Fasken: A Nuclear Site in Andrews Could Harm Oil Industry

A permanent repository for high-level nuclear waste must be established according to federal law and only then can interim storage be licensed. Fasken, one of the largest land holders in Andrews County opposes the interim storage plan because it makes the Permian Basin a terrorist target, puts us at risk for radioactive leaks, and could shut down oil production if an accident were to occur. 

Tommy Taylor, director of Oil and Gas Development at Fasken, says that it’s concerning that a potential nuclear waste leak could hurt oil field workers. 

In addition to the risks associated with placing a nuclear waste facility in the proximity of the nation’s largest oil and natural gas field in America, the federal government’s law says that until a permanent repository is established, an interim storage facility shouldn’t be accepting waste yet. But Interim Storage Partners already is in the process of licensing.

Terrorism is another threat to this plan, as Taylor pointed out, the 9/11 attackers originally planned to target nuclear facilities in the United States. Transporting the spent nuclear fuel along rail routes makes any community in which the waste travels through a target as well. 

Kin Man Hui/San Antonio Express-News