Holtec’s Secret Plans Again Reveal Why New Mexicans Cannot Believe What the Corporation Says

Holtec International, a corporation with a license for a consolidated interim storage facility in southeastern New Mexico for 173,600 metric tons of irradiated nuclear fuel from atomic power plants, submitted a secret application to the Department of Energy seeking at least $2 billion dollars to restart Palisades, a closed nuclear reactor in Michigan.  Holtec’s request also includes plans to build small nuclear modular reactors, or SMRs, with electric generation capacity of 160 Megawatts, on site.

In response to a Freedom of Information Act request (FOIA) made by Beyond Nuclear the public learned that Holtec also plans to restart the reactors not only at Palisades, but other shutdown nuclear power plants at Oyster Creek in New Jersey; Pilgrim in Massachusetts; Indian Point in New York, and another shutdown reactor in Michigan at Big Rock Point. Holtec acquired the shutdown reactors under the false pretense to decommission them using ratepayer money, while at the same time submitting applications to DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy for taxpayer funding.  https://beyondnuclear.org/5775-2/

Kevin Kamps, radioactive waste specialist at Beyond Nuclear based in Takoma Park, Maryland, and a member of the Don’t Waste Michigan board of directors, filed the FOIA with the State of Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.  The 967-page response included Holtec’s application to DOE.

The application shows that Holtec never intended to decommission Palisades, despite repeatedly telling the public that was its objective in taking ownership of the atomic power plant.  The introduction to the application makes Holtec’s intent clear:

“Despite the success in decommissioning, we are not loath to admit that we are unabashed promoters of nuclear energy…In fact, one of the principal reasons Holtec has been acquiring aging nuclear plants is because such sites are near-perfect locations for building the SMR-160 reactors that the company has been developing for over a decade.”

In fact, in one application to DOE, entitled the “Palisades Resurrection Grant Request” states, “We believe that with a strong spirit of collaboration this project, with each party performing its role, can well become a shining talisman for the global nuclear industry.”

Holtec holds a Nuclear Regulatory Commission license, issued in 2023, to construct and operate a consolidated interim storage facility in New Mexico on lands 16 miles north of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.  https://www.nrc.gov/cdn/doc-collection-news/2023/23-031.pdf  and https://www.swalliance.org/

Joni Arends, of CCNS, said, “Given new revelations about Holtec’s clandestine plans and falsehoods, as New Mexicans, it is critical that we remain vigilant in our opposition to Holtec’s plans here and everywhere.”

1. Friday, October 20th from noon to 1 pm MT ***  NEW LOCATION DUE TO RECONSTRUCTION OF GUADALUPE BRIDGE.  ***  Join the weekly peaceful protest for nuclear disarmament on the corners of Alameda and Sandoval in downtown Santa Fe with Veterans for Peace, CCNS, Nuclear Watch NM, Loretto Community, Pax Christi, Nonviolent Santa Fe, and others.

2. Saturday, October 21^st from 9 am to 12 noon – Community Morning in the Garden at the Española Healing Foods Oasis (EHFO) with Tewa Women United Environmental Justice staff and EHFO garden caretakers! This is the last volunteer work day of the year!  Lend a hand to the caretaking of the Healing Foods Oasis and learn more about the plants and growing practices.  https://tewawomenunited.org/espanola-healing-foods-oasis     All tools will be supplied, as well as light refreshments and water.  For more information and to RSVP, please contact kayleigh@tewawomenunited.org or call (505) 927-4376.

3. Thursday, October 26^th at 6 pm MT – U.S. Department of Energy, Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), and Kirtland Air Force Base (KAFB) semi-annual public meeting virtual joint meeting about their environmental programs. Please see attached flyer for more information and links to join the meeting.  DOE SNL KAFB AGENDA Public Meeting October 2023

4. Monday, October 30^th at 8 am MT, 10 am ET – 15th Official Cold War Patriots National Day of Remembrance, a 15-minute virtual ceremony that recognizes those who worked in the nuclear weapons and uranium industries and honors those who are no longer with us. Register at https://app.livestorm.co/cold-war-patriots/2023cwpndr?utm_source=cwp%20website&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ndr%202023&utm_term=ndra

5. Friday, December 15^th – Holloman 5 Anti-Drone Trial begins in Otero County, NM. https://www.veteransforpeace.org/our-work/working-groups/drones-robots-and-future-weapons-working-group http://www.shutdowndronewarfare.org/   https://www.codepink.org/shutdowndrone

Tags: Beyond Nuclear, Big Rock Point, CISF, consolidated interim storage facilities, Department of Energy, DOE, Don't Waste Michigan, FOIA, Freedom of Information Act, Holtec International, Indian Point, Joni Arends, Kevin Kamps, NRC, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Office of Nuclear Energy, Oyster Creek, Palisades, Pilgrim, small nuclear modular reactors, SMR-160 reactors, SMRs, State of Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, “Palisades Resurrection Grant Request