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Holtec Proposal To Store Spent Nuclear Fuel Advances

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The Nuclear Regulatory Commission says it is beginning a detailed safety, security and environmental review of an application to store spent nuclear fuel from power plants at a temporary facility in southeastern New Mexico.

The commission announced Thursday the proposal from Holtec International is sufficiently complete to begin the technical review process that eventually involves expert testimony and public comment.

Holtec is seeking an initial 40 year license for an underground storage facility that could accept radioactive used fuel that is piling up at reactors across the United States. The Alliance for Environmental Strategies is warning of rail transportation risks for spent fuel canisters.

Federal officials have long acknowledged that the future of nuclear energy in the U.S. depends on the ability to manage used fuel and high-level radioactive waste.