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The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) said the license
authorizes private company Holtec to store 500 canisters holding
nearly 8,700 metric tonnes of spent nuclear fuel from nuclear
power plants for 40 years.
Holtec plans to eventually store up to 10,000 canisters in an
additional 19 phases.
"Each expansion phase would require a license amendment with
additional NRC safety and environmental reviews," the agency
said in a release.
The Biden administration believes that maintaining the current
fleet of U.S. nuclear reactors and expanding the industry with
new technologies is critical in the fight to curb climate
change.
Opponents of nuclear power say the government does not yet have
a permanent fix for the waste that can be toxic for hundreds of
thousands of years.
A New Mexico state law that goes into effect on June 15 could
complicate Holtec's plans. It bans storage of the waste, until
the state agrees to handle it and until the federal government
figures out permanent storage.
Former President Barack Obama's administration put an end to the
Yucca Mountain waste site in Nevada, that was to be a permanent
repository, after opposition from state politicians.
The Biden administration prefers a consent-based siting of
nuclear waste facilities in which local communities are involved
in the site selection process.
"What a path forward and timeline looks like is still to be
determined," said Pat O'Brien, a Holtec spokesperson. O'Brien
said "strong local support" from New Mexico counties solidifies
its belief the project is viable.
The NRC issued a license in 2021 to Interim Storage Partners LLC
for a proposed storage site in Andrews, Texas, but the company
has not started construction.
(Reporting by Timothy Gardner; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
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