A pair of legislators from New York recently urged the U.S. Department of Energy to conduct a new environmental impact statement on their plan to transport liquid radioactive material through the state.
U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and U.S. Rep. Brian Higgins (D-NY) said that a new statement was necessary because the previously-approved plan only evaluated solid radioactive materials and not liquid types. The planned route would go from Ontario, Canada, to South Carolina, and would pass through many municipalities in New York, prompting the concern from the lawmakers.
“We have no greater responsibility than protecting public safety,” the representatives said in a letter. “The transportation of a liquid substance versus a solid substance is an entirely different form of matter, which causes a significant change in the risks that come with transporting such a substance and could have environmental and safety impacts that were not previously evaluated. Heightened risks often accompany the transportation of liquid rather than solid nuclear waste, and it is crucial to assess the potential impact to the health and safety of areas in the proposed route. Each of these requests will help to safeguard our environment and communities that are placed in potential jeopardy when nuclear waste is transported through their region.”