The $1.5 billion National Enrichment Facility in New Mexico just received its license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The facility will produce the enriched uranium that powers nuclear energy plants. Construction may begin in August.
"A Kentucky facility owned by the Energy Department and operated by a privatized federal corporation is currently the only source of enriched uranium for commercial U.S. nuclear power plants."
"Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., a longtime supporter of nuclear power, said the license was important not only for Louisiana Energy Services, a consortium of nuclear companies, 'but for what this facility will mean for the renaissance of nuclear energy in this country.'"
"Jim Ferland, president of Louisiana Energy Services, said the nuclear power industry watched the plant's licensing process closely, viewing it as a bellwether for them to consider applying for licenses for new nuclear power plants."
"Critics argued that disposal costs could leave New Mexico stuck with the project's nuclear waste. But the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board ruled May 31 that uncertainties over waste disposal costs are irrelevant; the agreement with New Mexico calls for hundreds of millions of dollars to be set aside for waste disposal.
The plant would generate a form of waste that no U.S. disposal site can handle, and no U.S. processing facility exists that can convert the waste into lower-level radioactive material. The plant could run at full capacity for eight to 10 years before running out of onsite space for the material."
FULL STORY: U.S. Grants License to N.M. Uranium Plant

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall
A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle
Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.
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