Critics blast regulator's decision to allow blended N-waste at EnergySolutions' site

Earlier in the day, Amanda Smith, executive director of the state Department of Environmental Quality, said the board and Radiation Control Division are tasked with looking at the science of the material being accepted by EnergySolutions and if it meets the legal parameters contained within EnergySolutions' operating license.

"There's never been a question as to whether the facility can legally take it," she said. "While it will increase the level of radioactivity at the site, we know it is still well below what the site is licensed to handle and it remains protective of public health and safety."

Matt Pacenza, HEAL Utah's policy director, said the board and division should err on the side of caution and apply broader policy implications  to regulatory rules that prohibit the hotter waste coming to Utah in any form — even if it has been processed to constitute class A waste.

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