Federal lawmakers patted themselves on the back, last Friday in a joint non-party press release issued by three New Mexico politicians: U.S. Senators Pete Domenici and Jeff Bingaman, and U.S. Congressman Steve Pearce. Their celebratory remarks were to remind voters about why the politicians in Washington - to their state jobs for at least some of the bringing to New Mexico voters. While the praise for creating new jobs and bring millions of dollars into the economy of the state, turned is more to this story not told before? For Senator Domenici, this was an important victory as the longest serving U.S. senator in New Mexico's history. The Republican Senator heads the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Domenici made his views on nuclear energy quite clear in his book "a better future: Fulfilling the Promise of Nuclear Energy" (Rowman & Littlefield, 2004). He pursued Louisiana Energy Services to New Mexico in February 2003 to move after it became apparent began Hartsville, did not want Tennessee uranium enriched in their backyard. And again it was Domenici, whose last minute negotiations with Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman, led to the adoption of the Part 810 Waiver. The waiver allowed Louisiana Energy Services (LES) to contact for use in foreign-owned Urenco Ltd about transferring high technology data (the gas centrifuge technology) to LES so that the uranium enrichment technology could in the new facility. U.S. laws prohibit such common nuclear technology transfers, but Domenici intervention brought the project to the NRC licensing stage. LES had on the drawing board since 1989, with their names from the state of Louisiana. The LES partnership was set up initially with the intention of building its centrifuge enrichment plant in Homer, Louisiana. Senator Domenici, the effects on the nuclear revival in the United States is obvious to the entire industry and most politicians. He announced last year, "In 1997 I predicted the resurgence of nuclear power in the United States. In the last eight years I have been working to contribute to the renaissance a reality. "Is there perhaps another achievement Senator Domenici wants to add on behalf of the nuclear industry before it was established in the Senate? In his book "a better future," Domenici laments and condemns nuclear fuel. With the advent of the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP), Domenici may bring a nuclear power plant in New Mexico before he retired. Domenici's Democratic counterpart, Senator Jeff Bingaman is the ranking Democrat on the Senate Energy and Natural Resource Policy Committee. We suspect, Bingaman, an integral role in helping Senator Domenici fulfill that dream to play. Ironically, highlighted Senator Bingaman, who was invited last November to a Santa Fe anti-nuclear fundraiser environmentalists, and the TV mogul Ted Turner was in the saying about the LES enrichment facility, "This is one of the largest construction projects are our state saw exuberant ever. And the economic impact in southeastern New Mexico will be tremendous. "Does Bingaman appear to play both sides of the nuclear chessboard? No, the former lawyer who allegedly believe maneuver once legal advice uranium mining plant, Kerr McGee is provided, sent between a good democrat and offers what he can do is honestly the best for his state. While Bingaman has curry favor with environmentalists, who took in May this year he, along with Domenici and others, the William S. Lee Award for Leadership at the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) annual conference said, "I share the conviction that nuclear energy can make a meaningful contribution to controlling the growth of greenhouse gases, but allow our economy to expand. "It was his subsequent remark at the NEI, which leads us to believe he may be directed among the first additional nuclear growth in New Mexico support. He said the NEI: "I hope that your contribution to this tool that Congress created to use to ensure that nuclear energy will not reach potential as part of our future energy mix." The Global Nuclear Energy Partnership in March Senator Domenici start of 2006, pledged his support for President Bush's Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP), "With GNEP, we close the cycle of nuclear waste in a way as to prevent the spread and reduce both the volume and toxicity of waste. By recycling spent nuclear fuel, we can use the uranium that is 96 percent of the spent fuel re-use, and separate the most toxic radioactive substances in an advanced burner reactor to be burned. By reusing uranium fuel and burning the transuranic material in a new generation of modern reactors, we can place the amount of waste in Yucca Mountain by a factor of 100. "One of the most important technologies in the GNEP program is the Advanced Burner Reactor (ABR). Derivation of its technology of fast reactors that were to make nuclear weapons, the concept of the ABR to the amount of nuclear waste, the nuclear industry generates the power plants to minimize a tiny fraction of the content. to "burn" The concept behind the ABR the transuranics such as plutonium and other long-lived radioactive material. In this case, burning the radioactive waste, as translated: destruction of transuranic elements in the conversion of short-lived isotopes. When the transuranic elements are consumed by the ABR, a large amount of energy is released and then converted into electricity. Instead of burying several football fields of nuclear waste in Yucca Mountain (or elsewhere) for 1,000,000 years, the toxic waste would be recycled, such as energy, to be immediately used to power homes and industry. Part of the GNEP plan is to combine the current and advanced light water reactors to the ABR. As the light water nuclear reactors produce transuranics, the ABRs consume those highly radioactive elements. This leaves less nuclear waste for future disposal and immediately provides energy. The main problem in the western United States over nuclear waste is "please not in our backyard." Several Western countries have been contacted and the Karlovy Vary region was discussed earlier. Through the ABR technology, it may be possible to minimize the amount of such waste to make it less undesirable disposal problem. A look at local New Mexico politics can have a glimpse of where the two U.S. senators can offer with regards to its title to a nuclear power plant in New Mexico. New Mexico Enrichment Facility: Prelude to a Nuclear Power Plant? If legislators are pleased the Federal Republic on the proposed uranium enrichment facility, some were from New Mexico state politicians still floating on clouds when we talked to them yesterday. New Mexico legislator John A. Heaton, the Democratic representative serving Carlsbad, waxed enthusiastic about the uranium enrichment plant ". It is the first step in converting this country to nuclear energy" Above all, the four state senators and representatives that we interviewed echoed praise each other on planned Urenco enrichment plant. "I could not be happier," Senator Carroll H. Leavell told. "There is a large, very positive impact on the economy." At the peak of construction, so many as 1200 workers are employed. Later, when the facility is operational, will remain around 300 workers. All four were pleasantly surprised, feel that City Hall hearings for the proposed facility were overwhelmingly positive, and the local people we have built this plant in New Mexico in the southeast. Senator Leavell said with disgust: ". Most of the (anti-nuclear) protests come from outside our region, places like San Francisco, DC and Santa Fe" Senators Leavell and Gay G. Kernan, the state senator from Hobbs were invited by Urenco Ltd., a technology for the enrichment plant in Almelo, Netherlands tour and left with the company, his honesty and above all the administration's attitude impressed the examination of both sides of the issues. Both state senators also observed the surrounding communities are not adversely affected by the uranium enrichment plant. In search of deeper insights into what the future might bring, we asked all four about the possibility of a nuclear power plant in New Mexico. All four agreed it would be desirable. Additional comments by the four state politicians led us to believe it could in a second step, following Heaton remark about the enrichment facility being the first step. Donald L. Whitaker, the Democratic legislator from Eunice, the closest town, the proposed uranium enrichment facility, told us. "I would like to see a nuclear reactor in New Mexico" Whitaker has toured a nuclear facility, and believes it would be great for the economy of the country. "They employ about one thousand and bring high-paying jobs," he said. Representative Whitaker was not the lone voice at her eastern New Mexican legislators. "Yes, we want a nuclear reactor in New Mexico," said Representative Heaton. Heaton is the legislature Vice President of radioactive and hazardous materials committee and member of the Energy & Natural Resources Committee. He discussed the ABR technology and GNEP, explaining how to solve this problem, the disposal of nuclear reactors and power of public opinion on nuclear energy. Senator Leavell took a more cautious approach to explain how nuclear reactors need tremendous amounts of water. "I do not think New Mexico could not have a nuclear reactor, with the current technology." But he still agreed it would be a good idea when developing new technologies that use less water. Senator Gay Kernan told us. "I do not know if I should talk about this, but we are one of the candidates for the GNEP program" Having heard a rumor that suggest General Atomics building a nuclear power plant in eastern New Mexico, confirmed ". alternative energy corridor" Senator Kernan such a system can on the drawing board, and telling us West Texas is expected to be developed as you told us: "It would be out of Carlsbad, New Mexico, the Odessa-Midland, Texas area to . stretch "Senator Kernan would also like New Mexico to have a nuclear power station:" I have no problem with "The third politician, joining Senators Domenici and Bingaman, in praising the NRC approval of a draft license for LES and Urenco Ltd.. , was U.S. Congressman Steve Pearce. Comments from his press spokesman released on Friday, praising the LES announcement, can sense New Mexico next step, "Today's announcement marks an important milestone in our efforts to strengthen our state's leadership in the development of alternative energies." What greater leadership by a state as when introducing the new GNEP ABR technology in New Mexico? After all, the state of New Mexico remains the founding home to nuclear technology, where the world's first atomic technology was developed at Los Alamos. In a related development, David Watts, president of the University of Texas of the Permian Basin, which meets either in Lea County, New Mexico or Andrews to be built recently with Congressman Pearce about developing a helium-core reactor system, the subway would County , Texas. General Atomics in San Diego has the pre-conception, which is currently underway and funded dates for completion in August. Waste Control Specialists has a low-level radioactive waste storage site in Andrews County. Realistically, a nuclear reactor in New Mexico is not in question. Legislation can get what they want. We believe Senator Domenici ultimately set in motion the plans to New Mexico its first nuclear power plant. It would be the culmination of his work in supporting the nuclear renaissance blossom in this country and in his state. Copyright © 2007 by stock interview, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
