The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has scheduled four public meetings in late April and early May to receive input on the scope of its environmental impact statement for Holtec International’s application to build an interim spent nuclear fuel storage facility in southeastern New Mexico.
“At the meeting, the NRC will receive comments from the public on the appropriate scope of issues to be considered in, and the content of the EIS,” the regulator said in notices for each meeting, which were posted Friday on its website.
In March 2017, Holtec submitted its application for a facility that would offer underground storage of used fuel now held on-site at nuclear power plants around the county. The site would provide centralized, interim holding of up to 120,000 metric tons of material until the Department of Energy meets its legal mandate to build a permanent repository for the waste.
After a nearly yearlong acceptance review, the NRC in February began a full technical analysis of the application, covering environmental, safety, and security assurances. That process is expected to be complete by July 2020. If approved, Holtec hopes to open the initially licensed part of the facility, with capacity for 8,680 metric tons, by 2022.
“The EIS will analyze potential impacts of Holtec’s proposed facility on historic and cultural resources and on threatened and endangered species,” the NRC said Friday in a Federal Register notice on the review. “Additionally, the economic, technical, and other benefits and costs of the proposed action and alternatives will be considered in the EIS.”
The public meetings are scheduled as follows:
- 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. April 25 at NRC headquarters, 11555 Rockville Pike in Rockville, Md.
- 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. April 30 at Eastern New Mexico University – Roswell, Campus Union Building – Room 110, 48 University Blvd. in Roswell, N.M.
- 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. May 1 at the Lea County Event Center, 5101 N. Lovington Highway in Hobbs, N.M.
- 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. May 3 at the Eddy County Fire Service, 1400 Commerce St. in Carlsbad, N.M.
Comments can also be submitted at www.regulations.gov, Docket ID NRC-2018-0052; or by mail, to May Ma, Office of Administration, Mail Stop: TWFN–7– A60M, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555– 0001.
