© 2024 KRWG
News that Matters.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

New Mexico Nuclear Enrichment Plant OK'd For Expansion

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has given its approval for URENCO USA to expand it nuclear enrichment facility east of Eunice in southeastern New Mexico.

The Hobbs News-Sun reports that the panel gave the OK last week on URENCO's most recent license amendment application.

That means URENCO can double its capacity over the course of two more phases beyond the current three-phase $4 billion facility.

It also means the company can store more raw and depleted uranium on site and can re-feed uranium tails left over after the enrichment process back through their centrifuges to recover more enriched uranium for nuclear fuel.

The facility now has approval to double its productive capacity.

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.