Us nuclear regulators say there is no environmental reason to block the construction of a multibillion-dollar facility in southern New Mexico to temporarily store spent nuclear fuel from commercial power plants across the country.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission released its final environmental review of the project on Wednesday. Staff will make a decision on licensing after a safety assessment is completed, which is expected in January 2023.
Holtec submitted a 40-year permit application to the NRC in 2017 for the initial phase of the project, which can accommodate up to 500 tanks and approximately 8,680 tonnes of used fuel. The company expects to increase this number to a total of 1,000 tanks in 19 additional phases over a 20-year period.