Microsoft Word - NRC.ISP

A letter from Texas Governor Greg Abbott to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) strongly opposing the license application by Interim Storage Partners (ISP) to build and operate a consolidated interim storage facility for spent nuclear fuel and Greater-Than-Class-C waste in Andrews County, Texas.

• Governor Greg Abbott opposes the ISP license application on the grounds that the facility would store up to 40,000 metric tons of uranium in dry cask storage systems on the surface, which he argues presents a radiological risk that Texas is not prepared to allow.
• The proposed site in Andrews County is located within the Permian Basin, a critical economic region. In 2018, the Permian Basin produced over 30 percent of total U.S. crude oil and held more than 40 percent of proved oil reserves; in 2019, it generated $9 billion in royalties and severance taxes for Texas and employed 87,603 people in the oil-and-gas industry.
• The Governor argues that the facility would jeopardize U.S. energy security by creating a high-value target for terrorism. He claims a radioactive release caused by an attack could travel hundreds of miles and shut down the world's largest producing oilfield.
• The letter criticizes the NRC's Draft Environmental Impact Statement for relying on a generic terrorism risk determination and for assuming a permanent geologic repository will be developed within the 40-to-60-year license window, despite the fact that no such repository currently exists and Yucca Mountain has been effectively abandoned.
• Transportation of nuclear waste is opposed due to the lack of specialized infrastructure and existing local prohibitions. Bexar, Dallas, Midland, and Nueces counties, as well as the city of San Antonio, have passed resolutions prohibiting the transport of high-level waste and spent nuclear fuel.

APA

Environmental and Energy Study Institute (2020). Microsoft Word - NRC.ISP. https://www.eesi.org/files/Letter_to_Nuclear_Regulatory_Commission-Texas_Gov_Abbott_Opposes_Nuclear_Waste_Consolidated_Interim_Storage_Facilities.pdf

Chicago

Environmental and Energy Study Institute. Microsoft Word - NRC.ISP. 2020. https://www.eesi.org/files/Letter_to_Nuclear_Regulatory_Commission-Texas_Gov_Abbott_Opposes_Nuclear_Waste_Consolidated_Interim_Storage_Facilities.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |title=Microsoft Word - NRC.ISP |date=3 November 2020 |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/Letter_to_Nuclear_Regulatory_Commission-Texas_Gov_Abbott_Opposes_Nuclear_Waste_Consolidated_Interim_Storage_Facilities.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{environmentalandenergystudyinstitute2020microsoft, author = {{Environmental and Energy Study Institute}}, title = {{Microsoft Word - NRC.ISP}}, publisher = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2020}, month = nov, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/Letter_to_Nuclear_Regulatory_Commission-Texas_Gov_Abbott_Opposes_Nuclear_Waste_Consolidated_Interim_Storage_Facilities.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }