Are Envirocare's troubles a thing of the past?

Webb: Utah news reporters should be lamenting the sale of Envirocare of Utah by founder Khosrow Semnani. After all, some reporters have practically made careers out of covering Envirocare. The business has provided enough controversy and political intrigue over the years to generate a lot of big headlines and fill a lot of newspaper columns.

Now the Semnani days are over, and it seems a new era in the radioactive waste business has begun. Is a kinder, gentler Envirocare emerging?

Personally, I'm a fan of Semnani and Envirocare. That might have something to do with the fact that I've done communications consulting work off and on for the firm (none presently), as I've mentioned previously in this column. But I can truthfully say that I believe Envirocare is a very fine firm that performs a great service for Utah and the country.

Envirocare is a well-managed firm, proven by the fact that the new owners appear to be leaving the management team mostly intact. It provides good-paying jobs and benefits to hundreds of loyal employees. It doesn't create waste; it cleans it up and disposes of it safely — forever. It brings multimillions of dollars into Utah's economy.

Semnani himself is a self-made Iranian immigrant who built a successful business and made himself very wealthy through sheer determination, hard work and entrepreneurial spirit. He can be a tough guy, and he's made some mistakes and admits as much. He is also a classy gentleman, a very generous philanthropist who has made innumerable anonymous contributions to a variety of charities and causes that we'll never know about.

He is a fine citizen of our state, and he's not leaving. He plans to stay involved in Utah and will continue his philanthropic work.

So, what about this new era in radioactive waste management in Utah? The new owners have already eliminated one big controversy by saying they will never take B and C class radioactive waste at Envirocare.

But I can almost guarantee that more controversies will arise. The reason is that waste disposal in Utah is entirely caught up in high-stakes politics, and always will be, given current laws. That's in part why Semnani became a controversial figure. The Legislature itself is the chief regulator of waste disposal. It determines whether new landfills of certain classes can be sited; it determines tax and fee structures and many other activities. Legislative actions mean life or death to these companies.

So waste companies will always be hiring platoons of lobbyists. There will always be political intrigue, not just at the radioactive and hazardous waste levels but also at the municipal and household waste levels. Competitors will always be fighting and seeking advantages through the Legislature. Utah's structure almost guarantees political gamesmanship and insider dealing. If you want to be in the waste disposal game, you better be ready for big-time politics.

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