| Federal lawmakers patted themselves on the | | | | This leaves less nuclear waste for future |
| back, last Friday, in a joint bi-partisan | | | | disposal, and immediately provides energy. |
| news release issued by three New Mexico | | | | |
| politicians: U.S. Senators Pete Domenici and | | | | The major issue in the western United States, |
| Jeff Bingaman, and U.S. Congressman Steve | | | | about nuclear waste, is "please don't put it |
| Pearce. Their celebratory remarks were meant | | | | in our backyard." Several western states have |
| to remind voters why the politicians were in | | | | been approached, and even the Carlsbad area |
| Washington - to bring their state new jobs | | | | was once discussed. Through the ABR |
| for at least some of New Mexico's voters. | | | | technology, it may be possible to minimize |
| While the chorus of praise revolved around | | | | the amount of this waste to make it a less |
| creating new jobs and bringing millions of | | | | undesirable disposal problem. A look at local |
| dollars into the state's economy, is there | | | | New Mexico politics may provide an insight as |
| more behind this story, which has not yet | | | | to where the two U.S. senators may be heading |
| been told? | | | | with regards to a nuclear power plant for New |
| | | | Mexico. |
| For Senator Domenici, this was another major | | | | |
| victory as the longest serving U.S. Senator | | | | New Mexico's Enrichment Facility:Prelude to a |
| in New Mexico's history. The Republican | | | | Nuclear Power Plant? |
| Senator heads the Senate Energy and Natural | | | | |
| Resources Committee. Domenici made his views | | | | If Federal lawmakers are happy about the |
| on nuclear energy quite clear in his book "A | | | | proposed uranium enrichment facility, some of |
| Brighter Tomorrow: Fulfilling the Promise of | | | | New Mexico's state politicians were still |
| Nuclear Energy" (Rowman & Littlefield, 2004). | | | | floating on clouds when we talked to them |
| He began pursuing Louisiana Energy Services | | | | yesterday. New Mexico legislator John A. |
| to move to New Mexico in February 2003, after | | | | Heaton, the Democratic representative serving |
| it became apparent Hartsville, Tennessee | | | | Carlsbad, waxed enthusiastic about the |
| didn't want uranium being enriched in their | | | | enrichment facility, "It's the first step in |
| backyard. | | | | converting this country to nuclear energy." |
| | | | |
| And again, it was Domenici, whose last minute | | | | Mainly the four state senators and |
| negotiations with Energy Secretary Samuel | | | | representatives, whom we interviewed, echoed |
| Bodman, led to the adoption of the Part 810 | | | | each other's praise about Urenco's proposed |
| Waiver. The waiver allowed Louisiana Energy | | | | enrichment facility. "I could not be more |
| Services (LES) to contact foreign-owned | | | | pleased," Senator Carroll H. Leavell told us. |
| Urenco Ltd about transferring high technology | | | | "It will have a major, very positive impact |
| data (the gas centrifuge technology) to LES | | | | on the economy." At the peak of construction, |
| so the uranium enrichment technology could be | | | | as many as 1200 workers may be employed. |
| utilized at the new facility. U.S. laws | | | | Later, when the facility is operational, |
| ordinarily prohibit such nuclear technology | | | | about 300 workers will remain. All four were |
| transfers, but Domenici's intervention | | | | pleasantly surprised that town hall hearings |
| brought the project to the NRC approval | | | | for the proposed facility were overwhelmingly |
| stage. LES had been on the drawing boards | | | | positive, and the local citizens would be |
| since 1989, having derived its name from the | | | | delighted to have this facility in built in |
| state of Louisiana. The LES partnership was | | | | southeastern New Mexico. Senator Leavell said |
| initially formed with the intent of building | | | | with disgust, "Most of the (anti-nuclear) |
| its centrifuge enrichment plant in Homer, | | | | protests have come from outside our area, |
| Louisiana. | | | | places like San Francisco, DC and Santa Fe." |
| | | | |
| Senator Domenici's impact upon the nuclear | | | | Senators Leavell and Gay G. Kernan, the state |
| resurgence in the United States is evident to | | | | senator from Hobbs, were invited by Urenco |
| the entire industry and most politicians. He | | | | Ltd. to tour an enrichment technology plant |
| announced last year, "In 1997, I predicted | | | | in Almelo, Netherlands and left impressed |
| the resurgence of nuclear energy in the | | | | with the company, its honesty and especially |
| United States. For the last eight years, I | | | | the management's attitude of looking at both |
| have worked to help make that renaissance a | | | | sides of the issues. Both state senators also |
| reality." Is there, perhaps, one more | | | | observed the surrounding community failed to |
| achievement Senator Domenici would like to | | | | be negatively impacted by the enrichment |
| add on behalf of the nuclear industry, before | | | | facility. |
| giving up his Senate seat? In his book, "A | | | | |
| Brighter Tomorrow," Domenici bemoans and | | | | Looking for deeper insights into what the |
| condemns nuclear fuel reprocessing. With the | | | | future might hold, we asked all four about |
| advent of the Global Nuclear Energy | | | | the possibility of a nuclear power plant in |
| Partnership (GNEP), Domenici may bring a | | | | New Mexico. All four agreed it would be |
| nuclear power plant to New Mexico before he | | | | desirable. Additional comments by the four |
| retires. | | | | state politicians led us to believe there |
| | | | might be a second step, following Heaton's |
| Domenici's Democratic counterpart, Senator | | | | remark about the enrichment facility being |
| Jeff Bingaman, is the ranking Democrat on the | | | | the first step. |
| Senate Energy and Natural Resource Committee. | | | | |
| We suspect Bingaman may play an integral role | | | | Donald L. Whitaker, the Democratic legislator |
| in helping Senator Domenici fulfill that | | | | from Eunice, the closest town to the proposed |
| dream. Ironically, Senator Bingaman, who | | | | enrichment facility, told us, "I would like |
| last November was invited to a Santa Fe | | | | to see a nuclear reactor in New Mexico." |
| anti-nuclear environmentalist fundraiser, and | | | | Whitaker has toured a nuclear facility, and |
| which highlighted television mogul Ted | | | | believes one would be great for the state's |
| Turner, was effusive in saying about the LES | | | | economy. "They employ about one thousand and |
| enrichment facility, "This will be one of the | | | | bring high-paying jobs," he said. |
| largest construction projects our state has | | | | Representative Whitaker was not the lone |
| ever seen. And the economic impact in | | | | voice among his fellow eastern New Mexican |
| southeastern New Mexico will be tremendous." | | | | legislators. |
| Does Bingaman appear to be playing both sides | | | | |
| of the nuclear chessboard? | | | | "Yes, we want a nuclear reactor in New |
| | | | Mexico," Representative Heaton said. Heaton |
| No, the former attorney, who reportedly once | | | | is the legislature's Vice Chairman of the |
| provided legal advice to uranium mining | | | | Radioactive and Hazardous Materials committee |
| powerhouse, Kerr McGee, is deftly maneuvering | | | | and a member of the Energy & Natural |
| between being a good Democrat and providing | | | | Resources Committee. He discussed the ABR |
| what he may honestly believe is best for his | | | | technology and GNEP, explaining how this |
| state. While Bingaman has curried favor among | | | | would solve the waste disposal problem of |
| the environmentalists, in May of this year, | | | | nuclear reactors and sway public opinion on |
| he accepted, along with Domenici and others, | | | | nuclear energy. |
| the William S. Lee Award for Leadership at | | | | |
| the Nuclear Energy Institute's (NEI) annual | | | | Senator Leavell took a more cautious |
| conference, saying, "I share a belief that | | | | approach, explaining how nuclear reactors |
| nuclear power can make a meaningful | | | | need tremendous amounts of water. "I don't |
| contribution to controlling the growth of | | | | think New Mexico could have a nuclear |
| greenhouse gases, while still allowing our | | | | reactor, not with the current technology." |
| economy to expand." It was his subsequent | | | | But, he still agreed it would be a good idea |
| remark directed at the NEI, which leads us to | | | | if new technologies were developed, which |
| believe he may be among the first to support | | | | used less water. |
| additional nuclear growth in New Mexico. He | | | | |
| told the NEI, "I am hoping that you will do | | | | Senator Gay Kernan told us, "I don't know if |
| your part to use those tools that Congress | | | | I should be talking about this, but we are |
| has put in place to ensure that nuclear power | | | | one of the candidates for the GNEP program." |
| achieves its potential as part of our future | | | | Having heard a rumor that General Atomics may |
| energy mix." | | | | propose building a nuclear power plant in |
| | | | eastern New Mexico, Senator Kernan confirmed |
| The Global Nuclear Energy Partnership | | | | such a plant may be on the drawing boards, |
| | | | and telling us West Texas is likely to be |
| In March 2006, Senator Domenici pledged his | | | | developed as an "alternative energy |
| support to President Bush's Global Nuclear | | | | corridor." She told us, "It would stretch |
| Energy Partnership (GNEP), | | | | from Carlsbad, New Mexico to the |
| | | | Odessa-Midland, Texas area." Senator Kernan |
| "With GNEP, we begin to close the cycle on | | | | would also like New Mexico to have a nuclear |
| nuclear waste in ways that prevent | | | | plant, "I don't have a problem with that." |
| proliferation and reduce both the volume and | | | | |
| toxicity of waste. By recycling spent nuclear | | | | The third politician, joining Senators |
| fuel, we can reuse the uranium, which is 96 | | | | Domenici and Bingaman, in praising the NRC |
| percent of spent fuel, and separate the most | | | | approval of a draft license for LES and |
| toxic radioactive material to be burned in an | | | | Urenco Ltd, was U.S. Congressman Steve |
| advanced burner reactor. By reusing uranium | | | | Pearce. Comments, issued by his press |
| fuel and burning the transuranic material in | | | | secretary on Friday and praising the LES |
| a new generation of modern reactors, we can | | | | announcement, may foreshadow New Mexico's |
| reduce the amount of waste placed in Yucca | | | | next step, "Today's announcement marks a |
| Mountain by a factor of 100." | | | | major milestone in our efforts to cement our |
| | | | state's leadership role in the development of |
| One of the key technologies in the GNEP | | | | alternative energy." What greater leadership |
| program in is the Advanced Burner Reactor | | | | by a state than in introducing the new GNEP |
| (ABR). Deriving its technology from fast | | | | ABR technology in New Mexico? After all, the |
| reactors, which were used to make nuclear | | | | state of New Mexico remains the founding home |
| weapons, the concept of the ABR is to | | | | to nuclear technology, where the world's |
| minimize the amount of nuclear waste, | | | | first atomic technology was designed at Los |
| produced by the nuclear industry's power | | | | Alamos. |
| plants, to a tiny fraction of content. The | | | | |
| concept behind the ABR is to "burn" the | | | | In a related development, David Watts, |
| transuranic elements, such as plutonium and | | | | President of the University of Texas of the |
| other long-living radioactive material. In | | | | Permian Basin, recently met with Congressman |
| this case, burning the radioactive waste is | | | | Pearce about developing a helium-cooled |
| translated as: destroying the transuranics, | | | | nuclear reactor facility, which would be |
| by converting them into shorter-lived | | | | built underground in either Lea County, New |
| isotopes. When the transuranic elements are | | | | Mexico or Andrews County, Texas. General |
| consumed by the ABR, a large amount of energy | | | | Atomics of San Diego has funded the |
| is released and then converted into | | | | pre-conceptual design, which is underway and |
| electricity. | | | | scheduled for completion in August. Waste |
| | | | Control Specialists has a low-level |
| Instead of burying several football fields of | | | | radioactive waste storage site in Andrews |
| nuclear waste in Yucca Mountain (or | | | | County. Realistically, a nuclear reactor in |
| elsewhere) for one million years, the toxic | | | | New Mexico is not out of the question. The |
| waste would be recycled as energy to be | | | | legislators may get what they want. We |
| immediately used to power homes and industry. | | | | believe Senator Domenici will ultimately set |
| Part of the GNEP plan is to combine the | | | | into motion the plans to bring New Mexico its |
| current, or advanced, light water reactors | | | | first nuclear power plant. It would become |
| with the ABR. As the light water nuclear | | | | his crowning achievement in helping the |
| reactors produce transuranics, the ABRs | | | | nuclear renaissance blossom in this country |
| consume those highly radioactive elements. | | | | and in his state. |