Gubernatorial hopefuls spar over nuclear waste

There was friction but no fireworks Tuesday during the fourth and final debate between Republican Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. and his Democratic challenger, Bob Springmeyer.

"This race, we've got a clear choice," Springmeyer told the Salt Lake Rotary Club lunchtime audience gathered at a downtown hotel. He criticized the governor on a number of issues, including allowing foreign nuclear waste to be stored in the state.

Huntsman, who has held a substantial lead throughout the race for what he said would be his final term as governor, said Utah is recognized nationally for how it has been managed as well as for a strong economy that has benefited families.

As an example, he cited a fictional couple with three children. The father's Hill Air Force Base job would now be more secure, Huntsman said, and the mother would have had help overcoming a meth addiction and been able to start her own small business.

The governor blamed the federal government for allowing low-level radioactive waste that originated in foreign countries to be stored by EnergySolutions Inc. in Tooele County. "Shame on the United States for doing that. It's their fault," Huntsman said.

He said the federal government had let down the eight-state Northwest Interstate Compact on Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management because of how foreign waste is defined once it is recycled and processed in this country.

Springmeyer, who said he was "absolutely against" any foreign nuclear waste coming into the state, told the governor that "somebody's asleep at the switch." He said the so-called loophole that permitted the waste was "immoral and illegal."

Huntsman, Springmeyer said, had changed his position on allowing foreign waste after a controversy surfaced over an EnergySolutions proposal to store low-level radioactive waste from Italy.

The candidates ended their final match-up with words of praise for each other, however. Springmeyer called Huntsman "a true gentleman" while Huntsman said he respected Springmeyer for running.

Also Tuesday, the candidates were required to file their final pre-election campaign financial disclosure reports. Springmeyer reported raising a total of nearly $74,500 compared to more than $914,000 for Huntsman.

Huntsman had spent $3.5 million to win in 2004 but has run a much lower-key campaign this election year. He didn't even start running television commercials until recently, donating some of the time already purchased to the state GOP.

Among his biggest donors are Peter L. Ax, an Arizona businessman and former Lehman Brothers vice president, who gave him $20,000, and Utah Jazz owner Larry H. Miller, who contributed $25,000.

That largest contributions to Springmeyer, who took in less than $32,000 since the current reporting period began in September, were $5,000 from philanthropist Bruce Bastian and $2,500 from lawyer Robert Steiner.

Huntsman reported a balance of nearly $195,000 in his campaign account and another $191,000 in his Governor's Special Initiatives Office political action committee. Springmeyer had just under $15,000 still available.

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