SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The public comments period has ended on a proposal to expand the amount of radioactive and hazardous waste allowed at an underground nuclear waste repository in southern New Mexico.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports critics, however, are accusing the state Environment Department of rushing the approval process.
The criticism comes after a petition by 21 environmental groups to extend the public comment period to 90 days was rejected.
The U.S. Department of Energy and Nuclear Waste Partnership LLC, a private contractor that manages the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in Carlsbad, submitted a request early this year to change the way radioactive waste at the site is measured.
A measurement change could lead to a 30 percent increase in the amount of new waste allowed at the site.
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Information from: The Santa Fe New Mexican, http://www.santafenewmexican.com