in Lea County, N.M., to November from July, the agency said last week.
In a letter dated July 2, the commission also said that a separate safety review for the proposed site will also be delayed, to January from May. That slip was foreshadowed in March, when NRC told Holtec the agency needed more information from the company before it could complete its review.
The revised schedule for both reports, which are prerequisites for licensing, assumes Holtec will provide “timely and high-quality responses” to NRC’s information requests, the letter said. Further delays may be in the cards if the agency isn’t satisfied with what they get.
The extra time is good news for opponents of the proposed interim storage site. A group of New Mexico lawmakers went on the offensive last week with a letter to energy secretary Jennifer Granholm saying the state “has not and will not consent” to spent nuclear fuel within its borders.
Meanwhile, an EIS for Interim Storage Partners’ proposed interim storage site in west Texas should still be on the way this month. An NRC spokesperson told RadWaste Monitor via email Tuesday that there are “still a couple of weeks to go” before the agency gets to that site’s environmental review.
