Salt Lake County opposes importing N-waste

A resolution backing a federal effort to block the importation of radioactive waste from foreign countries found unanimous support from the Salt Lake County Council and attracted the attention of two Utah congressmen.

Reps. Jason Chaffetz, a Republican, and Jim Matheson, a Democrat, noted their appreciation of Councilwoman Jani Iwamoto's resolution to support a U.S. House bill, and companion Senate bill, aimed at stopping low-level radioactive waste from outside the U.S. being imported and stored in domestic repositories.

Chaffetz, who phoned into the council meeting, and Matheson, who sent a representative, are supporting the bill scheduled to go before a U.S. House committee Thursday. Iwamoto told the council she was concerned not only with Utah becoming the world's nuclear waste dumping ground, but also about the numerous risks that come with transporting the potentially harmful material.

"Our country would be saddled with waste that we didn't make that would likely travel along corridors running through Salt Lake County," she said. "These shipments will create an additional responsibility in terms of emergency response and could create additional financial burdens in the event of a cleanup."

Mayor Peter Corroon joined in the council's unanimous support of the resolution and voiced his opposition to the country accepting any form of hazardous material.

"I don't support our state or nation taking waste from other nations, regardless of what kind of waste it is," he said.

The federal legislation would curtail Utah's Energy?Solutions' pursuit of permission to import some 20,000 tons of Italian low-level radioactive waste, some of which would find a permanent home after processing in the company's Clive facility.

EnergySolutions officials critiqued some of the language in the resolution in testimony before the council, but after the meeting they said they were "neutral" on the council's effort and were not lobbying against the resolution.

Iwamoto said Wednesday that some of the language may be modified and was being reviewed by the council's legal staff.

Though approved in a voice vote Tuesday, the resolution will likely appear on next week's council consent calendar for a final vote.

e-mail: araymond@desnews.com