Envirocare to get OK for hotter waste?

State environmental regulators say they are on target to complete a technical review of Envirocare's proposal to accept hotter radioactive wastes at its Tooele County low-level radioactive waste dump.

And that, said Bill Sinclair, director of the Division of Radiation Control, means Utah lawmakers could get the hot potato dropped on their collective lap when they convene this January.

"We are midstream in the process, and in my view things are going well," Sinclair told legislators Tuesday. He predicted an administrative decision could be made as early as September with public hearings to follow this fall.

"It's feasible, but it's a tight schedule," he said.

Last legislative session, Utah lawmakers passed intent language urging Sinclair's staff not to drag their feet in processing Envirocare of Utah's application to accept Class B and C low-level radioactive wastes. Some in the Legislature saw that as an attempt to pressure Sinclair into a political decision rather than a sound scientific one.

The issue has generated considerable controversy on Capitol Hill, with Envirocare supporters and opponents gearing up for a nasty fight in January.

On Tuesday, 11 members of the powerful Executive Appropriations Committee toured the Envirocare facility 70 miles west of Salt Lake City, where they were briefed by state regulators and company officials. Sinclair later briefed the Legislative Management Committee on the same issues and Wednesday gave a similar presentation to the Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee.

Under current law, any application for waste dumps must first gain approval from local government leaders, pass regulatory reviews with the state and then be approved by both the Legislature and the governor.

Envirocare has already received approval for its proposal from the Tooele County Commission. The county currently gets $4.5 million a year in fees from Envirocare.

Lawmakers are also interested in how much additional fees and taxes could be generated for the state if the hotter wastes are allowed into the state.

"Most legislators haven't taken a position," said Senate Majority Leader Leonard Blackham, R-Moroni.

However, none of the lawmakers on the tour expressed any concerns about the Envirocare proposal, and many of them praised Envirocare's proven track record for safety since the company opened for business in 1988. It remains the only commercial, privately owned radioactive waste dump in the nation.