A proposal to increase the level of radioactive waste stored in a West Texas facility has been met with some pushback.

Waste Control Specialists LLC, has offered a proposal that would increase the facility’s capabilities to hold nuclear material. In 2009, WCS was granted approval to store low-level radioactive waste in Andrews. The new proposal would allow the company to store higher-level nuclear material.

“We’ve got a lot of potential, a lot of possibilities, we can be a national treasure, as someone once put it to me, and i think there’s need for it, there’s finally a place for it and a community that supports it, things are finally lining up and this looks to be a very good place for the future,” said WCS President Rod Baltzer back in 2009.

The proposal has brought up concerns among some groups, including Public Citizens Texas. That group’s Director, Tom “Smitty” Smith cited issues with exposure to residents during transport, and possibly allow terrorists an opportunity to do harm.

“What is clear is, that if you’re a terrorist, the place you’re going to attack is likely in a city where there’s a lot larger population and where there’d be a greater outcry and greater damage if one of these waste containers were to be punctured by a rocket launcher or armor penetrating bullets,” Smith said. “And the problem with this is for most of us it’s going to expose us to this highly risky radioactive waste as it comes to our communities down I-27 or across on 10 or 20 to be put out there for storage for the next 40 or more years.”

According to a press release by the Sustainable Energy and Economic Development Coalition, WCS was expected to “submit a license application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission this week and to have licensing and construction completed by the end of 2020.”

“We show no positives to this proposal. Those who want to put this waste out in West Texas claim that it gets the waste out of the communities that have the nuclear power plants but for Texas it’s all risk and no reward. A few billionaires will make some more billions but for the rest of us, we’re going to be exposed to this waste and if something goes wrong we’re all going to have to pay for it in our taxes” Smith said.

“It could cause death within one week. The other problem with radioactivity is it alters your genetics, could well cause cancer so these risks are all way too high to take,” he added.

“If the Nuclear Regulatory Commission approves WCS’ application it could unleash the world’s largest and most dangerous campaign of nuclear transport on our roads, rails and waterways,” said Diane D’Arrigo, Radioactive Waste Project Director at Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS).

Smith said he has concerns about where the waste would be stored, and how the containers would hold up in extreme weather.

The waste would be stored less than six miles from the Ogallala Aquifer, which provides drinking water to a portion of Texas and 8 other states.

Calls placed to the Environmental Health and Safety Department at Texas Tech were not returned Thursday. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality declined to comment. A spokesperson for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission was unavailable for an interview.