The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has extended the public comment period for a draft environmental impact statement of Holtec International’s proposed nuclear waste storage facility in southeast New Mexico.
The comment deadline is now July 22.
The extension comes after New Mexico’s congressional delegation and at least 50 environmental groups said the public needed more time to comment in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The federal agency has not yet announced dates for public meetings in New Mexico to discuss the document. The NRC released the draft impact statement in March, along with a recommendation to issue a license to Holtec for the project.
The facility would initially store spent nuclear fuel in 500 canisters, and the full project would have a capacity for 10,000 canisters.
Comments may be made online at https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=NRC-2018-0052-0300. Comments can also be emailed to Holtec-CISFEIS@nrc.gov.
