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