New Mexico governor says no to high-level nuclear waste [View all]

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico's governor said Friday she's opposed to plans by a New Jersey-based company to build a multibillion-dollar facility in her state to temporarily store spent nuclear fuel from commercial reactors around the U.S.

In a letter to U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said the interim storage of high-level radioactive waste poses significant and unacceptable risks to residents, the environment and the region's economy.

She cited the ongoing oil boom in the Permian Basin, which spans parts of southeastern New Mexico and West Texas, as well as million-dollar dairy operations and other agricultural interests that help drive the state's economy.

Any disruption of agricultural or oil and gas activities as a result of a perceived or actual incident would be catastrophic, she said, adding that siting a storage facility near Carlsbad also could affect future investment in the area.

Read more: https://www.mrt.com/news/article/New-Mexico-governor-says-no-to-high-level-nuclear-13960993.php
((Midland Reporter-Telegram)