The meeting will be held in the Banquet Hall of the Lea County Events Center, 5101 N. Lovington Hwy., in Hobbs, from 5 p.m. to conclusion. NRC staff members will be available beginning at 4 p.m. for informal discussions with interested members of the public.
– By Stephen Heiser –
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will hold a public meeting Jan. 14 in Hobbs, N.M., to discuss the agency’s license review process for a uranium de-conversion plant proposed to be built in Lea County.
The meeting will be held in the Banquet Hall of the Lea County Events Center, 5101 N. Lovington Hwy., in Hobbs, from 5 p.m. to conclusion. NRC staff members will be available beginning at 4 p.m. for informal discussions with interested members of the public.
International Isotopes, Inc., submitted an application Dec. 31 for a license to construct and operate a depleted uranium de-conversion and fluorine extraction processing facility in Lea County. The plant would convert depleted uranium hexafluoride into depleted uranium oxide, a form which is more chemically stable.
The fluoride compounds extracted in the process would be sold commercially. The depleted uranium hexafluoride is expected to come from commercial enrichment facilities.
At the Jan. 14 meeting, NRC staff will explain the technical and environmental review processes for the proposed facility, as well as NRC inspections should a license be granted. The staff will also answer questions from the public.