ANDREWS, Texas —
The state of Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Thursday.
The lawsuit petitions the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to review and vacate a license that allows for the construction and operation of an interim storage facility for high-level nuclear waste in Andrews.
The license, issued on Sept. 13, allows for a facility that would permit Interim Storage Partners to receive, possess, transfer and store up to 5,000 metric tons of spent fuel and 231.3 metric tons of Greater-Than-Class C low-level radioactive waste for 40 years.
This storage would take place on property at the Waste Control Specialists low-level radioactive waste disposal site already functioning in Andrews.
House Bill 7, which bans the storage of high-level nuclear waste in Texas, was previously signed into law by Gov. Abbott. The bill was filed by State Representative Brooks Landgraf (R-Odessa).
However, due to the NRC being a federal agency, it was able to override the state’s decision.
