Cruz spearheads effort to derail nuclear waste dumping in oil-rich area of Texas

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is leading a bipartisan effort to urge the Supreme Court to validate a lower court ruling preventing nuclear waste from being deposited in his state. Along with Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, Cruz is pushing for the top court to uphold a ruling that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) does not have the authority to license nuclear waste storage facilities.

The case in question, NRC v. Texas, will ultimately determine whether the Commission has the legal authority to issue licenses for nuclear waste storage facilities under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 or the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982. The Supreme Court agreed to take up the case after the Biden administration appealed a Fifth Circuit decision that ruled in favor of Texas and New Mexico, challenging the NRC’s authority to license a nuclear waste storage facility in western Texas.

The proposed location of the nuclear waste sites in Texas has sparked concerns over the country’s security and economic well-being. The license granted to the Biden administration and a company to build the waste storage facility in western Texas has faced backlash due to its proximity to the Permian Basin, a crucial oil- and gas-producing region.

Sen. Cruz emphasized the importance of protecting West Texas as an energy powerhouse and preventing federal overreach by the NRC. The bipartisan amicus brief argues that placing the storage facilities near the Permian Basin could make the region a target for adversaries, posing a significant threat to the area’s energy security.

Texas Democratic Rep. Henry Cueller and Republican Reps. August Pfluger and Ronny Jackson have also joined Cruz’s efforts to oppose the federal government’s decision to license nuclear waste storage facilities in Texas. Rep. Arrington stressed the need for local communities to have a say in such decisions, rather than leaving it up to bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.

The amicus brief highlights the importance of energy security as a national security issue, emphasizing the need for careful consideration when determining the location of nuclear waste storage facilities. The high court is set to hear oral arguments in the case in early March, and the outcome will have significant implications for the future of nuclear waste storage in the United States.