WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment, along with fellow Democratic committee members Rep. Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.) and Rep. Jim Matheson (D-Utah), wrote to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to express their concerns over an attempt by a Utah company, EnergySolutions, Inc., to import Italian low-level radioactive waste to its facility in Clive, Utah.
“The state of Utah should absolutely not be forced to accept radioactive waste from Italy or any other foreign country,” said Rep. Markey. “No state should ever be faced with such a possibility of being turned into a multinational nuclear waste dump.”
Markey, who served as Chairman of the Energy Subcommittee in the 1980s when the Northwest Compact was approved, added: “Congress squarely addressed the issue of low-level radioactive waste disposal more than twenty years ago, and we empowered the states to enter into interstate compacts to regulate waste disposal inside their borders. There is no reason why this approach should not continue today as it has for almost three decades.”
The lawmakers’ letter was sent in response to the objections raised by the State of Utah regarding EnergySolutions’ proposal, and well as objections raised by the Northwest Interstate Compact on Low-Level Radioactive Waste. In the letter, Reps. Markey, Matheson, and Gordon asked the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to explain its view of whether the Northwest Compact has authority over the Clive facility
Rep. Markey was joined in the letter by Rep. Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.), who serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee and is Chairman of the Committee on Science and Technology, and Rep. Jim Matheson (D-Utah), a member of the Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment.
“The United States is the only country in the world that imports low-level radioactive waste produced by other countries,” said Gordon. “The interstate compacts were specifically granted authority to regulate disposal of this kind of waste. If private companies are allowed to trump the authority of compacts in order to make millions, there is no doubt about it – the U.S. will become the international radioactive dumping ground.”
“Uncertainty about who is in charge of regulating foreign waste could turn into chaos depending on the outcome in this case,” said Matheson. “It’s important than the NRC get some direction from Congress regarding the serious issues confronting us at this time.”
The full text of the letter can be found here: http://markey.house.gov/images//03-10-09%20-%20markey%20gordon%20matheson%20letter%20-%20nrc%20-%20energysolutions%20clive%20facility.pdf
# # #
