UT; Meeting w/ Gov. Herbert about Imported Nuke Waste Disposal

Yesterday, HEAL Utah met face-to-face with the governor to discuss EnergySolutions' plans to import foreign nuclear waste and dispose of depleted uranium. We reminded him that Utah’s reputation and legacy is on the line, as is his own.

We made three requests of Governor Herbert. Watch the interview with HEAL Utah director Vanessa Pierce on Fox 13 here.

http://healutah.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=729&qid=213841

1) We asked him to pen a letter in support of the RID act, a bill in congress co-sponsored by Utah representatives Matheson and Chaffetz, which would ban the import of foreign nuclear waste. The RID Act is scheduled to receive its first committee hearing on Friday, October 16th.

Read the Associated Press article here;
http://healutah.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=734&qid=213841

2) We also asked Governor Herbert to stay strong in defending Utah’s authority to determine how much and what kinds of nuclear waste can come into our borders by continuing to fight EnergySolutions' legal assault on our state’s rights. In no uncertain terms, Governor Herbert has pledged to stay the course and stick with the appeal process.

3) Finally, we asked Governor Herbert to enact tough new standards that would need to be met before depleted uranium could ever come to Utah. Governor Herbert was willing to listen, and that is a step forward.

Unfortunately, the Governor seems to have faith that the NRC and EnergySolutions would gladly dig up any DU that doesn't meet future standards. In this respect, we sharply disagree. The NRC has never been Utah's ally in nuclear waste matters, having licensed a high-level waste site here over the state's strident objections.

We seriously doubt that EnergySolutions will spend potentially millions of dollars to clean up DU without first putting up a fight.

We believe that an ounce of prevention is a pound of cure. With a recent decision by the Department of Energy to delay shipments of depleted uranium to the EnergySolutions site at Clive, we have a window of opportunity to impede this threat.

As for our three requests, the next few days and weeks will determine if Governor Herbert matches his words with action. The proof is in the pudding, as they say.

And with your help, we will work to ensure the Governor gives the people of Utah a generous helping of both.

What you can do now: There is little doubt that EnergySolutions will be back this legislative session, peddling their vague offer to plug budgetary holes with Italian nuclear waste revenue.

Please contact Representative Roger Barrus at;
801-292-2266
email;
rogerbarrus [at] utah.gov

and Senator Wayne Niederhauser at;
(801) 984-5770
email;
wniederhauser [at] utahsenate.org

and help shore up their resistance to this indecent proposal. Ask them not to consider any legislation that would allow our state to accept foreign nuclear waste in exchange for cash from EnergySolutions!

Sincerely-

Eric Spreng
Community Outreach Director
Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah
(801) 355-5055
eric [at] healutah.org

-----------------
HEAL Utah
68 S. Main St., Suite 400
Salt Lake City, UT 84101


Please visit us online at;
http://www.healutah.org