Feds Still Pushing for High Level Nuclear Waste Storage in Andrews

ANDREWS – The plan to build a spent nuclear fuel storage facility continues full steam ahead as the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission issues a license to construct and operate the facility in Andrews.

According to the NRC, the license was issued to Interim Storage Partners LLC –– which is a joint venture of Waste Control Specialists. 

WCS currently operates a licensed 1,338-acre facility that treats, stores, and disposes of low-level radioactive waste and mixed low-level radioactive waste in Andrews.

Internal Storage Partners will be allowed to store up to 5,000 metric tons of spent fuel and 231.3 metric tons of Greater-Than-Class C low-level radioactive waste for the next four decades.

While construction has not begun, ISP "plans to expand the facility in seven additional phases, up to a total capacity of 40,000 metric tons of fuel."

Any expansion will require a license amendment with additional NRC safety and environmental reviews.

The decision is facing pushback from State Representative Landgraf –– who sponsored a Texas law that bans the storage of the waste in the state and the issuance of construction permits for the building or operation of high-level nuclear waste facilities.

At that time, Rep. Landgraf said the following: “If the NRC wants to push this as a federal vs. state issue, I think that’s something we can expect, but I think the NRC and the Biden administration can expect a fightback."

More about the nuclear waste storage proposal is here.