Record Number of LES Supporters File With NRC
April 07 2004 - 6:00PM
PR Newswire (US)
Record Number of LES Supporters File With NRC HOBBS, N.M., April 7
/PRNewswire/ -- A record number of supporters have signed up to
participate in the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) license
proceeding on behalf of Louisiana Energy Services (LES) proposed
National Enrichment Facility (NEF) in Lea County, New Mexico. Lea
County Commission Chairman Harry Teague said that "Some 54 people,
including educators, scientists, businessmen, community
organizations, minority groups, elected officials and others have
taken the time and made the effort to request limited appearance
participation in this vital proceeding to show their support for
the NEF. "We know," Teague said, "that national anti-nuclear groups
are trying to kill this project by intervening in the process,
despite the fact that these organizations have never been to Lea
County nor talked with the people here about the facility. Our
community is strongly in favor of the enrichment plant, many of us
have seen exactly how it will be built and operated, and we want it
here. We will do all we can, in the NRC process, to make sure our
community's strong support for the facility is heard." A limited
appearance is one way to participate in the NRC license process. A
petition for limited appearance means one can: * Make an oral or
written statement of position on the issues but may not otherwise
participate in the proceedings. * A limited appearance may be made
at any session of the hearing or at any pre-hearing conference
subject to such limits and conditions as may be imposed by the NRC
Hearing Board. Commissioner Teague said that "the strong showing
for limited appearances is a continuation of powerful public
support that has been demonstrated to the NRC at their two public
meetings in Eunice, New Mexico in the last 6 months." "We are
overwhelmed and appreciate the support we have received in Lea
County," said Marshall Cohen, LES Vice President of Communications
and Government. "Our partnership with Lea County citizens and their
participation in the NRC process will be instrumental in the
success of our facility." The NEF will provide more than 200
permanent jobs and 400 to 800 short-term construction jobs in
Southeast New Mexico. When the license application is approved, the
NEF will introduce the world's most advanced uranium enrichment
technology into the U.S. and provide an alternative, domestic
enrichment supply source to U.S. nuclear energy companies. LES is a
partnership of major nuclear energy companies. Partners include
Urenco, Westinghouse and U.S. energy companies Duke Power, Entergy
and Exelon. DATASOURCE: Louisiana Energy Services CONTACT: Marshall
Cohen, +1-505-417-2395, or April Wade, +1-505-440-9441, both of
Louisiana Energy Services
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