New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and Attorney General Raúl Torrez issued a joint statement following the decision by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to grant a license to Holtec International for an interim storage facility for spent nuclear fuel.

“This decision by the NRC – which has been made despite the grave concerns of the state and the legislature over the project’s potential impacts to health, safety and the economy – is incredibly disappointing. It also undermines the NRC’s alleged commitment to meaningful engagement with stakeholders, as it appears our concerns were wholly ignored and went unaddressed by Holtec and the NRC.

“We will not stop our fight to protect New Mexico from becoming a nuclear dumping ground. Earlier this year, the state Legislature passed and the governor signed Senate Bill 53, which will impose new, more robust state licensing requirements for this project before any construction may begin. In the meantime, we are evaluating available legal recourse and will take any action necessary to make sure that ground is never broken on this ‘interim’ facility in New Mexico.”

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