Interim Storage & Waste Disposal

A bill aimed at keeping a privately-run interim storage facility for spent nuclear fuel out of New Mexico cleared a legislative milestone Monday after passing a floor vote in the state Senate. If signed by the governor, the proposed legislation would amend state law to ban the storage of spent nuclear fuel in New Mexico […]

In a new rulemaking action Monday, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced that it had approved an extension on design certifications for a spent fuel storage cask design used at nuclear power plants, according to a Federal Register Notice. The 40-year Certificate of Compliance (CoC) renewal amends Holtec International’s cask design certification to include “conditions and […]

In yet another setback for opponents of two proposed private interim storage facilities for spent nuclear fuel, a second federal court has dismissed the state of New Mexico’s lawsuit over the projects, court filings show. In a ruling published Friday, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals concluded that state Attorney General Hector Balderas’s suit against […]

The president of a New Mexico-based conservative nonprofit organization in a recent op-ed railed on what he called “ignorance and hysteria” among the opposition to two proposed interim storage facilities for spent nuclear fuel in the southwest U.S. “[S]tate and federal politicians, working with anti-nuclear agitators, have been fiercely resistant” to proposed consolidated interim storage […]

The Department of Energy is looking for someone to directly oversee the agency’s efforts to find a willing host for a federal interim storage facility for spent nuclear fuel, according to a press release this week. DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy is seeking “highly qualified candidates” to become director of the agency’s Office of Integrated […]

A New Mexico state senator’s latest attempt to keep a proposed interim storage facility for spent nuclear fuel out of the Land of Enchantment should soon see a floor vote, after clearing a second state senate committee this week. The measure, which proposes amending state law to ban the storage of spent nuclear fuel in […]

The Department of Energy is looking for someone to directly oversee the agency’s efforts to find a willing host for a federal interim storage facility for spent nuclear fuel, according to a press release Tuesday. DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy is seeking “highly qualified candidates” to become director of the agency’s Office of Integrated Waste […]

The president of a New Mexico-based conservative nonprofit organization in a recent op-ed railed on what he called “ignorance and hysteria” among the opposition to two proposed interim storage facilities for spent nuclear fuel in the southwest U.S. “[S]tate and federal politicians, working with anti-nuclear agitators, have been fiercely resistant” to proposed consolidated interim storage […]

A New Mexico state senator’s latest attempt to keep a proposed interim storage facility for spent nuclear fuel out of the Land of Enchantment should soon see a floor vote, after clearing a second state senate committee Tuesday. The measure, which proposes amending state law to ban the storage of spent nuclear fuel in New […]

A New Mexico state Senate panel was scheduled Monday to vote on a bill to block a proposed interim storage facility for spent nuclear fuel in the Land of Enchantment.  If made law, Senate Bill 53, sponsored by state Sen. Jeff Steinborn (D), would update New Mexico law to ban the disposal of spent nuclear […]

Texas is fighting to keep its lawsuit against commercial interim storage of spent nuclear fuel in the state from getting tossed on a technicality, as a similar suit was last week, a court filing shows. The state on Friday argued that a site proposed in Andrews County by the Interim Storage Partners (ISP) joint venture […]

The Department of Energy expects to begin awarding funds from its multi-million dollar interim storage funding program by midyear, an agency spokesperson said this week. Roughly $26 million is up for grabs in DOE’s interim storage funding opportunity announcement, aimed at bringing together communities and other stakeholders to hash out how the department should go […]

The congressman representing a west Texas community that could one day play host to an interim storage facility for spent nuclear fuel nabbed an assignment on the House’s primary nuclear-waste policy committee. Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas), who represents the Lone Star State’s 11th district, was assigned Jan. 11 to the House Energy and Commerce Committee […]

The Department of Energy expects to begin awarding funds from its multi-million dollar interim storage funding program by midyear, an agency spokesperson said Tuesday. Roughly $26 million is up for grabs in DOE’s interim storage funding opportunity announcement, aimed at bringing together communities and other stakeholders to hash out how the department should go about […]

Texas is fighting to keep its lawsuit against commercial interim storage of spent nuclear fuel in the state from getting tossed on a technicality, as a similar suit was last week, a court filing shows. The state on Friday argued that a site proposed in Andrews County by the Interim Storage Partners (ISP) joint venture […]

Those seeking funding to help the Department of Energy develop a strategy for siting an interim spent nuclear fuel storage facility have a day or so to throw their hat in the ring. DOE’s roughly $26 million funding opportunity announcement closes Jan. 31, the agency has said. That deadline is about a month later than […]

Happy Friday, nuke-watchers. Before we head off into the last weekend in January, here are some other stories that RadWaste Monitor was tracking from across the civilian nuclear power space this week. The ranking member of the Senate Energy and Public Works Committee this week pressured the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in a letter to explain […]

A federal court this week dismissed a 2021 lawsuit by a coalition of environmental and mining groups who tried to block the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s license of a proposed private storage facility for spent nuclear fuel. The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals said Wednesday that the plaintiffs, led by anti-nuclear group Beyond Nuclear, were not, […]

By Lake Barrett Lake Barrett is a former Department of Energy official who served as both principal deputy director and acting director of the Office of Civilian Nuclear Waste Management, where he helped implement the 1982 Nuclear Waste Policy Act. Before that, Barrett worked for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, where he was onsite director of […]

The Department of Energy is once again seeking candidates to run the agency’s spent nuclear fuel disposal programs, according to a job posting listed last week. DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy is looking for a “seasoned executive” to join the agency as its Deputy Assistant Secretary for Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition, according to the […]

A bill aimed at preventing a private company from building a proposed interim storage facility for spent nuclear fuel in New Mexico without prior state approval cleared this week its first legislative hurdle in Santa Fe. The measure, sponsored by state Sen. Jeff Steinborn (D), was favorably reported out of the state Senate Conservation Committee […]

The Department of Energy’s ongoing funding opportunity for communities interested in hosting a federal interim storage facility got a little larger this week after the agency announced it would tack on roughly $10 million in additional funding for the program. The agency increased the total award for its interim storage funding opportunity to around $26 […]

ARLINGTON, VA. — The Nuclear Regulatory Commission needs another month to review Holtec International’s application for a proposed consolidated interim storage facility for spent nuclear fuel, an agency official said here this week. NRC is “in the process” of reviewing new information submitted this week by Holtec, so the agency will not be ready to […]

ARLINGTON, VA. — The two companies aiming to build privately-owned interim storage facilities for spent nuclear fuel should apply for financial aid under a multi-million-dollar Department of Energy program, a senior agency official said here this week at a conference. Holtec and Interim Storage Partners (ISP) are “welcome to apply to the funding opportunity announcement,” […]

ARLINGTON, VA. — Just because Republicans took control of the House does not mean that Congress has any more desire to build a nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain than it had before the midterms, a senior Department of Energy official said here this week. Asked Tuesday after a speech at the Institute of Nuclear […]

A federal court in D.C. on Wednesday issued a pointed rebuke to a coalition of environmental groups seeking to block a proposed commercial storage facility for spent nuclear fuel and dismissed their lawsuit against the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. With its Wednesday ruling, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals closed the book on the joint lawsuit, […]

A bill aimed at preventing a private company from building a proposed interim storage facility for spent nuclear fuel in New Mexico without prior state approval cleared on Tuesday its first legislative hurdle in Santa Fe. The measure, sponsored by state Sen. Jeff Steinborn (D), was favorably reported out of the state Senate Conservation Committee […]

ARLINGTON, VA. — The Nuclear Regulatory Commission needs another month to review Holtec International’s application for a proposed consolidated interim storage facility for spent nuclear fuel, an agency official said here Tuesday. NRC is “in the process” of reviewing new information submitted this week by Holtec, so the agency will not be ready to make […]

ARLINGTON, VA. — The two companies aiming to build privately-owned interim storage facilities for spent nuclear fuel should apply for financial aid under a multi-million-dollar Department of Energy program, a senior agency official said here Tuesday at a conference. Holtec and Interim Storage Partners (ISP) are “welcome to apply to the funding opportunity announcement,” Kim […]

The Department of Energy’s ongoing funding opportunity for communities interested in hosting a federal interim storage facility got a little larger Monday after the agency announced it would tack on roughly $10 million in additional funding for the program. The agency increased the total award for its interim storage funding opportunity to around $26 million, […]