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