Holtec Ends Pursuit of New Mexico Nuclear Waste Storage Project
Holtec International announced it will no longer move forward with plans to operate a nuclear waste storage site in southeast New Mexico, ending a multi-year effort marked by intense public resistance and legal challenges. The decision comes two years after the company received a federal license to construct and run the facility, which had been designed to hold 500 sealed canisters of nuclear waste for as long as 40 years, according to reporting by the Cherry Hill Courier-Post.
Residents and Advocacy Groups Strongly Opposed the Project
Community Resistance Made the Project “Untenable”
Holtec said in its announcement that persistent and organized opposition from residents, local leaders, and environmental groups ultimately made the project “untenable” to pursue. The company had faced widespread criticism from communities across southeast New Mexico, many of whom argued the project posed risks to public health, groundwater, and regional safety.
Opponents repeatedly voiced concerns during public hearings, community discussions, and environmental reviews, arguing the project did not align with the state’s priorities for long-term environmental protection.
Environmental Groups Warned of Larger National Implications
Beyond Nuclear Called the Plan a “Dangerous Dump”
The antinuclear nonprofit Beyond Nuclear condemned the project early in the licensing process, labeling the planned site a “dangerous dump.” The group argued that storing high-level radioactive waste in New Mexico would establish what it described as a national precedent for large-scale, centralized waste shipments across the United States.
Beyond Nuclear warned that allowing the site to operate could trigger “many thousands of ‘mobile Chernobyl’ radioactive waste shipments” transported across highways and rail lines nationwide. Advocacy groups said such shipments could pose logistical, safety, and emergency response challenges in the event of accidents or equipment failures.
Licensed Facility Now Shelved After Years of Debate
The Future of New Mexico Nuclear Waste Policy Remains Uncertain
The proposed facility had been licensed to store spent nuclear fuel from commercial reactors across the country, and the 40-year license period was expected to serve as an interim solution while federal policymakers debated long-term storage options.
With Holtec abandoning the project, the status of the licensed site remains unclear. New Mexico lawmakers and environmental advocates previously sought stronger state-level restrictions on nuclear waste storage, and Holtec’s withdrawal may influence future regulatory actions on similar proposals.
The company did not announce whether it intends to pursue alternative locations or storage strategies.
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