"My only regret is that we didn't pass it two years ago, when it was first brought up," said Rep. Kory M. Holdaway, R-Taylorsville.

Rep. James A. Ferrin, R-Orem, asked Frank, "Could you tell me why I should vote to forever ban B and C wastes from the state of Utah?"

"I would like to answer that," Frank replied, "but I'm not sure if I can."

Responding to Ferrin's queries, he said the task force did not receive any testimony from the Utah Department of Environmental Quality indicating the waste couldn't be stored safely.

In fact, Frank added, DEQ experts told the group that "the current practices of disposal in our state guarantees safety." A ban might cost the state $10 million a year in fees, he added, replying to another question from Ferrin. That figure is based on importing a "medium amount" of B and C waste, Frank said.

Ferrin said he could not support the bill and charged proponents of a ban had been trying to scare people. The fees could be useful, he indicated.

"I'm not going to do the politically expeditious thing," Ferrin said. "I'm going to do the right thing," and vote against the ban.

"There are plenty of good reasons to ban this," said Rep. Stephen H. Urquart, R-St. George, the House majority whip. "Step one is we represent the people," who don't want the hotter material brought in.

Also, he said, the amount of fees that could be generated through importing B and C is "absolutely minuscule," and Utah generates almost none of this material.

After the bill passed 57-13, reporters asked Frank why he had voted against it. He noted the federal study that was going on and said radiation is used in medicine all the time.

"We certainly, from a political and community standpoint, have taken a very important step toward what we think is a good policy, and I would suggest that we've done the right thing here today," Frank said.

So why did he vote against it?

"It is a good policy currently, but I think we have some other concerns to address as this study comes out," he said.

Asked what he was urging representatives to do in his summary, Frank said, "I was urging them to seek for more information and perhaps research the issue a little bit more themselves."

Did he want them to vote for or against the bill?

"That would be up to them," he replied.

Frank noted that a ban was already in place, and "this is basically wrapping the ban in another ban."

Jason Groenewold, director of the Healthy Environmental Alliance of Utah — who has long battled for the ban — said it was good to finally see passage. "All we need now is the governor to sign the bill, which he's indicated he would do," he said.

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E-mail: bau@desnews.com