A Basin waste license is up for renewal. Here’s how to weigh in by Nov. 2.
Dek: State regulators will take questions and comments in Andrews on Monday, Nov. 2. Here’s what’s being decided and how to be heard.
A low-level radioactive waste site in Andrews County is asking the state to renew its license. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) will hold a public meeting about it on Monday, Nov. 2, at 7:00 p.m. in Andrews. (Texas Register)
This is one of the few times the public gets a direct say in how this site runs. Here’s what you need to know.
What’s being decided
The license, number R04100, belongs to a private company. It lets the site dispose of low-level radioactive waste and store and process other radioactive material. The company filed to renew it in August 2023 and revised the application seven times through November 2025. (Texas Register)
TCEQ’s staff has made a preliminary decision. They say the license, “if issued, meets all statutory and regulatory requirements.” That decision is not final. Public comments are part of what the agency reviews before it acts.
How big is this site?
The license covers two disposal areas. One can take up to 9 million cubic feet of waste. The other can take up to 26 million cubic feet. (TCEQ summary)
The state’s public summary doesn’t say how long a renewed license would last. It also doesn’t list what, if anything, changes from today’s license. Those are fair questions to ask on Nov. 2.
The federal government is also rewriting national rules for low-level waste. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s proposal would set specific requirements for land disposal of GTCC waste, the most concentrated class of low-level waste. (Federal Register) The renewal summary lists Class A, B and C waste, not GTCC. But licenses set the ground rules a site runs under for years. Basin families deserve clear answers about what this one allows.
We support nuclear energy. Our question is where and how its waste is handled, and who gets a say.
How to be heard
Go to the meeting. Monday, Nov. 2, 7:00 p.m., City of Andrews Municipal Court Building Auditorium, 101 NW Ave A, Andrews.
Get it on the record. Questions asked in the informal part of the meeting get spoken answers only. To have your concern formally considered, make a formal comment, at the meeting or in writing.
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A Basin waste license is up for renewal. Here’s how to weigh in by Nov. 2.
Dek: State regulators will take questions and comments in Andrews on Monday, Nov. 2. Here’s what’s being decided and how to be heard.
A low-level radioactive waste site in Andrews County is asking the state to renew its license. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) will hold a public meeting about it on Monday, Nov. 2, at 7:00 p.m. in Andrews. (Texas Register)
This is one of the few times the public gets a direct say in how this site runs. Here’s what you need to know.
What’s being decided
The license, number R04100, belongs to a private company. It lets the site dispose of low-level radioactive waste and store and process other radioactive material. The company filed to renew it in August 2023 and revised the application seven times through November 2025. (Texas Register)
TCEQ’s staff has made a preliminary decision. They say the license, “if issued, meets all statutory and regulatory requirements.” That decision is not final. Public comments are part of what the agency reviews before it acts.
How big is this site?
The license covers two disposal areas. One can take up to 9 million cubic feet of waste. The other can take up to 26 million cubic feet. (TCEQ summary)
The state’s public summary doesn’t say how long a renewed license would last. It also doesn’t list what, if anything, changes from today’s license. Those are fair questions to ask on Nov. 2.
Why it matters now
The federal government is also rewriting national rules for low-level waste. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s proposal would set specific requirements for land disposal of GTCC waste, the most concentrated class of low-level waste. (Federal Register) The renewal summary lists Class A, B and C waste, not GTCC. But licenses set the ground rules a site runs under for years. Basin families deserve clear answers about what this one allows.
We support nuclear energy. Our question is where and how its waste is handled, and who gets a say.
How to be heard
Don’t wait. Plan to have your comment in by Nov. 2.
Questions about the process? TCEQ’s Public Education Program takes calls at 800-687-4040.
The Protect the Basin team
DATE: OCT 12, 2024
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