Small West Texas Town Could Be Dump Site For Nuclear Waste
The town of Andrews, TX (population just under 13,000) is just north of Midland, Odessa, and could soon be the site of a nuclear waste dump. Waste Control Specialists, which is a Dallas-based company focused on the disposal of radioactive waste, applied for the federal approval of a project that would bring high-level nuclear waste to its nuclear waste storage facilities just outside of Andrews.
Last month the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission accepted the application for review and the high-level nuclear waste could arrive to the outskirts of Andrews as early as 2021. Now that seems like it's really far away. But if you don't want the nuclear waste coming to your back door, it's probably far too close to happening.
How long will this high-level nuclear waste be harmful? Well, it's not an exact number, but it can take HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF YEARS. And to make matters worse, apparently some state geologists and engineers quit because their concerns over the safety of the storage facility weren't being heard. They said that likelihood of the storage facilities leaking into nearby groundwater was high.
Supporters of the facility point to the potential jobs that could be brought to Andrews. Because, of course the jobs are great, especially when you need to buy extra socks for the foot that's growing out of your head because you officially become radioactive yourself.