Representatives from eight Western states are discussing a Utah company’s plan to import 20,000 tons of Italian radioactive waste.
EnergySolutions Inc. wants to store a portion of the waste at its private site in the Utah desert, but environmental groups say it’s a bad idea.
Utah’s governor, Jon Huntsman, says he’ll use the Northwest Interstate Compact on Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management to keep Utah from becoming a place for the world’s nuclear waste.
Utah’s representative is expected to exercise the state’s veto power during a meeting Thursday in Boise. Meanwhile, EnergySolutions has filed a lawsuit, saying the compact doesn’t apply.
Any action by the group could influence the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which is reviewing EnergySolutions’ pending import license.
