Divine Strake change for hearing sparks ire

The location of the public information session for the Divine Strake test has been changed.

Instead of the EnergySolutions Arena, the hearing will take place at the Grand America. The time for today's hearing will remain 6:30-9 p.m.

The hearing, billed as an open house, will include representatives from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration. They will answer questions about the proposed non-nuclear bomb test in Nevada. The public can also submit comments orally or in writing.

The reason for the move was because "management for EnergySolutions Arena ... are unable to support the event," according to a news release. No further information was given.

Following the announcement, opponents of the proposed test criticized the move. Utah Democratic Party chairman Wayne Holland said the move is yet another failure to "meet any expectation of interaction" by the agencies.

"From denying the people of Utah and Nevada the chance to have their voices and opinions heard, to the last-minute change of venue for the Salt Lake presentation, the NNSA and DTRA have shown a pattern of behavior that feeds directly into the people's mistrust and suspicion for this entire debacle," Holland said in a news release.

The Divine Strake test is a 700-ton conventional blast planned for the Nevada Test Site. The test is intended to help officials learn more about what kind of explosive power is needed to destroy underground nuclear facilities.

Opponents of the test worry that the blast could spread radioactive debris from previous nuclear tests at the site, although the NNSA contends there is no risk. Opponents also would prefer that the federal agencies host public hearings instead of the planned information sessions.

The Utah Department of Environmental Quality, at the direction of Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., has scheduled two public hearings.

Vanessa Pierce, executive director of HEAL Utah, said the last-minute venue change is just another example of the federal government's lack of due diligence. While she said it probably would have some impact on public turnout, many of the out-of-town opponents — especially the downwinders who live in southern Utah — were planning to boycott tonight's hearing and attend the DEQ hearings.

"If they (the NNSA) can't even do the simple legwork to make sure that the venue can hold the hearing, how can we trust their environmental assessment?" Pierce said. "They do not have their act together ... at least, they are consistently incompetent."

---

If you go . . .

What: Divine Strake open house

Where: Grand America Hotel, 555 S. Main

When: Today, 6:30-9 p.m.

---

E-mail: jloftin@desnews.com