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UT; Meeting w/ Gov. Herbert about Imported Nuke Waste Disposal
Utah- The Western Salt Lake desert ecosystem is at risk from radioactive depleted uranium & other "low level" nuclear waste disposal as proposed by EnergySolutions corporation. Certain Utah politicians have claimed that dumping imported nuclear waste in the desert is "good for Utah" as the money will be used to patch up holes in the budget. Putting people and ecosystems at long term risk for the short term economic gain is never acceptable. UTAH is NOT a nuclear dumping ground!!
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
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
Add Your Comments
Comments
(Hide Comments)
With time running out and the game on the line, Governor Gary Herbert was given the opportunity to win one for the home team.
At our meeting with the Governor last week, we put forth a range of possibilities to address his professed worries over nuclear waste. Given that Herbert expressed "deep concerns" about depleted uranium (DU) and its exceptionally long half-life and has vowed to keep foreign waste out of our borders, we presented him with several winning strategies.
But once handed the ball, he promptly fumbled.
On DU, he deferred to last month’s timid decision by the Radiation Control Board to allow depleted uranium into our state on terms proposed by EnergySolutions. This vote was badly compromised by legal threats from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission as well as the country’s largest nuclear waste dump.
On foreign waste, despite his bravado and complaints about federal inaction, Gary Herbert has thus far failed to lift a finger to support the RID Act. This bill, scheduled to receive a hearing in Congress on Friday, would ban the import of foreign nuclear waste. Read the Salt Lake Tribune story here.
http://healutah.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=746&qid=221426
Governor Herbert offers up the excuse that he cannot support the RID Act because the state of Utah is defending itself in court over the right to import foreign nuclear waste. His argument is illogical. Nothing is preventing EnergySolutions from pursuing a legal strategy, a regulatory strategy, a marketing strategy, as well as a bribery (legislative) strategy.
It’s not too late for Herbert to get back into the game. We can’t afford to have him standing on the sidelines at this critical moment. His legacy, and the interests of Utahns (present and future), are at stake. Email Governor Herbert at
gherbert [at] utah.gov
or call;
(801-538-1000 in the Salt Lake area or 800-705-2464
outside of it)
and ask him to support the RID Act to ban foreign waste.
In the meantime, help us keep the drive alive in the fight against depleted uranium dumping and join us at Tuesday’s Radiation Control Board meeting. The Board is expected to vote on a license amendments which would require thorough studies in advance of DU disposal. This is a sensible request that would finally put the horse before the cart!
WHAT: Radiation Control Board Meeting
WHEN: Tuesday, October 13th, 3pm-5pm
WHERE: 1950 W. North Temple, Department of Environmental Quality, Building #2
homepage;
http://healutah.org/
At our meeting with the Governor last week, we put forth a range of possibilities to address his professed worries over nuclear waste. Given that Herbert expressed "deep concerns" about depleted uranium (DU) and its exceptionally long half-life and has vowed to keep foreign waste out of our borders, we presented him with several winning strategies.
But once handed the ball, he promptly fumbled.
On DU, he deferred to last month’s timid decision by the Radiation Control Board to allow depleted uranium into our state on terms proposed by EnergySolutions. This vote was badly compromised by legal threats from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission as well as the country’s largest nuclear waste dump.
On foreign waste, despite his bravado and complaints about federal inaction, Gary Herbert has thus far failed to lift a finger to support the RID Act. This bill, scheduled to receive a hearing in Congress on Friday, would ban the import of foreign nuclear waste. Read the Salt Lake Tribune story here.
http://healutah.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=746&qid=221426
Governor Herbert offers up the excuse that he cannot support the RID Act because the state of Utah is defending itself in court over the right to import foreign nuclear waste. His argument is illogical. Nothing is preventing EnergySolutions from pursuing a legal strategy, a regulatory strategy, a marketing strategy, as well as a bribery (legislative) strategy.
It’s not too late for Herbert to get back into the game. We can’t afford to have him standing on the sidelines at this critical moment. His legacy, and the interests of Utahns (present and future), are at stake. Email Governor Herbert at
gherbert [at] utah.gov
or call;
(801-538-1000 in the Salt Lake area or 800-705-2464
outside of it)
and ask him to support the RID Act to ban foreign waste.
In the meantime, help us keep the drive alive in the fight against depleted uranium dumping and join us at Tuesday’s Radiation Control Board meeting. The Board is expected to vote on a license amendments which would require thorough studies in advance of DU disposal. This is a sensible request that would finally put the horse before the cart!
WHAT: Radiation Control Board Meeting
WHEN: Tuesday, October 13th, 3pm-5pm
WHERE: 1950 W. North Temple, Department of Environmental Quality, Building #2
homepage;
http://healutah.org/
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