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