Ashley Soltysiak, ashley.soltysiak@sierraclub.org, 616-485-8290
In the first week of the legislative session, Rep. Carl Albrecht introduced HB 220 - Radioactive Waste Amendments, which provides for the disposal of higher classes of nuclear waste than is currently allowed by State law, including depleted uranium and Class B and C waste, at the discretion of the Director of the Division of Waste Management and Radiation Control. The bill would also permit EnergySolutions to accept radioactive material while only considering the class of the waste at the time of acceptance, not considering how the waste may change over time. This language was specifically added because of EnergySolutions bid to bring Depleted Uranium to Utah.
Depleted Uranium is an extremely long-lived nuclear waste byproduct, and unlike most radioactive materials which become less hazardous as they decay, DU becomes more radioactive over time. In fact, DU can become nearly 14 times more radioactive at its peak than when it is first stored. DU also persists in the environment for millennia and ramps up regarding radioactivity -- eventually exceeding standards for Class C waste and violating current state law.
This bill would make it easier for EnergySolutions' proposal to permanently store up 6,000 tons of DU at its Clive facility in Utah’s west desert with quick approval.
Utah Sierra Club Director, Ashley Soltysiak stated, “This is a blatant attempt to undermine the state’s pending Safety Evaluation Report, because EnergySolutions knows that their site is inappropriate for the disposal of Depleted Uranium. Now they’re trying to change the rules of the game at the eleventh hour -- this is nothing more than a hail mary.”
Soltysiak continued, “Utah’s downwinders have suffered for decades because of irresponsible nuclear policies. Now EnergySolutions wants to bring higher classes of nuclear waste and threaten future exposures for all Utahns along the transport route.”
"It is blatantly poor public policy to let hotter nuclear waste in — without even assessing whether it is safe or not.” Soltysiak concluded, “This would leave a legacthat will haunt Utahns for millenia, so we're confident it'll ultimately be an easy decision for Governor Herbert to reject.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.