WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court on June 18 rejected challenges to a nuclear waste storage site near Texas’ border with New Mexico, a win for the federal government in a decadeslong struggle over what to do with waste that is byproduct of nuclear power plants.
In a 6-3 decision, the court said Texas and oil industry interests cannot fight the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's approval of the site because they hadn't sufficiently participated in the commission’s licensing proceedings.
The commission approved temporary storage sites in Texas in 2021 because nuclear power plants were running out of room and the permanent underground storage facility planned for Nevada’s Yucca Mountain stalled largely due to local opposition.
But Texas and oil industry interests objected to the waste being stored above ground in the Permian Basin, a prominent oil field region known for its underpopulated wide-open spaces in southwestern Texas. They also questioned the “temporary” nature of the storage site, which was designed to last decades.
More: Nobody wants to live near nuclear waste. The Supreme Court mulls where to put it
