Judge orders halt to radioactive waste dump

[mbperrin]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/7360256.html

AUSTIN, Texas — A Texas judge ordered a temporary halt Thursday to a proposal that could allow three dozen states to dump their radioactive waste in far West Texas, a ruling that sided with environmentalists and caught the state attorney general's office off guard.
State District Judge Jon Wisser issued a temporary restraining order against the Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact Commission, which is scheduled to vote Jan. 4 on rules that could expand how much waste could be processed at a dump in remote Andrews County.
The injunction was issued in the judge's courtroom late Thursday morning, shortly after environmentalists filed the request, with nobody there representing the commission. A few minutes later, shocked lawyers from the Texas Attorney General's Office — which hadn't been officially notified of the pending court action — showed up and convinced the judge to order a new hearing on the injunction.
The hearing is set for Monday in Austin, one day before the commission's scheduled vote.

more at link!

Thanks to everyone who's trying to derail this boondoggle!

[sonias]

1. Yes good work on the part of the enviromental groups

SEED Coalition, Public Citizen Texas are among the groups doing the heavy legal work! Plus a big shout out to Representative Lon Burnam who is just the best on this issue. They all rock. :applause: :yourock: Lon Burnam

[sonias]

2. Related story from the NY Times

Green blog NY Times 12/30/10
A Last-Minute Choice by Texas and Vermont
By MATTHEW L. WALD

Vermont and Texas, the odd couple of nuclear waste disposal, are proceeding with a plan to allow 36 other states to use a dump site under development in west Texas, despite the misgivings of Vermont’s incoming governor, Peter Shumlin, about the move.

The issue confronts the two states because 16 years ago they formed a “compact” to establish a repository for low-level radioactive waste.

Under federal law, states in a compact can limit a dump site to their own use. But with a dump now being developed in Andrews, Tex., near the New Mexico state line, a commission made up of representatives of the two states has proposed letting in waste from other states.

A public comment period ended on Dec. 26. The commission has scheduled a vote for Jan. 4, two days before Mr. Shumlin is scheduled to take office in Montpelier.

:kick:

[sonias]

3. Vote back on for today :(

AAS 1/3/11
Federal judge clears way for vote on radioactive waste imports

A commission overseeing the importation of radioactive waste is likely to make a decision today on whether Texas can accept radioactive waste from three dozen states after a federal judge on Monday lifted a restraining order that prevented a commission from voting on the matter.

U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks, siding with attorneys for the state and the company that wants to dispose of the waste, dismissed a temporary restraining order barring the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact Commission from deciding the matter.

A Travis County state district judge had made the order Thursday after environmentalists argued that a commission vote would violate open meetings rules.

But Sparks said neither the state court nor federal court has jurisdiction to stop the commission from adopting rules at its meeting. He said jurisdiction is limited to an appeal of the decision after it is made.

OK who wants to make a bet that the commission votes to expand the waste import? I'd put money down on that one.

Vote will happen today. :nuke: