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Strong opposition to importing nuclear waste: opinion poll

Radioactive waste not welcome here: Poll   Overwhelming majority says Utah is not the right place for depleted uranium and foreign radioactive waste By Judy Fahys The Salt Lake Tribune  02/01/2010 Utahns strongly support a federal ban on importing radioactive waste from foreign nations.

And, even more strongly, they oppose the disposal of thousands of tons of depleted uranium in their state.

Whether they were Republicans or Democrats, men or women, members of the LDS church or not — the majority of registered voters who responded to a recent poll conducted for The Salt Lake Tribune objected to both proposals for low-level radioactive waste.

The question made Grantsville resident Anne Watson recall the story of scientist Marie Curie, who died from exposure to the radioactive material she studied.

“That’s my concern,” said Watson, the mother of four, grandmother of 12 and soon-to-be great-grandmother of seven. “Is there going to be a day when we’re going to be exposed to it? I don’t know how secure it will be” for future generations………………

Congressmen Jim Matheson, D-Utah, and Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, are cosponsors of legislation to ban most imports of radioactive waste. The House passed the bill two months ago, but companion legislation is being delayed in the Senate, in part because U.S. Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, opposes it.

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert, a Republican, also supports the legislation and has gone to court to help another effort to block EnergySolutions from burying more foreign waste in the Utah disposal site. Herbert also has expressed concern about 11,000 tons of depleted uranium being added to the 49,000 already at the EnergySolutions site.

Radioactive waste not welcome here – Salt Lake Tribune

February 2, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | USA, wastes | antinuclear, depleted, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear wastes, radiation, radioactive, uranium, wastes