Martinez addresses Nuclear Summit

From the Carlsbad Current-Argus - by Matlin Smith - CARLSBAD — In town for several hours Tuesday, New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez talked about nuclear fuel. The nuclear summit, which runs through Thursday, brings together policy makers, nuclear experts and industry professionals to discuss the findings of the Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future and the way forward for nuclear energy in the United States.The Blue Ribbon Commission visited Carlsbad in January 2011, when they toured the Department of Energy's Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, a nuclear waste repository 26 miles southeast of Carlsbad.Martinez said Tuesday that WIPP is the best location for spent fuel and nuclear waste, adding that the future of nuclear energy is a matter of national importance.New Mexico has been intertwined with the nuclear industry since World War II, Martinez said. In the late 1970s, Carlsbad assumed a prominent role in nuclear waste with the instillation of WIPP.During its construction phase, WIPP provided full-time jobs for 1,500 people and currently employs 700 area residents.However, WIPP suffered budget cuts and consequential job loss this fiscal year, going from a budget of $220 million to $218 million, costing 90 jobs. Read more

Martinez addresses Nuclear Summit