THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION PLANS TO APPROVE HOLTEC'S NUCLEAR WASTE IN NEW MEXICO.

THE PRIVATE COMPANY HAS BEEN WORKING ON THAT FOR A FEW YEARS NOW, DESPITE OPPOSITION FROM MOST OF NEW MEXICO'S POLITICAL LEADERSHIP.

OUR LAND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER LAURA PASKUS JOINS US ONCE AGAIN TO TALK WITH STATE REPRESENTATIVE ANGELICA RUBIO ABOUT THE PROJECT THAT WOULD HAVE OUR STATE TAKE ON NUCLEAR WASTE FROM POWER PLANTS ALL ACROSS UNITED STATES.

>> Laura: REPRESENTATIVE RUBIO, THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME TODAY.

AS FORMER CHAIR OF THE INTERIM COMMITTEE ON RADIOACTIVE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS, YOU WERE PART OF LOTS OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOLTEC.

NOW THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION HAS ANNOUNCED THEY PLAN TO APPROVE THE COMPANY'S LICENSE.

IS THIS PROJECT A DONE DEAL FOR NEW MEXICO?

>> Rubio: THANKS LAURA.

FROM A PROCESS PERSPECTIVE, IT ISN'T THE END OF THE ROAD.

THERE IS STILL A NUMBER OF STEPS THAT NEED TO BE TAKEN BUT WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK IS THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STUDY WAS APPROVED AND SO I THINK THAT THERE IS JUST A SENSE OF URGENCY FROM A LOT OF US TO OPPOSE IT BECAUSE IT WAS THE STEP THAT WE THOUGHT WOULD HAVE REALLY SORT OF ENDED THIS WHOLE CONVERSATION AND INSTEAD IT'S BECOMING MORE AND MORE, I GUESS, REAL THAT THIS PROJECT MAY ACTUALLY HAPPEN.

>> Laura: SO, IN THAT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT, THE NRC NOTED THAT HOLTEC, A PRIVATE COMPANY, PLANS TO BRING 10,000 CANNISTERS OF NUCLEAR WASTE FROM COMMERCIAL POWER PLANTS FROM ACROSS THE U.S. BY TRAIN TO THIS AREA BETWEEN CARLSBAD AND HOBBS.

THESE CANNISTERS, I JUST WANT TO MENTION, ARE REALLY HUGE.

THESE AREN'T LIKE 50-GALLON DRUMS WE ARE TALKING ABOUT.

ARE THERE CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THIS PROJECT IN PARTICULAR THAT REALLY GIVE YOU CAUSE FOR ALARM?

>> Rubio: YEAH.

I MEAN I THINK OVERALL THE PROJECT IS VERY ALARMING, JUST BECAUSE THE LEGACY THAT WE HAVE HAD HERE IN THIS STATE WITH THESE TYPES OF INDUSTRIES REALLY IMPACTING FRONTLINE COMMUNITIES, THAT TO ME IS VERY TROUBLESOME, BUT I THINK AS SOMEONE WHO CHAIRS THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE AND SEES A LOT OF THE PROJECTS HAPPEN AROUND THE STATE, RAIL IS NOT ONE OF THE PIECES OF INFRASTRUCTURE THAT I THINK WE ARE UP TO PAR TO BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

THE COMPANY HOLTEC DOESN'T HAVE ANY IDEA WHEN -- LIKE THE END TIME.

THERE IS YEARS AND YEARS THAT HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED AROUND HOW LONG THE CANNISTERS WILL BE HELD IN NEW MEXICO BUT THERE IS LIKE NO ENDING.

AND THAT TO ME IS VERY PROBLEMATIC .

>> Laura: YEAH, THIS WHOLE IDEA THAT THIS IS TEMPORARY STORAGE, THEY WILL BE THERE FOR 40 YEARS WHEN WE DON'T HAVE A PERMANENT REPOSITORY ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY.

I WAS LOOKING BACK, EARLIER THIS YEAR THE WASHINGTON POST WROTE ABOUT NEW JERSEY'S OYSTER CREED POWER PLANT, WHICH HOLTEC NOW OWNS AND IS DECOMMISSIONING.

AND THE REPORTER WROTE THAT IN THE NEARLY THREE YEARS THAT HOLTEC HAS OWNED OYSTER CREEK, REGULATORS HAVE DOCUMENTED AT LEAST NINE VIOLATIONS OF FEDERAL RULES INCLUDING CONTAMINATED WATER MISHAPS, FALSIFIED INSPECTION REPORTS AND UNSPECIFIED SECURITY LAPSES.

DO WE HAVE A SENSE EVEN OF WHAT THIS COMPANY'S SECURITY OR TRACK RECORD IS LIKE, SAFETY RECORD IS LIKE, AND WHAT KIND OF RELATIONSHIP THE COMPANY WOULD HAVE WITH THE STATE?

>> Rubio: I THINK THE ISSUE WE ARE FACING RIGHT NOW AND BECAUSE IT IS A PRIVATE BUSINESS, NO.

1, IS CONCERNING FOR ME BECAUSE WE DON'T -- IT IS REALLY UNCLEAR, THE KIND OF -- HOW WE'LL ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO, I MEAN -- IT IS REALLY TOUGH TO SAY.

I MEAN, THIS IS, I THINK, WHAT IS SCARY ABOUT THIS WHOLE PROCESS, BECAUSE IT IS A PRIVATE COMPANY WE MAY OR MAY NOT BE ABLE TO HAVE THE KIND OF OVERSIGHT THAT I THINK IS NECESSARY AND THAT IS A REALLY BIG RISK FOR US AS A STATE.

AND I THINK WHAT IS SO FRUSTRATING FOR ME IS THAT AS PEOPLE ARE SO DESPERATE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT THEY ARE WILLING TO GO THIS FAR JUST TO CREATE SOME SORT OF JOB THAT PEOPLE MAY OR MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY BENEFIT FROM.

>> Laura: YEAH.

IT IS SO INTERESTING TO KIND OF WATCH THIS PLAY OUT AND I AM CURIOUS WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS ARE.

WHY IS NEW MEXICO THE PLACE THAT HAS TO TAKE THE REST OF THE NATION'S COMMERCIAL NUCLEAR WASTE?

IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME.

>> Rubio: I THINK IT GOES BACK TO, AS I MENTIONED, THE LEGACY OF THE STATE.

WE HAVE A TENDENCY TO DO THIS.

THIS IS WHAT -- I DON'T FEEL LIKE WE HAVE ANOTHER TYPE -- WE DON'T HAVE IMAGINATION FOR SOMETHING ELSE OTHER THAN TO CREATE JOBS OR TO DEVELOP JOBS THAT ARE ESSENTIALLY POISONING OUR COMMUNITIES AND DESTROYING OUR PLANET.

LIKE THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE BASICALLY ENTERED OURSELVES IN AND SO I THINK FOR ME THIS IS JUST FRUSTRATION THAT I FEEL.

I GREW UP IN THE SOUTHEASTERN PART OF THE STATE.

I AM VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE BEING IMPACTED AND THE FACT THAT NEW MEXICO HAS BEEN SELECTED AS THE PLACE TO DO THIS JUST SAYS SO MUCH NOT ONLY ABOUT HOW DESPERATE COMMUNITIES ARE FOR JOBS BUT ALSO HOW, I THINK, INSINCERE PEOPLE FIND OUR STATE.

IT IS VERY INSINCERE FOR THEM TO SEE OUR STATE AS BEING THAT PLACE WHERE YOU JUST COME AND YOU DUMP YOUR TRASH.

>> Laura: YEAH.

THIS PROJECT, THE GOVERNOR IS AGAINST IT, THE NEW MEXICO CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION IS AGAINST IT, THE STATE LAND COMMISSIONER, LOTS OF PUBLIC OUTCRY, MANY STATE LEGISLATORS AND YET THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS STILL MOVING FORWARD.

THE PRIVATE COMPANY IS STILL MOVING FORWARD.

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT?

>> Rubio: YEAH.

I MEAN, AGAIN, I THINK IT JUST GOES BACK TO THE LEGACY.

THIS IS WHERE THE ATOMIC BOMB WAS CREATED.

THIS IS WHERE FAMILIES, COMMUNITIES ARE STILL BEING IMPACTED BY ALL OF THAT TESTING.

I FEEL THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS -- PEOPLE ARE REALLY ABOUT STATES RIGHTS AND THIS SHOULD BE THE THING THAT WE SHOULD BE FIGHTING WITH ALL OF OUR POWER BECAUSE THIS IS, I THINK, IT IS AN INJUSTICE IN MY OPINION.

AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT I DON'T BELIEVE WE WILL EVER FULLY RECOVER FROM BECAUSE THERE IS JUST SO MUCH DANGER IN WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THIS PROCESS AND THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CHOOSES TO DISREGARD THE AMOUNT OF OPPOSITION TO THIS PROJECT SAYS SO MUCH ABOUT HOW LITTLE THEY CARE ABOUT NEW MEXICO AND THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE AND RESIDE HERE.

>> Laura: REPRESENTATIVE RUBIO, THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME TODAY.

>> Rubio: THANKS LAURA, I APPRECIATE IT.