Keep nuke waste out of Utah

What part of "No" does Private Fuel Storage and its partners not understand?

Utahns don't want nuclear waste shipped to the western desert. There is no "growing support among members of the public," as touted in a recent statement by nuclear power companies to Minnesota regulators. Rightly, Gov. Mike Leavitt has vowed to use every tool available to keep nuclear waste out of Utah.

Very clearly, Leavitt has the backing of most Utahns and even some members of the Skull Valley band of Goshutes. Utah doesn't want this waste, even on a "temporary" basis.

"Temporary," in the eyes of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, means 20 years, with a possible extension of another 20 years. Suppose PFS, a consortium of out-of-state utility companies, could operate on the Goshute reservation without incident for 40 years. Absent any other alternatives, it is conceivable that the NRC would then entertain "permanent" status. Utah cannot open the door to that possibility, particularly when plans for a permanent repository elsewhere appear stalled.

Leavitt plans to meet with the Minnesota Public Service Commission and Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura to explain the widespread opposition to the storage of nuclear waste in Utah. We hope he is heard loud and clear.

Our position on this issue is well-established: If out-of-state utilities and their customers reap the benefit of nuclear power plants, they should also bear the responsibility of storing the waste where it is generated. For reasons of public safety and, not insignificantly, reputation, Utah does not want it here.

This is not to diminish the Goshute tribe's economic development challenges. The tribal lands on which this "temporary" storage facility is proposed is not prime real estate. Some Goshutes believe PFS presents a unique opportunity for the band to develop its business interests. But the tribal land is not an island unto itself. Nuclear waste would have to travel public byways to reach the proposed storage site. While waste management experts purport that the spent fuel could be transported safely, there is always some degree of risk involved.

Nuclear waste will remain hot for thousands of years. A "temporary" solution is no answer at all. Until a permanent site can be developed, nuclear waste should remain where it is created.

No matter how lucrative the enticements, Utah doesn't want to be the dumping ground for this waste.