"We will never wholesale bring foreign waste into Clive, it's just not in our plans to do that," Creamer says. "But if there are things we can do that make good, logical sense that allows the company to grow and better serve the industry around the world, then we might do that."

The company currently takes depleted uranium waste to its MSC Oak Ridge, Tenn., site from various countries worldwide, including Italy, the U.K., and Iraq. "We melt the uranium down and make tiny casks and then re-sell them to Tyco Energy, which uses them for transporting radioactive isotopes for chemotherapy and for radiation treatment to hospitals," Creamer says.

Utah a waste dump?

But advocacy groups such as the Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah have questioned his commitment to the welfare of Utah.

"What started out as an illegally licensed nuclear-waste dump, Creamer is building into the world's largest nuclear trash company and is opening Utah's doors to the world's waste," says HEAL Utah executive director Vanessa Pierce.

When Creamer took the reins at Envirocare from Semnani, rebranding the company EnergySolutions, the public was told that the nuclear dump had turned over a new leaf, Pierce says. "But in reality, we got a different flavor of the same man."

Similar sentiments were expressed by former HEAL director Jason Groenwald, who waged a long battle against nuclear waste in Utah during his tenure at HEAL.

Groenwald says he doesn't believe the community's best interests are being considered by EnergySolutions.

"The community has overwhelmingly said, 'We don't want more of this waste coming into the state,'" Groenwald says. But EnergySolutions' "motivations are maximizing profits, which will come at the expense of Utahns and our environmental quality and risks to our health."

In response to those critics, Creamer says he appreciates what they bring to the table.

"HEAL makes us better, it makes you better when you know you've got a watchdog out there sitting on top of you," he says.

Walker, the EnergySolutions communications director, says even in the face of criticism, Creamer always seems able to keep his composure and deal with the situation professionally.

"He respects people's opinions, as long as their opinions are educated, particularly when it comes to EnergySolutions," Walker says. "He may not always agree with them, but he'll take the time to work with people if they have concerns."

Trying to win trust

When Creamer first took the helm of EnergySolutions, the company began a marketing plan that included using himself as the spokesman.