Southeast N.M. wants nuclear storage
The 2022 regular session of the New Mexico Legislature is up and running. This year, state legislators will convene in the Roundhouse for 30 days. By law, the main focus for the lawmakers is to craft a state budget, and this session they have plenty to work with, thanks to increased oil and natural gas production, federal pandemic relief funds and a boost in consumer activity.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham also encourages legislators to pass important laws that benefit New Mexicans by placing her priorities on the legislative “call” or agenda. We can all support the governor’s initiatives that emphasize public safety to fight crime statewide, protect businesses and industries from higher taxes, pay raises for educators, eliminating a tax on Social Security, and initiatives to support New Mexico businesses and diversify the state’s economy.
Which is why we are surprised by the governor’s message to the Senate to consider Senate Bill 54 and House Bill 127. These bills are intended to stop a project that is important to economic development in southeast New Mexico.
There is a partnership between the Eddy Lea Energy Alliance and Holtec International on the proposed HI-STORE Consolidated Interim Storage Facility for spent nuclear fuel. The temporary, safe, secure facility is a critical step in the final disposal process as recommended by a blue-ribbon commission created by then-President Barack Obama.
If passed and signed into law, SB 54 and HB 127 will undo years of careful study and evaluation, including the work of many individuals in Eddy and Lea counties who have demonstrated that our region is well-equipped and possesses the knowledge to support the nuclear energy industry. SB 54 also has the serious negative unintended consequences of halting certain activities at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant and the national labs in Albuquerque and Los Alamos.
I was one of four individuals to sign a letter to Lujan Grisham requesting that she not place SB 54 on the legislative agenda, as it will harm our local economies. My fellow signers, Eddy County Chairman Steven McCutcheon, Hobbs Mayor Sam Cobb and Lea County Commissioner Jonathan Sena, all stressed our support for the ELEA/Holtec proposed facility because of the safety and security of the project. We wouldn’t have invited Holtec to southeast New Mexico if we believed otherwise.
We are steadfast in our belief that the project and the oil and gas industry can coexist in our region. While the oil and gas industry is very robust today and is responsible for New Mexico’s windfall surplus in the state budget, we want to continue to diversify our economic opportunities. Consolidated storage is a proven safe, secure facility that will provide over 350 well-paying jobs as well as infuse $3 billion in capital investment to our area.
We all share the governor’s vision for diversifying our economy and supporting projects that foster thoughtful economic development in our communities and build a stronger, brighter future for our state. That’s why we strongly urge the governor to reconsider her Senate message and state legislators to not pass SB 54 or HB 127.
Dale Janway is mayor of Carlsbad.