Page 28 - bon-dia-aruba-20210330

A28 u.s. news
Diamars 30 maart 2021

New Mexico sues US over proposed nuclear waste storage plans

(AP) — New Mexico sued highlights a legal quandary
the U.S. Nuclear Regula- for the federal government.
tory Commission on Mon- Both license applications call
day over concerns that the for the Energy Department
federal agency hasn’t done to take ownership of the
enough to vet plans for a spent fuel at a future date and
multibillion-dollar facil- contract with the develop-
ity to store spent nuclear ers of the facilities to store it
fuel in the state, arguing until a permanent repository
that the project would en- becomes available. However,
danger residents, the en- the Nuclear Waste Policy Act
vironment and the econ- doesn’t allow the Energy De-
omy. partment to take ownership
until a permanent repository
New Jersey-based Holtec is in place.
International wants to build “It is fundamentally unfair
a complex in southeastern for our residents to bear the
New Mexico where tons of risks of open ended uncer-
spent fuel from commercial tainty,” New Mexico Attor-
nuclear power plants around ney General Hector Balderas
the nation could be stored said in a statement.
until the federal government Holtec has said the site in
finds a permanent solution. New Mexico — about 35
State officials worry that miles (56 kilometers) from
New Mexico will become a Carlsbad — is remote and
permanent dumping ground geologically stable.
for the radioactive material. Despite opposition from Gov.
The complaint filed in fed- stamping” the proposal. The review was done. with most of it remaining on- Michelle Lujan Grisham and
eral court contends the com- state argues that almost every Holtec is seeking a 40-year site because there’s nowhere others in the state, elected
mission overstepped its au- interested party that has filed license to build what it has else to put it. leaders in southeastern New
thority regarding Holtec’s a challenge has been denied described as a state-of-the- Mexico support the project,
plans and that granting a li- standing and an opportunity art complex near Carlsbad, In all, there’s roughly 83,000 saying it would bring jobs
cense to the company could to meaningfully participate. which already is home to the metric tons of spent fuel sit- and revenue to the region
result in “imminent and sub- “The NRC’s mandate does federal government’s only ting at temporary storage sites and provide a temporary
stantial endangerment” to not include policy setting or underground repository for in nearly three dozen states. option for dealing with the
New Mexico. The state cited altering the public debate and Cold War-era waste gener- The fuel is either enclosed in spent fuel.
the potential for surface and emphatically cheerleading ated by decades of nuclear steel-lined concrete pools of The state first objected to
groundwater contamination, nuclear industry projects. Yet research and bomb-making. water or in steel and concrete federal regulators’ prelimi-
disruption of oil and gas de- it is doing both to the detri- Holtec executives have said containers known as casks. nary recommendation that a
velopment in one of the na- ment of New Mexico,” the the storage project is needed The first phase of the pro- license be granted to Holtec
tion’s most productive basins complaint says. because the U.S. has yet to posed New Mexico project in comments submitted to
and added strain on emer- The commission did not im- find a permanent solution for calls for storing up to 8,680 the commission last fall.
gency response resources. mediate respond to questions dealing with the tons of spent metric tons of uranium, Aside from New Mexico’s
The state also raised con- about New Mexico’s com- fuel building up at commer- which would be packed into other concerns, state officials
cerns about a similar project plaint. However, it has main- cial nuclear power plants. 500 canisters. Future expan- have said regulators failed to
planned just across the state tained over the course of the According to the U.S. Energy sion could make room for consider environmental jus-
line in West Texas. licensing process that it has Department, nuclear reactors as many as 10,000 canisters tice concerns and have fallen
New Mexico has accused followed procedure and that across the country produce of spent nuclear fuel over six short of other requirements
the commission of collud- public hearings have been more than 2,000 metric tons decades. spelled out by federal envi-
ing with Holtec in “rubber- held and an environmental of radioactive waste a year, New Mexico’s complaint ronmental laws.

Judge orders 3 to trial in plot to kidnap Michigan governor

( AP ) - A Michigan judge dence and bound over Paul day by Klaeren about wheth- didn’t face that charge. Michael Fink wrote in an af-
on Monday ordered three Bellar, Joe Morrison and Pete er the men should face trial The threat of terrorism, pro- fidavit. Klaeren said Monday
men to stand trial in a plot Musico to circuit court to following three earlier days viding material support for that Bellar, Musico and Mor-
to kidnap Democratic stand trial. of testimony. terrorist acts and gang mem- rison “individually and col-
Michigan Gov. Gretchen “The defendants are joined They are accused of aiding six bership charges each are 20- lectively wanted to precipi-
Whitmer over her corona- at the hip here,” Klaeren said other men who are charged year felonies. Felony firearm tate the violence associated
virus restrictions. before announcing his rul- in federal court with conspir- charges carry two-year maxi- with ‘boogaloo.’”
ing. “The prosecution did a ing to kidnap Whitmer. Five mum prison sentences. “Pretty much from day one,
Jackson County District good job in establishing who more people are also charged According to a court affida- it’s pretty clear the numbers
Court Judge Michael Klaeren knew what and when.” in state courts. vit, Musico and Morrison of the Wolverine Watchmen
ruled there was enough evi- Arguments were heard Mon- The FBI in October said are founding members of the believed in the ‘boogaloo,’
it broke up a plot to kidnap Wolverine Watchmen, which believed in civil war, believed
Whitmer by anti-govern- authorities described as “an it was coming,” the judge
ment extremists upset over anti-government, anti-law said.
her coronavirus restrictions. enforcement militia group.”
Klareen said there was The Watchmen have met
enough evidence for trial on periodically for firearms and
charges of providing mate- tactical training in remote ar-
rial support for terrorist acts, eas “to prepare for the ‘boo-
gang membership and using galoo,’ a term referencing a
a firearm during a felony. violent uprising against the
Klaeren dismissed a charge government or impending
of threat of terrorism against politically motivated civil
Musico and Morrison. Bellar war,” state police Det. Sgt.