| Federal lawmakers patted themselves on
| |
| | less nuclear waste for future disposal,
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| the back, last Friday, in a joint
| |
| | and immediately provides energy.The major
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| bi-partisan news release issued by three
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| | issue in the western United States, about
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| New Mexico politicians: U.S. Senators
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| | nuclear waste, is "please don't put it in
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| Pete Domenici and Jeff Bingaman, and U.S.
| |
| | our backyard." Several western states
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| Congressman Steve Pearce. Their
| |
| | have been approached, and even the
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| celebratory remarks were meant to remind
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| | Carlsbad area was once discussed. Through
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| voters why the politicians were in
| |
| | the ABR technology, it may be possible to
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| Washington - to bring their state new
| |
| | minimize the amount of this waste to make
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| jobs for at least some of New Mexico's
| |
| | it a less undesirable disposal problem. A
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| voters. While the chorus of praise
| |
| | look at local New Mexico politics may
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| revolved around creating new jobs and
| |
| | provide an insight as to where the two
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| bringing millions of dollars into the
| |
| | U.S. senators may be heading with regards
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| state's economy, is there more behind
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| | to a nuclear power plant for New
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| this story, which has not yet been
| |
| | Mexico.New Mexico's Enrichment Facility:
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| told?For Senator Domenici, this was
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| | Prelude to a Nuclear Power Plant?If
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| another major victory as the longest
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| | Federal lawmakers are happy about the
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| serving U.S. Senator in New Mexico's
| |
| | proposed uranium enrichment facility,
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| history. The Republican Senator heads the
| |
| | some of New Mexico's state politicians
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| Senate Energy and Natural Resources
| |
| | were still floating on clouds when we
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| Committee. Domenici made his views on
| |
| | talked to them yesterday. New Mexico
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| nuclear energy quite clear in his book "A
| |
| | legislator John A. Heaton, the Democratic
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| Brighter Tomorrow: Fulfilling the Promise
| |
| | representative serving Carlsbad, waxed
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| of Nuclear Energy" (Rowman & Littlefield,
| |
| | enthusiastic about the enrichment
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| 2004). He began pursuing Louisiana Energy
| |
| | facility, "It's the first step in
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| Services to move to New Mexico in
| |
| | converting this country to nuclear
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| February 2003, after it became apparent
| |
| | energy."Mainly the four state senators
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| Hartsville, Tennessee didn't want uranium
| |
| | and representatives, whom we interviewed,
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| being enriched in their backyard.And
| |
| | echoed each other's praise about Urenco's
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| again, it was Domenici, whose last minute
| |
| | proposed enrichment facility. "I could
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| negotiations with Energy Secretary Samuel
| |
| | not be more pleased," Senator Carroll H.
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| Bodman, led to the adoption of the Part
| |
| | Leavell told us. "It will have a major,
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| 810 Waiver. The waiver allowed Louisiana
| |
| | very positive impact on the economy." At
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| Energy Services (LES) to contact
| |
| | the peak of construction, as many as 1200
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| foreign-owned Urenco Ltd about
| |
| | workers may be employed. Later, when the
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| transferring high technology data (the
| |
| | facility is operational, about 300
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| gas centrifuge technology) to LES so the
| |
| | workers will remain. All four were
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| uranium enrichment technology could be
| |
| | pleasantly surprised that town hall
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| utilized at the new facility. U.S. laws
| |
| | hearings for the proposed facility were
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| ordinarily prohibit such nuclear
| |
| | overwhelmingly positive, and the local
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| technology transfers, but Domenici's
| |
| | citizens would be delighted to have this
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| intervention brought the project to the
| |
| | facility in built in southeastern New
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| NRC approval stage. LES had been on the
| |
| | Mexico. Senator Leavell said with
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| drawing boards since 1989, having derived
| |
| | disgust, "Most of the (anti-nuclear)
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| its name from the state of Louisiana. The
| |
| | protests have come from outside our area,
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| LES partnership was initially formed with
| |
| | places like San Francisco, DC and Santa
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| the intent of building its centrifuge
| |
| | Fe."Senators Leavell and Gay G. Kernan,
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| enrichment plant in Homer,
| |
| | the state senator from Hobbs, were
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| Louisiana.Senator Domenici's impact upon
| |
| | invited by Urenco Ltd. to tour an
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| the nuclear resurgence in the United
| |
| | enrichment technology plant in Almelo,
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| States is evident to the entire industry
| |
| | Netherlands and left impressed with the
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| and most politicians. He announced last
| |
| | company, its honesty and especially the
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| year, "In 1997, I predicted the
| |
| | management's attitude of looking at both
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| resurgence of nuclear energy in the
| |
| | sides of the issues. Both state senators
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| United States. For the last eight years,
| |
| | also observed the surrounding community
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| I have worked to help make that
| |
| | failed to be negatively impacted by the
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| renaissance a reality." Is there,
| |
| | enrichment facility.Looking for deeper
|
| perhaps, one more achievement Senator
| |
| | insights into what the future might hold,
|
| Domenici would like to add on behalf of
| |
| | we asked all four about the possibility
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| the nuclear industry, before giving up
| |
| | of a nuclear power plant in New Mexico.
|
| his Senate seat? In his book, "A Brighter
| |
| | All four agreed it would be desirable.
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| Tomorrow," Domenici bemoans and condemns
| |
| | Additional comments by the four state
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| nuclear fuel reprocessing. With the
| |
| | politicians led us to believe there might
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| advent of the Global Nuclear Energy
| |
| | be a second step, following Heaton's
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| Partnership (GNEP), Domenici may bring a
| |
| | remark about the enrichment facility
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| nuclear power plant to New Mexico before
| |
| | being the first step.Donald L. Whitaker,
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| he retires.Domenici's Democratic
| |
| | the Democratic legislator from Eunice,
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| counterpart, Senator Jeff Bingaman, is
| |
| | the closest town to the proposed
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| the ranking Democrat on the Senate Energy
| |
| | enrichment facility, told us, "I would
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| and Natural Resource Committee. We
| |
| | like to see a nuclear reactor in New
|
| suspect Bingaman may play an integral
| |
| | Mexico." Whitaker has toured a nuclear
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| role in helping Senator Domenici fulfill
| |
| | facility, and believes one would be great
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| that dream. Ironically, Senator
| |
| | for the state's economy. "They employ
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| Bingaman, who last November was invited
| |
| | about one thousand and bring high-paying
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| to a Santa Fe anti-nuclear
| |
| | jobs," he said. Representative Whitaker
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| environmentalist fundraiser, and which
| |
| | was not the lone voice among his fellow
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| highlighted television mogul Ted Turner,
| |
| | eastern New Mexican legislators."Yes, we
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| was effusive in saying about the LES
| |
| | want a nuclear reactor in New Mexico,"
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| enrichment facility, "This will be one of
| |
| | Representative Heaton said. Heaton is the
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| the largest construction projects our
| |
| | legislature's Vice Chairman of the
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| state has ever seen. And the economic
| |
| | Radioactive and Hazardous Materials
|
| impact in southeastern New Mexico will be
| |
| | committee and a member of the Energy &
|
| tremendous." Does Bingaman appear to be
| |
| | Natural Resources Committee. He discussed
|
| playing both sides of the nuclear
| |
| | the ABR technology and GNEP, explaining
|
| chessboard?No, the former attorney, who
| |
| | how this would solve the waste disposal
|
| reportedly once provided legal advice to
| |
| | problem of nuclear reactors and sway
|
| uranium mining powerhouse, Kerr McGee, is
| |
| | public opinion on nuclear energy.Senator
|
| deftly maneuvering between being a good
| |
| | Leavell took a more cautious approach,
|
| Democrat and providing what he may
| |
| | explaining how nuclear reactors need
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| honestly believe is best for his state.
| |
| | tremendous amounts of water. "I don't
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| While Bingaman has curried favor among
| |
| | think New Mexico could have a nuclear
|
| the environmentalists, in May of this
| |
| | reactor, not with the current
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| year, he accepted, along with Domenici
| |
| | technology." But, he still agreed it
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| and others, the William S. Lee Award for
| |
| | would be a good idea if new technologies
|
| Leadership at the Nuclear Energy
| |
| | were developed, which used less
|
| Institute's (NEI) annual conference,
| |
| | water.Senator Gay Kernan told us, "I
|
| saying, "I share a belief that nuclear
| |
| | don't know if I should be talking about
|
| power can make a meaningful contribution
| |
| | this, but we are one of the candidates
|
| to controlling the growth of greenhouse
| |
| | for the GNEP program." Having heard a
|
| gases, while still allowing our economy
| |
| | rumor that General Atomics may propose
|
| to expand." It was his subsequent remark
| |
| | building a nuclear power plant in eastern
|
| directed at the NEI, which leads us to
| |
| | New Mexico, Senator Kernan confirmed such
|
| believe he may be among the first to
| |
| | a plant may be on the drawing boards, and
|
| support additional nuclear growth in New
| |
| | telling us West Texas is likely to be
|
| Mexico. He told the NEI, "I am hoping
| |
| | developed as an "alternative energy
|
| that you will do your part to use those
| |
| | corridor." She told us, "It would stretch
|
| tools that Congress has put in place to
| |
| | from Carlsbad, New Mexico to the
|
| ensure that nuclear power achieves its
| |
| | Odessa-Midland, Texas area." Senator
|
| potential as part of our future energy
| |
| | Kernan would also like New Mexico to have
|
| mix."The Global Nuclear Energy
| |
| | a nuclear plant, "I don't have a problem
|
| PartnershipIn March 2006, Senator
| |
| | with that."The third politician, joining
|
| Domenici pledged his support to President
| |
| | Senators Domenici and Bingaman, in
|
| Bush's Global Nuclear Energy Partnership
| |
| | praising the NRC approval of a draft
|
| (GNEP),"With GNEP, we begin to close the
| |
| | license for LES and Urenco Ltd, was U.S.
|
| cycle on nuclear waste in ways that
| |
| | Congressman Steve Pearce. Comments,
|
| prevent proliferation and reduce both the
| |
| | issued by his press secretary on Friday
|
| volume and toxicity of waste. By
| |
| | and praising the LES announcement, may
|
| recycling spent nuclear fuel, we can
| |
| | foreshadow New Mexico's next step,
|
| reuse the uranium, which is 96 percent of
| |
| | "Today's announcement marks a major
|
| spent fuel, and separate the most toxic
| |
| | milestone in our efforts to cement our
|
| radioactive material to be burned in an
| |
| | state's leadership role in the
|
| advanced burner reactor. By reusing
| |
| | development of alternative energy." What
|
| uranium fuel and burning the transuranic
| |
| | greater leadership by a state than in
|
| material in a new generation of modern
| |
| | introducing the new GNEP ABR technology
|
| reactors, we can reduce the amount of
| |
| | in New Mexico? After all, the state of
|
| waste placed in Yucca Mountain by a
| |
| | New Mexico remains the founding home to
|
| factor of 100."One of the key
| |
| | nuclear technology, where the world's
|
| technologies in the GNEP program in is
| |
| | first atomic technology was designed at
|
| the Advanced Burner Reactor (ABR).
| |
| | Los Alamos.In a related development,
|
| Deriving its technology from fast
| |
| | David Watts, President of the University
|
| reactors, which were used to make nuclear
| |
| | of Texas of the Permian Basin, recently
|
| weapons, the concept of the ABR is to
| |
| | met with Congressman Pearce about
|
| minimize the amount of nuclear waste,
| |
| | developing a helium-cooled nuclear
|
| produced by the nuclear industry's power
| |
| | reactor facility, which would be built
|
| plants, to a tiny fraction of content.
| |
| | underground in either Lea County, New
|
| The concept behind the ABR is to "burn"
| |
| | Mexico or Andrews County, Texas. General
|
| the transuranic elements, such as
| |
| | Atomics of San Diego has funded the
|
| plutonium and other long-living
| |
| | pre-conceptual design, which is underway
|
| radioactive material. In this case,
| |
| | and scheduled for completion in August.
|
| burning the radioactive waste is
| |
| | Waste Control Specialists has a low-level
|
| translated as: destroying the
| |
| | radioactive waste storage site in Andrews
|
| transuranics, by converting them into
| |
| | County. Realistically, a nuclear reactor
|
| shorter-lived isotopes. When the
| |
| | in New Mexico is not out of the question.
|
| transuranic elements are consumed by the
| |
| | The legislators may get what they want.
|
| ABR, a large amount of energy is released
| |
| | We believe Senator Domenici will
|
| and then converted into
| |
| | ultimately set into motion the plans to
|
| electricity.Instead of burying several
| |
| | bring New Mexico its first nuclear power
|
| football fields of nuclear waste in Yucca
| |
| | plant. It would become his crowning
|
| Mountain (or elsewhere) for one million
| |
| | achievement in helping the nuclear
|
| years, the toxic waste would be recycled
| |
| | renaissance blossom in this country and
|
| as energy to be immediately used to power
| |
| | in his state.James Finch contributes to
|
| homes and industry. Part of the GNEP plan
| |
| | and other publications. Visit to
|
| is to combine the current, or advanced,
| |
| | download your free copy of "Investing in
|
| light water reactors with the ABR. As the
| |
| | the Great Uranium Bull Market: A
|
| light water nuclear reactors produce
| |
| | Practical Investor's Guide to Uranium
|
| transuranics, the ABRs consume those
| |
| | Stocks.
|
| highly radioactive elements. This leaves
| |
| |
|
