A bill banning higher-level nuclear waste from Utah was signed Friday by Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.

"It's good for the state of Utah," the governor said. "It's good from a health standpoint, a transportation standpoint, (and) it's good from an image standpoint, for travel and tourism."

SB24, sponsored by Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, surfaced after the new owners of Envirocare of Utah withdrew the company's application to accept hotter B and C waste at its Tooele facility.

Lawmakers had hesitated to approve banning hotter waste from the state while the application was still pending, fearing Envirocare would file suit. Once the company made its move, the Legislature acted quickly.

Bramble and other senators who backed the ban attended the bill signing, including Sen. Patrice Arent, D-Murray, who had sponsored a separate bill banning the waste.