OUR COALITION

Below is a letter sent NRC Chairman Christopher Hanson, Commissioner Jeff Baran, and Commissioner David Wright by a group of Texas lawmakers.

RE: License Application of Interim Storage Partners LLC, Docket 72-1050, and License Application of Holtec, Inc., Docket 72-1051, for a Consolidated Interim Storage Facilities

Dear NRC Chairman Christopher Hanson, and Commissioners Jeff Baran, and David Wright,

As Texas State Legislators, we join Governor Abbott in strongly opposing Interim Storage Partner’s application to store high-level radioactive waste in Texas. Interim Storage Partners (ISP) is a joint venture of Waste Control Specialists (WCS) and Orano.

Holtec International proposes a similar facility in nearby New Mexico. Both projects are illegal under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act since no U.S. repository exists. Both would result in transport of radioactive waste through Texas. Both licenses should be denied. Bringing this nuclear reactor waste to Texas and New Mexico would result in dangerous de-facto permanent dumps.

Governor Abbott has expressed concerns about potential impacts to the Permian Basin, the world’s largest producing oilfield. Abbott said the region would become a “prime target for attacks by terrorists and saboteurs. This location could not be worse for storing ultra-hazardous radioactive waste... I urge the NRC to deny ISP’s license application.”

If licenses are issued, thousands of rail shipments of spent nuclear fuel and Greater-Than-Class C radioactive waste would occur, travelling through major cities throughout the nation and the state of Texas. Accidents, leaks or sabotage could result in remediation costs of up to $648 billion. Resolutions opposing consolidated interim storage and nuclear waste transport were passed by five Texas counties and three cities, as well as the Midland Chamber of Commerce. Collectively this represents the voices of 5.4 million Texans.

Storing high-level radioactive waste in Texas or New Mexico would be especially risky due to temperature extremes, wildfires, lightning, flooding, and intense winds. The region is prone to sinkholes and earthquakes. In fact, Andrews County was the epicenter of a 4.7 magnitude earthquake in 1992. Contamination of the Ogallala Aquifer that lies near the WCS / ISP site could imperil drinking water and food production.

We do not consent to having our state become a nuclear waste dumping ground. Please prevent nuclear disasters that risk the health and safety of Texans and imperil our businesses and economy. Please deny the ISP and Holtec International licenses for Consolidated Interim Storage of high-level radioactive waste in Texas and New Mexico.

Sincerely,

Senator José Menéndez, Senate District 26
Senator Cesar Blanco, Senate District 29
Senator Sarah Eckhardt, Senate District 14
Senator Roland Gutierrez, Senate District 19
Senator Nathan M. Johnson, Senate District 16
Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr., Senate District 27
Senator Beverly Powell, Senate District 10
Representative Alma Allen, District 131
Representative Rafael Anchia, District 103
Representative Michelle Beckley, District 65
Representative Diego Bernal, District 123
Representative Rhetta Andrews Bowers, District 113
Representative John Bucy III, District 136
Representative Elizabeth "Liz" Campos, District 119
Representative Garnet Coleman, District 147
Representative Nicole Collier, District 95
Representative Jasmine Crockett, District 100
Representative Yvonne Davis, District 111
Representative Joe Deshotel, District 22
Representative Harold V. Dutton, Jr., District 142
Representative Barbara Gervin-Hawkins, District 120
Representative Jessica Gonzalez, District 104
Representative Vikki Goodwin, District 47
Representative Ana Hernandez, District 143
Representative Abel Herrero, District 34
Representative Gina Hinojosa, District 49
Representative Donna Howard, District 48
Representative Celia Israel, District 50
Representative Ann Johnson, District 134
Representative Jarvis Johnson, District 139
Representative Tracy. O. King, District 80
Representative Ray Lopez, District 125
Representative Eddie Lucio, III, District 38
Representative Armando "Mando" Martinez, District 39
Representative Trey Martinez Fischer, District 116
Representative Terry Meza, District 105
Representative Ina Minjarez, District 124
Representative Christina Morales, District 145
Representative Eddie Morales, Jr., District 74
Representative Penny Morales Shaw, District 148
Representative Sergio Munoz Jr., District 36
Representative Victoria Neave, District 107
Representative Claudia Ordaz Perez, District 76
Representative Lina Ortega, District 77
Representative Leo Pacheco, District 118
Representative Mary Ann Perez, District 144
Representative Ana-Maria Ramos, District 102
Representative Richard Peña Raymond, District 42
Representative Ron Reynolds, District 27
Representative Eddie Rodriguez, District 51
Representative Ramon Romero, Jr., District 90
Representative Toni Rose, District 110
Representative Jon Rosenthal, District 135
Representative Carl Sherman, District 109
Representative James Talarico, District 52
Representative Shawn Thierry, District 146
Representative Senfronia Thompson, District 141
Representative Chris Turner, District 101
Representative John Turner, District 114
Representative Hubert Vo, District 149
Representative Armando Walle, District 140
Representative Gene Wu, District 137
Representative Erin Zwiener, District 45