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Gov. Rick Perry has named seven members to the Texas Low Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact Commission, including Andrews County Judge Richard Dolgener. Andrews County is home to Waste Control Specialists, which currently stores low-level radioactive waste. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has issued a draft license to dispose of the waste and is considering a final license. "The Texas Compact Commission was created by the Texas Legislature to oversee the disposal of low-level radioactive waste was authorized under the Texas-Vermont Compact. It is critically important that the residents of Andrews County has a voice on this commission in light of the fact that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is considering granting Waste Control Specialists a final license to dispose of this waste at the company's Andrews County facility," Dolgener said in a news release.

"A commission overseeing low-level radioactive waste disposal in Texas has withdrawn and will revise proposed rules that could allow 36 other states to send nuclear waste for burial near the New Mexico line. Bob Gregory of the Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact Commission said Monday the panel voted unanimously Saturday to pull the proposed rules as initially published and repost them with some amendments and revisions. A representative from the Texas Attorney General's Office told the commission during a Saturday meeting it could not change the rules then because there was nothing on the agenda to allow it, said Chuck McDonald, spokesman for Waste Control Specialists, the company that operates the waste site about 30 miles west of Andrews in West Texas."

Exelon Corporation and NRG Energy, Inc.; South Texas Project, Units 1 and 2; Notice of Consideration of Approval of Application Regarding Proposed Merger of NRG Energy, Inc. and Exelon Corporation, and Indirect Transfers of NRG South Texas LP's Facility Operating Licenses, and Opportunity for a Hearing The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission, NRC) is considering the issuance of an order under Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Section 50.80 approving the indirect transfer of control of the Facility Operating Licenses, which are numbered NPF-76 and NPF-80, for the South Texas Project (STP), Units 1 and 2, respectively, to the extent held by NRG South Texas LP (NRG South Texas).

The proposed expansion of the South Texas Nuclear Project (STP) would cost as much as $22 billion, boost the cost of electricity for consumers and curtail investment in energy-efficiency programs and solar power, a report released today by Public Citizen finds. The report, "Costs of Current and Planned Nuclear Power Plants in Texas: A Consumer Perspective," provides some answers to many of the key questions about CPS Energy's proposed partnership in the STP expansion that municipal candidates have said must be resolved before they can decide what is right for San Antonio. "We've been down this road before," said Tom "Smitty" Smith, director of Public Citizen's Texas office. "This nuclear expansion will have a significant impact on consumers in San Antonio, and perhaps throughout the Texas market. It is an irresponsible investment."

CPS Energy of San Antonio, a 50-50 partner with a unit of NRG Energy (NRG.N) in a plan to build two new nuclear reactors in Texas, asked a state court to "clarify" its liability should it pull out of the project, the company said on Monday. Stocks The San Antonio municipal utility said it filed a petition in state district court late Sunday "to clarify the roles and obligations" of CPS Energy and Nuclear Innovation North America (NINA), a partnership of NRG and Toshiba Corp (6502.T). NINA is developing a two-unit expansion plan at the South Texas Project, Texas largest nuclear station, expected to cost more than $10 billion. Rising cost estimates for the project have created concern among San Antonio's city leaders.

CPS Energy of San Antonio, a 50-50 partner with a unit of NRG Energy (NRG.N) in a plan to build two new nuclear reactors in Texas, asked a state court to "clarify" its liability should it pull out of the project, the company said on Monday. Stocks The San Antonio municipal utility said it filed a petition in state district court late Sunday "to clarify the roles and obligations" of CPS Energy and Nuclear Innovation North America (NINA), a partnership of NRG and Toshiba Corp (6502.T). NINA is developing a two-unit expansion plan at the South Texas Project, Texas largest nuclear station, expected to cost more than $10 billion. Rising cost estimates for the project have created concern among San Antonio's city leaders.

The cost escalation of a new nuclear project is the subject of an investigation by Texas utility CPS Energy, which warned that new reactors "must be affordable". CPS is warning that the price must be right for South Texas Project 3 and 4 In June the project to build two Advanced Boiling Water Reactors at the South Texas Project was valued at $10 billion - or $13 billion including finance. CPS is responsible for half of the project, but the firm's reaction to a reported $4 billion cost increase has cast its involvement has been cast into doubt.

The cost escalation of a new nuclear project is the subject of an investigation by Texas utility CPS Energy, which warned that new reactors "must be affordable". CPS is warning that the price must be right for South Texas Project 3 and 4 In June the project to build two Advanced Boiling Water Reactors at the South Texas Project was valued at $10 billion - or $13 billion including finance. CPS is responsible for half of the project, but the firm's reaction to a reported $4 billion cost increase has cast its involvement has been cast into doubt.

CPS Energy CEO Milton Lee and Interim General Manager Steve Bartley are heading to Japan on Tuesday to square off behind closed door meetings with Toshiba Corp. officials to discuss why the cost projection on two new nuclear reactors are higher than expected. Toshiba Power Systems is the lead contractor for the proposed expansion of the South Texas Project nuclear power plant in Matagorda County, Texas. There have been reports indicating that the price tag could be as much as $4 billion higher than originally projected. CPS Energy's partner in the South Texas Project expansion, NRG Energy, will also be involved with discussions. CPS Energy will press the Japanese for a pricing structure on the two new reactors that is more affordable than the current cost projection. CPS Energy wants the cost of the nuclear reactors to have no more than a 5 percent impact on customer bills, Bartley says.

CPS Energy CEO Milton Lee and Interim General Manager Steve Bartley are heading to Japan on Tuesday to square off behind closed door meetings with Toshiba Corp. officials to discuss why the cost projection on two new nuclear reactors are higher than expected. Toshiba Power Systems is the lead contractor for the proposed expansion of the South Texas Project nuclear power plant in Matagorda County, Texas. There have been reports indicating that the price tag could be as much as $4 billion higher than originally projected. CPS Energy's partner in the South Texas Project expansion, NRG Energy, will also be involved with discussions. CPS Energy will press the Japanese for a pricing structure on the two new reactors that is more affordable than the current cost projection. CPS Energy wants the cost of the nuclear reactors to have no more than a 5 percent impact on customer bills, Bartley says.

Texas environmental regulators approved a plan Wednesday to dispose of low-level radioactive waste from around the country at a remote site near the New Mexico border. Commissioners with the state's environmental agency voted 2-0 to grant two licenses that will allow Dallas-based Waste Control Specialists to dispose of waste from Texas and Vermont and from sites run by the federal government. One commissioner on the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Larry R. Soward, abstained. The license will be issued and disposal of the waste can begin after the company completes condemnation of land and obtains mineral rights at the West Texas disposal site about 370 miles from Dallas.

LUBBOCK, Texas - State environmental regulators on Wednesday gave approval for a Dallas-based company to dispose of Cold War-era radioactive waste at a site in West Texas where it is now being stored. Waste Control Specialists worked for four years to secure the license, which was approved by a 2-1 vote of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality in Austin. The company still has about six months of construction before it can begin burying the 3,776 canisters of the uranium byproduct waste in far western Andrews County near the New Mexico border.

"A San Antonio municipal utility's public and acrimonious divorce from a proposed two-unit, 2,700-megawatt nuclear power plant is nearly final. San Antonio municipal utility CPS Energy has been trying to separate itself from South Texas Project units 3 and 4 for several months. Last week, a settlement was reached between CPS Energy and Nuclear Innovation North America (NINA) (New York, New York), a consortium of NRG Energy Incorporated /quotes/comstock/13*!nrg/quotes/nls/nrg (NRG 21.84, -0.23, -1.04%) (Princeton, New Jersey) and Toshiba Corporation (TYO: 6502) (Tokyo, Japan) that is developing the two-unit nuclear expansion of the South Texas Project (STP). All that remains is for the CPS Energy board to ratify the deal. Toshiba is the engineering, procurement, and construction firm for STP units 3 and 4. Subcontractors include Fluor Corporation /quotes/comstock/13*!flr/quotes/nls/flr (FLR 42.80, -2.25, -4.99%) (Irving, Texas), Sargent & Lundy LLC (Chicago, Illinois), Bechtel Group Incorporated (San Francisco, California) and Westinghouse (Monroeville, Pennsylvania). "

"Thirty-six states could start shipping loads of radioactive waste through Texas for more than a decade _ likely crisscrossing the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex on major highways and train tracks _ if they get approval this summer to send their contaminated materials to a West Texas disposal site. The proposal to allow the states to send low-level waste to a site in Andrews County has prompted concern from some state lawmakers, who worry about the safety of communities along travel routes _ including the Interstate 20 corridor through North Texas _ and from environmentalists, who worry about radioactive leakage and contamination at the site. An eight-member commission is expected to take up the issue in coming weeks, considering rules that would govern what materials are accepted and whether dozens of states should be allowed to send radioactive waste to the Waste Control Specialists' Texas site owned by Dallas billionaire Harold Simmons. "

"A plan to potentially let 36 states ship radioactive waste to West Texas -- loads that likely would pass through North Texas on major highways and railroads -- is being revamped by state officials. This month, members of the Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact Commission took down proposed rules that could have allowed dozens of states to send low-level waste to a site in Andrews County. Environmentalists and state lawmakers were among those expressing concerns about leakage, contamination and the safety of communities along shipping routes. "The rules were withdrawn," said Margaret Henderson, interim executive director of the commission. "There had been a number of public comments. [Commissioners] will be going through them and considering" what to include in a new version of proposed rules, she said."

"Photo courtesy Stock Photos. Monday, the Texas Low Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact Commission heard feedback on a proposed rule that would allow the importation of radioactive waste from around the country into Texas. The commission proposed a rule that would allow the state to export waste for management and processing. After the product is prepared, it would be imported back into the state for disposal. The rule would also allow waste from "Non-Compact Generators" to be imported into the state for treatment. Texas Low level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact was signed into law in 1993 by former Gov. Ann Richards."

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, voted 2-0 Tuesday to grant a double license for Waste Control Specialists to dispose of up to 28 million cubic feet of low-level radioactive waste from Texas, Vermont and the federal government in Andrews County. Commissioner Larry Soward abstained from the vote. The site is located in west Texas near the New Mexico border. The commission also denied the request by the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club on behalf of its Eunice, New Mexico members for a contested case hearing before an administrative law judge to decide the merits of the license.

Texas Must Not Let Nuclear, Coal Power Take Priority on State's Renewable Energy Transmission Lines Cost and Safety of Nuclear and 'Clean' Coal Plants Is Questionable, Could Take Resources Away from Wind, Solar Initiatives, Coalition Says AUSTIN, TEXAS - The Texas Public Utility Commission (PUCT) should not give nuclear plants or "clean" coal plants priority on the "new renewable energy superhighways" as part of its decision on the state's competitive renewable energy zones (CREZ), according to a coalition of consumer and environmental groups in a petition filed today with the commission.

If CPS Energy thinks the citizens of South Texas are just going to stand by while the company sinks billions of dollars into a risky nuclear expansion project, it looks like they've got another think coming. Several Texas groups filed a petition with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission this week to block the expansion of two more reactors at the South Texas Project in Bay City.

"Agency Is Refusing to Adhere to an Order to Release Document That Would Help Determine Safety of New Nuclear Reactors WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) should stop balking and provide a critical document that would reveal how the owners of a Texas nuclear plant expansion project plan to deal with a fire or explosion, three public interest groups told the commission late last week. Three administrative judges of the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board have ordered the agency to provide at least a redacted version, but NRC staffers have refused. The NRC's lack of transparency could impact the ability to get adequate safety-related information not only about the South Texas Project (STP) but about other proposed reactors around the country as well. Late Friday, the groups - the Sustainable Energy and Economic Development (SEED) Coalition, Public Citizen and the South Texas Association for Responsible Energy - filed a brief with the NRC. It noted that the NRC staff's refusal to provide the information violated President Barack Obama's new transparency policy. The groups also said the NRC is acting arbitrarily and trying to shut the public out of NRC proceedings."

A request for a temporary restraining order against CPS Energy has been denied by Bexar County District Judge John D. Gabriel. Nuclear Innovation North America (NINA) LLC, the joint venture of NRG Energy and Toshiba Corp., had sought the order during a hearing to determine a court date when legal pleadings will be heard concerning CPS Energy's lawsuit against NINA. The legal dispute arose over questions about the cost estimate of two nuclear reactors at the South Texas Project near Bay City, Texas. CPS Energy contends that the estimate came in $4 billion higher than the utility anticipated.

A request for a temporary restraining order against CPS Energy has been denied by Bexar County District Judge John D. Gabriel. Nuclear Innovation North America (NINA) LLC, the joint venture of NRG Energy and Toshiba Corp., had sought the order during a hearing to determine a court date when legal pleadings will be heard concerning CPS Energy's lawsuit against NINA. The legal dispute arose over questions about the cost estimate of two nuclear reactors at the South Texas Project near Bay City, Texas. CPS Energy contends that the estimate came in $4 billion higher than the utility anticipated.

Spooked by escalating costs, a city-owned utility in San Antonio is considering backing out of a venture with NRG Energy Inc. to build two next-generation nuclear reactors in Texas. CPS Energy is expected to make a final decision next month, after it gets an updated cost estimate from Toshiba Corp., which will oversee construction of the two reactors. The project is one of the furthest along in a new crop of nuclear proposals, but it is proving unpopular with city officials.

Spooked by escalating costs, a city-owned utility in San Antonio is considering backing out of a venture with NRG Energy Inc. to build two next-generation nuclear reactors in Texas. CPS Energy is expected to make a final decision next month, after it gets an updated cost estimate from Toshiba Corp., which will oversee construction of the two reactors. The project is one of the furthest along in a new crop of nuclear proposals, but it is proving unpopular with city officials.

Spooked by escalating costs, a city-owned utility in San Antonio is considering backing out of a venture with NRG Energy Inc. to build two next-generation nuclear reactors in Texas. CPS Energy is expected to make a final decision next month, after it gets an updated cost estimate from Toshiba Corp., which will oversee construction of the two reactors. The project is one of the furthest along in a new crop of nuclear proposals, but it is proving unpopular with city officials.

"A pair of Vermont consultants blasted an unfunded Texas commission this week for preparing legal language to govern the expansion of a two-state low-level radioactive waste dump in West Texas out of fear it may impact Vermont's ability to dispose of its only nuclear reactor. "We are gravely concerned that this rulemaking is occurring in a rushed and ill-advised manner," wrote Margaret Gundersen, a consultant to the Joint Fiscal Committee of the Vermont State Legislature, and Arnie Gundersen, an appointed member of the public oversight committee advising on operations at the troubled Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant. The Entergy-owned plant, recently found to be leaking radioactive tritium into area groundwater and ordered closed by the Vermont Legislature, is to be disposed of at the West Texas dump. "