An activist group is criticizing plans to expand the Envirocare radioactive waste disposal facility in Tooele County. But Envirocare says expanding its license is just good business.

Jason Groenewold, director of the Health Environmental Alliance of Utah, said less than two months ago, new owners took over Envirocare of Utah. Now, he said in a news release, "they are already seeking to double the size of the landfill.

"The proposal calls for adding 536 acres of land to the existing facility, which would be in addition to the 543 acres Envirocare first obtained in 1987."

The news release quotes Claire Geddes, who is well known for her campaigns against nuclear waste, as saying Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. has been consistent in saying Utah should not be a dumping ground. Envirocare would require approval by the Legislature and governor if the expansion were to occur, Groenewold said.

Waste hotter than the Class A material accepted by Envirocare cannot be imported into Utah, under a law passed by the most recent Legislature. The debate this time isn't over hotter wastes but more area covered by Envirocare's permit.

Envirocare officials have stated existing capacity at the facility would keep it operating for 15 to 20 years, according to HEAL Utah. But the expansion "would add an additional 35-50 years of disposal operations to the landfill, further entrenching Utah as a dumping ground for radioactive waste," says the group's news release.

Mark Walker, spokesman for Envirocare, said an expansion would involve capital improvements. The company would place them on property it purchased from Charles Judd, adjacent to the existing operation.

The company needs to expand its Class A license coverage onto that property, Walker said. The action would bring all of the property Envirocare owns in the vicinity under the closure fund.

The fund, required by the state, is intended to make certain that if a hazardous waste facility were to close, cleanup costs would be covered.

"The bottom line is, we need to make some capital improvements out there that will do a number of things for us, including increased efficiency," Walker said. Envirocare already is extremely safe for employees, but the change would make it more so, he said.

"It's just good business sense to do this," Walker said.

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