Radioactive politics
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wo years ago, the public outcry was loud over Utah's acceptance of low-level radioactive waste. Opponents of allowing more and hotter types of radioactive waste into our state's west desert waged an effective campaign.
The result was a new law banning acceptance of radioactive waste that is "hotter" -- more radioactive -- than is currently allowed. As we said at the time, oversight by elected leaders was a wise choice.
It only took a year, though, for some lawmakers to regret their decision.
They look fondly on EnergySolutions, the company that disposes of radioactive waste in Tooele County and that for many years has attempted to accept more and hotter wastes.
The pro-waste dump legislative faction attempted to clip the governor's powers regarding radioactive waste approval, saying -- unconvincingly -- it placed too much power in the hands of one individual.
The gamble failed, and the governor ultimately retained his authority in the radioactive-waste decision-making process.
What were the lawmakers' motivations for attempting to cut the governor out of the loop? Money, for one. EnergySolutions -- formerly known as Envirocare -- is a liberal giver of funds to legislative campaigns. Jealousy probably played a role, too, since many of those same lawmakers resent the governor having just as much power on this issue as all members of the Legislature combined.
During the past year, lawmakers' desire to grease the skids for EnergySolutions has not diminished. So desperate are they to give the company what it wants, Senate Bill 155 aims to carve out a loophole for EnergySolutions regarding approval of the company's request to nearly double the amount of waste it will be able to accept at its Tooele County site. It would remove both the governor's and Legislature's required approvals and leave the decision up to bureaucrats with the state's Department of Environmental Quality and the Division of Radiation Control.
This is perplexing. Last year, the Legislature wanted all the control and to squeeze out the governor. This year, it wants to abdicate its responsibility completely.
It's plain that lawmakers have decided they can punt the regulatory decisions back into the dark recesses of the state's bureaucracy, where Envirocare/EnergySolutions has never been significantly challenged. This gives the company what it wants, and legislators can, in the future, defer to "the experts" in the field of radioactive-waste transport and storage.
If SB 155 makes it to the governor's desk, we urge him to veto the measure. On the issue of radioactive waste in Utah, we need politicians who are answerable to voters making the call on larger dumps and the potential for more radioactive wastes in those landfills.
