Gordon’s Fight Against Importing Foreign Nuclear Waste Gains Momentum

February 26, 2008, WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon is gaining momentum in his effort to stop a Utah-based company from importing 20,000 tons of low-level nuclear waste from Italy into the United States for processing and disposal.

“The United States cannot open itself to being the final destination for the world’s nuclear waste,” said Gordon. “We have a finite amount of space for the disposal of nuclear waste produced domestically. If we become the world’s nuclear dumping ground, we run the risk of not having room for domestic waste.”

On Feb. 1, Gordon contacted officials from the Northwest Interstate Compact on Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management and the governors of its member states to let them know of his opposition to EnergySolutions’ pending application with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to import 20,000 tons of waste from decommissioned nuclear reactors in Italy.

The governor of Wyoming said he agreed with Gordon.

“I simply cannot conceive of any reason we should use up space in a finite storage facility – so hard to come by in this country – so that Italy does not have to find its own solution to this problem,” responded Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal.

Gordon also received a response from the Director of Oregon’s Department of Energy, who wrote the proposal “may have wide-ranging and significant impacts on America’s low-level radioactive waste disposal policy” and said his state will continue to review the proposal.

EnergySolutions disposes of more than 90 percent of the low-level radioactive waste generated in the United States through a license granted by the State of Utah and with the permission of the Northwest Compact. Federal regulations require the approval of the state and the Compact in which the disposal site is located.

“The NRC should act in the best interest of the United States and deny this application. No other country in the world has opened itself to anyone who wants to get rid of their nuclear waste,” said Gordon.

The NRC is accepting public comments on the proposal until March 12 via e-mail at hearingdocket@nrc.gov or by postal mail at Office of the Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, Attention: Rulemaking and Adjudications. Those submitting comments should reference EnergySolutions Import License Application IW023 on all correspondence.