Environmental Injustice: Concerns Over Radioactive Waste Storage in Texas

Strategic Insights -

The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission's draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Consolidated Interim Storage Project's license application to construct and operate a Consolidated Interim Storage Facility (CISF) for spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and Greater-Than Class C (GTCC) waste has raised significant concerns. Opponents argue that the facility would target a largely Latinx region of the country with the deadliest nuclear waste, ignoring numerous key health and safety issues. The inadequate DEIS has failed to address these concerns, including threats from terrorism, transportation risks, and cumulative impacts on workers, local people, and the environment.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Consolidated Interim Storage Project's plan to store high-level nuclear waste in Andrews County, Texas, has been met with opposition due to environmental concerns and the disproportionate impact on Latinx communities.
  • The site is prone to natural disasters such as earthquakes, sinkholes, temperature extremes, wildfires, intense storms, and flooding, making it unsuitable for storing nuclear waste.
  • The NRC has ignored key health and safety issues raised in thousands of previous comments and 100 legal contentions, including concerns over terrorism, transportation risks, and cumulative environmental impacts.
  • The DEIS has failed to adequately analyze the cumulative impacts of the proposed facility and nearby sites on workers, local people, and the environment.
  • The risks of creating a permanent nuclear waste disposal site have not been included in the DEIS, and the facility is not designed for permanent disposal.

Statistics:

  • Over 3,000 comments have been submitted to the NRC regarding the Consolidated Interim Storage Project's license application.
  • 100 legal contentions have been raised by opponents, many of which were backed by expert testimony.
  • The DEIS has failed to address concerns over terrorism, with experts arguing that the proposed facility risks becoming a target for extremist groups.
  • The DEIS has also neglected to consider the risks of nuclear waste transportation, including the potential for accidents and spills.
  • The cumulative impacts of the proposed facility and nearby sites on workers, local people, and the environment have not been adequately analyzed in the DEIS.

Sources:

  • James Klein, personal message to WCS_CISFEIS Resource, September 17, 2020.
  • Federal Register Notice: 85FR27447.
  • Sierra Club, official response to the Consolidated Interim Storage Project's license application.