Court vacates Holtec’s license for New Mexico spent fuel facility
Wed, Apr 3, 2024, 8:27AMNuclear News
The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has vacated Holtec International’s license to build and operate a consolidated interim storage facility (CISF) for spent nuclear fuel near the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in southeastern New Mexico. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission granted the license for the Holtec facility, called the HI-STORE CISF in May 2023.
On March 27, a three-judge panel issued a two-page order vacating Holtec’s license, aligning the court’s decision with its ruling in Texas v. NRC. That ruling, issued in August 2023, vacated Interim Storage Partners’ (ISP’s) license for a CISF for commercial spent nuclear fuel in Andrews County, Texas. According to the court, the NRC did not have the authority to grant a license for an away-from-reactor spent fuel storage facility.