15,000 drums of depleted uranium headed to Utah,

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CAPSULE = Depleted uranium is a man-made byproduct of the uranium enrichment process that was used to make nuclear weapons during the Cold War era. The material also has military applications today because it is denser than lead or iron and can penetrate armor.

Storing depleted uranium has raised concerns because although classified as low-level radioactive waste, it (depleted uranium) gets "hotter" over time.


http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_13961486
Nevada ruled out
as an alternative disposal
site for 15,000 drums
of depleted uranium!

DOE: Nevada not an option for Utah-bound depleted uranium
By Brock Vergakis
The Associated Press
Updated: 12/09/2009 03:32:14 PM MST
var requested

A U.S. Department of Energy spokeswoman says Nevada has been ruled out as an alternative disposal site for nearly 15,000 drums of depleted uranium from South Carolina currently scheduled to come to Utah.

DOE spokeswoman Lauren Milone says the Nevada Test Site is being excluded from discussions about the waste because the DOE has agreed to conduct a statewide environmental impact statement before accepting any new waste there.

Milone says doing that would probably take at least a year.

The Savannah River Site waste is expected to begin coming to Utah this month unless the DOE decides to keep it in South Carolina.

U.S. Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, wants the waste to stay in South Carolina until new rules for safely disposing the material are finalized.

A decision is expected as early as next week.

The link provided yielded
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705350710/Depleted-uranium-approved-for-storage-at-EnergySolutions-site.html
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Depleted uranium approved
for storage at
EnergySolutions site
By Amy Joi O'Donoghue <amyjoi@desnews.com >
Deseret News
Published: Thursday, Dec. 10, 2009 10:12 p.m. MST

Opponents to the storage of depleted uranium at EnergySolution's Clive facility in Tooele County were dismayed Thursday to learn the Department of Energy has given federal regulators the green light for its storage in Utah.

Among those voicing criticism over the department's decision was Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, who announced in a news release that he had been notified the first of three shipments of the radioactive material are being readied for transport.

"I am very disappointed that this material is headed to Utah, despite my concerns. I will continue to press the (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) for an appropriate review of necessary safety standards for this waste, which essentially remains hazardous forever," he said.

Questions over the ultimate destination of 15,000 drums of the material had been raised, given steps Utah regulators are taking to impose new restrictions on its storage in the state.

In addition to new licensing requirements, the state is proposing to adopt a rule which would require additional assessments on the ability of EnergySolutions to assure the material's safe storage for up to 10,000 years.

Storing depleted uranium has raised concerns because although classified as low-level radioactive waste, it gets "hotter" over time. Depleted uranium is a man-made byproduct of the uranium enrichment process that was used to make nuclear weapons during the Cold War era. The material also has military applications today because it is denser than lead or iron and can penetrate armor.

Opponents such as HEAL Utah have been prodding state regulators and Gov. Gary Herbert to, at the very least, urge the Department of Energy to hold off any shipments until the new restrictions are in place.

The organization's executive director, Vanessa Pierce, said the absence of such a message has been interpreted by the federal government as a clear signal that it's OK for the depleted uranium to come to Utah.

Herbert's "unwillingness to take action on this when he has cover from the radiation control board, the majority of Utahns and at least one member of our Congressional delegation — what else is it going to take? Whose interests is he fighting for? This is not leadership."
Pierce said she met with Herbert's environmental policy adviser, Ted Wilson, last month and made clear the governor should take a position.

"This has been on his radar," she said, adding that the concerns of the organization were detailed in the meeting. The governor's office did not respond to requests for a comment.

e-mail: amyjoi@desnews.com