LEAP District land purchase faces pushback over company’s ties to nuclear power development

A California company’s plans for a medical radiopharmaceuticals plant in the central Indiana LEAP District is facing questions over whether it could possibly open the door for a nuclear power generation site.

A contract between the Indiana Economic Development Corp. and a subsidiary of Oklo Inc. for land purchases lists several possible uses for the site near Lebanon, including “nuclear power generation, radioisotope production, research and development.”

Democratic legislators challenged an IEDC official during a State Budget Committee meeting Tuesday over the company’s intentions during discussion of the agency’s request for $20 million toward expanding the LEAP District by 185 acres for the project.

Mark Wasky, the IEDC’s senior vice president, told the committee that discussions with Oklo had “focused on radioisotopes,” which are medications that contain a small amount of a radioactive substance.

That did not satisfy Democratic legislators about the future options for the company that describes itself on its website as an “advanced nuclear technology company developing fast fission power plants” along with “building a domestic supply chain for critical isotopes and advanced nuclear fuel recycling capabilities.”

“Can you look us in the eye and say that you’re not going to come back over here and tell us that there will be nuclear generation discussion by that project that could feed into data centers into the LEAP project?” asked Sen. Fady Qaddoura, D-Indianapolis.

Wasky replied that nuclear power plants had not been discussed with the IEDC.

“I can’t say today whether or not those conversations may occur in the future, but we have not had any conversations about building power to serve the data center within the LEAP District,” Wasky said.

A few LEAP District opponents protested outside Tuesday’s committee meeting. The district aimed at attracting high-tech businesses now spans some 6,700 acres and has faced persistent public criticism as the state has poured about $1 billion into its development.

Wasky said Oklo’s project would still need to gain approval from Lebanon city and zoning officials before proceeding with construction.

But Rep. Ed DeLaney, D-Indianapolis, criticized what he described as insufficient public disclosure about the development proposal, which was listed on the Budget Committee’s agenda as “Project Phoenix.”

“This is not what people would call a confidence building method and that’s a real problem,” DeLaney told Wasky. “We need confidence in the IEDC.”

Santa Clara, California-based Oklo did not immediately comment to the Capital Chronicle about its plans for the Indiana site.

The Budget Committee voted 4-1 to approve the IEDC’s request, with support coming from Sens. Ryan Misher, R-Mishawaka, and David Niezgodski, D-South Bend; Rep. Jeff Thompson, R-Lizton, and State Budget Director Chad Ranney.

Rep. Greg Porter, D-Indianapolis, voted against approval, joining the objections from Qaddoura and DeLaney, who are non-voting members of the committee.

Porter said he saw no harm in waiting until the committee’s next meeting in December to take action for greater transparency.

“I’m asking that we stop this or slow it down,” Porter said. “They can come back and look at it again.”