NRC Must Hold Five Public Meetings in New Mexico about Holtec
In 2018, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) held five public meetings throughout New Mexico about the environmental analysis for the proposed Holtec facility because it plans to store high-level radioactive waste in the southeastern corner of the state. 
Packed meetings were held in Albuquerque, Carlsbad, Gallup, Hobbs, and Roswell about what issues would be included in the required environmental impact statement. NRC’s draft statement is out now for public review. Comments are due by Wednesday, July 22nd. https://www.nrc.gov/waste/spent-fuel-storage/cis/holtec-international.html, scroll down to Environmental Impact Statement. The Albuquerque-based Nuclear Issues Study Group (NISG) has prepared a sample letter SampleCommentLetter061820 and …
Click SHORTCUT TO SEND COMMENTS NOW!! for a quick email shortcut to send to your comments to NRC TODAY!
Remember to add your personal comments in Paragraph 2 and sign your name at the end.
But the NRC will have to extend the comment period because it has made a commitment to hold five public meetings in New Mexico, but has not yet done so.
At the beginning of the global pandemic, the five members of the New Mexico congressional delegation requested extensions of the public comment period from the NRC. The Congressional delegation wrote: “Allowing for full public participation, as [the National Environmental Policy Act] requires, is particularly important for projects involving nuclear waste. Any proposal to store commercial spent nuclear fuel raises a number of health, safety and environmental issues, including potential impacts on local agriculture and industry, issues related to the transportation of nuclear waste, and disproportionate impacts on Native American communities.” NM delegation on DEIS extension 
The NRC Chairwoman responded stating the NRC staff would hold “a national webinar and five public meetings in New Mexico during the public comment period” to present its preliminary findings and receive public comments.
She continued, “As the COVID-19 public health emergency evolves, the NRC staff will continue to re-evaluate these plans for engaging the public, and will consider whether additional extensions to the comment period are warranted.” 04-21-20 Ltr to Honorable Martin Heinrich frm NRC Chrm Svinicki
Holtec International proposes to bring as much as 173,000 metric tons of highly radioactive spent plutonium fuel from commercial nuclear power plants to a massive consolidated interim storage facility located half way between Carlsbad and Hobbs. This waste is more than twice the amount of spent fuel currently stored at U.S. nuclear power plants. Holtec must obtain an NRC license to construct such a facility. The draft statement is part of that process.
To operate the facility, Holtec expects the federal government will take legal title of the waste and pay for storage and transportation costs. Beyond Nuclear, a Maryland based non-governmental organization, filed a lawsuit in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of 
Columbia Circuit, challenging the legality of Holtec’s application. http://www.beyondnuclear.org/news/ The 1982 Nuclear Waste Policy Act does not allow the federal government to take title to the waste until a permanent underground repository is operating. Yucca Mountain was supposed to be that repository, but it was stopped in 2010 due to underlying geologic issues. http://www.beyondnuclear.org/
Please note: On Tuesday, June 23rd, beginning at 3 pm MST, the NRC will hold a public online webinar about the draft environmental impact statement for the Proposed Holtec Consolidated Interim Storage Facility. This meeting is not a substitute for the five public meetings in New Mexico the NRC has committed to. To make public comments during the webinar, you must pre-register by Monday, June 22d by contacting Ms. Antoinette Walker Smith via email to: Antoinette.Walker-Smith@nrc.gov NRC 6-23-20 Holtec DEIS Public Mtg
1. Saturday, June 20th and Sunday, June 21st – A digital justice gathering of the Poor People’s Campaign: 
A National Call for Moral Revival: The Mass Poor People’s Assembly and Moral March on Washington. Livestsream on Saturday, June 20th at 10 am and 6 pm EST (8 am and 4 pm MST), and again on Sunday, June 21st at 6 pm EST (4 pm EST). https://www.june2020.org/
2. Tuesday, June 23rd, beginning at 3 pm MST, the NRC will hold a public online webinar about 
the draft environmental impact statement for the Proposed Holtec Consolidated Interim Storage Facility. This meeting is not a substitute for the five public meetings in New Mexico the NRC has committed to. In order to make public comments at the webinar, you must pre-register by Monday, June 22d by contacting Ms. Antoinette Walker Smith via email to: Antoinette.Walker-Smith@nrc.gov NRC 6-23-20 Holtec DEIS Public Mtg
3. Tuesday, June 23rd from 5 to 7 pm – Midtown Santa Fe “Meet the Developer Series” continues. 
The topic is Housing and Affordability. Residents may attend the meetings virtually at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKPVlxk0l-IyxAVEPs2ig0w. The chat function will be enabled for your questions and comments. If you would like to submit a question(s) before the meeting, email info@midtowndistrictsantafe.com. For more information, visit https://www.santafenm.gov/midtown_site
4. Wednesday, July 22nd – comments due to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission about the proposed Holtec Consolidated Interim Storage Facility for high-level radioactive waste. For more information, check out Kendra Chamberlain’s article ‘Forever deadly:’ State officials, communities scramble to fight a proposal to house high-level nuclear waste in New Mexico at https://nmpoliticalreport.com/2020/06/04/forever-deadly-state-officials-communities-scramble-to-fight-a-proposal-to-house-high-level-nuclear-waste-in-new-mexico/?mc_cid=5e8ef7b710&mc_eid=4ed398ef0c
The Albuquerque-based Nuclear Issues Study Group (NISG) has prepared an online sample letter SampleCommentLetter061820 and …
Click SHORTCUT TO SEND COMMENTS NOW!! for a quick email shortcut to send to your comments to NRC TODAY!
Remember to add your personal comments in Paragraph 2 and sign your name at the end.
Tags: Beyond Nuclear, consolidated interim storage facility, DEIS, draft environmental impact statement, Holtec International, National Environmental Policy Act, NEPA, New Mexico congressional delegation, NRC, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, nuclear waste, Nuclear Waste Policy Act, public online webinar, Yucca Mountain
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