One unknown for the company's critics at the meeting was whether the ore or alternate feed that International Uranium has accepted in the past or proposes to accept now contains enough uranium for the company to economically justify the extraction process or if the material should simply be classified as waste, which could require a new definition of the White Mesa mill's role for state regulators.

On that subject, Finerfrock told the committee that the radiation-control division isn't required to determine if a processing "sham" is taking place when the mill takes alternate feed. A sham would mean the mill is making less money from uranium extraction and more from fees it would charge to dispose of what critics would define as waste.

At least two lawmakers on the committee think they already have a handle on International Uranium's operations at the White Mesa mill in southeastern Utah south of Blanding. The legislators believe that the company should be left alone to create more jobs.

"We're better environmentalists than the environmentalists," said Sen. Mike Dmitrich, D-Price, who described himself as a semi-retired consultant in the mining industry. Those in the industry, he added, have to run environmentally sound operations in order to avoid costly lawsuits.

Dmitrich and Rep. Michael Noel, R-Kanab, defended the mill and its related mining operations in the region, saying they bring jobs to poor areas and mainly benefit Native Americans.

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E-mail: sspeckman@desnews.com

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