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