Herbert wants N-waste test

SALT LAKE CITY — Gov. Gary Herbert has asked for independent sampling of the first shipment of depleted uranium that has arrived at EnergySolutions' Clive facility in Tooele County.

Amanda Smith, executive director of the state Department of Environmental Quality, briefed members of the Radiation Control Board on the issue Tuesday, adding that the department will contract with a third party for the independent testing.

Some sampling of the material already has been conducted, but the results are not yet in, and staff members have been on site to observe the off-loading of the radioactive material, which is classified as low-level Class A waste.

Dane Finerfrock, director of the department's Division of Radiation Control, said information gathered so far does not give any reason to question the integrity of the drums.

Smith added that "nuances" regarding the two remaining shipments — which all together will total 10,500 tons of the material — are still being negotiated by the governor's office and the U.S. Department of Energy. She said she was not able to disclose the specifics at this time but hoped she would have additional information to share with the board before too long.

Those negotiations come after a last-minute plea by Herbert to the Department of Energy in December, when he asked that the shipments be delayed while the state puts in place new regulations on the waste.

Federal regulators initially declined, then conceded the material could not be buried until EnergySolutions puts in new safety constraints — such as expanding the depth of the cover of disposal and installing radon detectors.

EnergySolutions asked for the public comment period on a proposed new rule dealing with depleted uranium be extended beyond Feb. 2 — an additional 30 days — but that request was voted down by board members.

Even as the board continues to wrangle with the thorny issue of in-state storage of depleted uranium, a different radioactive problem is posing new challenges for the board: taking a stance on storing so-called "blended waste."

Finerfrock said the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is hosting a meeting on the topic later this week and is soliciting comments.