July 12, 2019 – The Carlsbad City Council has unanimously approved a resolution supporting a nuclear waste facility near the Eddy-Lea county border. The governor, the New Mexico land commissioner and the state’s congressional delegation are opposed, particularly when considering the use of fracking in the same region. Supporters say the repository, proposed by Holtec International, will generate jobs and revenue – and nuclear waste has to be stored somewhere.  But both the Holtec site and WIPP (Waste Isolation Pilot Plant) are close to the Permian Basin and fracking operations. With evidence that fracking causes earthquakes, is this a recipe for disaster?  Gene Grant and the Line opinion panelists look at the balancing act between economic opportunity and environmental impact.

Line Panelists:
Merritt Allen, Vox Optima LLC
Stephanie Maez, ProgressNow New Mexico
Kristelle Siarza, Siarza Social Digital
Harry Van Buren, UNM Anderson School of Management

For Further Reading:

New Mexico State Land Office: Holtec mislead federal government on nuclear waste site near Carlsbad – Carlsbad Current-Argus

New Mexico land boss concerned with nuclear waste proposal – Associated Press

Serious Safety Concerns for Proposed Nuclear Storage Facility in New Mexico – Office of the New Mexico Land Commissioner

A fracked ‘Nuclear Alley’ scarier than aliens – Albuquerque Journal