North Dakota lawmakers are looking at whether the state should make room for temporary nuclear waste storage if a nuclear power project ever moves forward.
The North Dakota Monitor reports the Legislature’s Advanced Nuclear Energy Committee is considering an exception to the state’s current ban on storing high-level radioactive waste.
A consultant hired for the committee, Nucleon Energy, told lawmakers the law could discourage reactor developers because nuclear plants typically keep spent fuel in secure, temporary on-site containers. The U-S does not have a permanent disposal site for high-level radioactive waste.
Supporters say the change would not approve a nuclear project, but would remove one barrier for future decisions. Critics say North Dakota should not loosen its rules until there is a permanent federal storage plan and more public understanding.
The committee is expected to discuss and vote on bill drafts at its final meeting in August.
Read the full reporting from Jacob Orledge at NorthDakotaMonitor.com.
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