Congressman Gordon says no nuclear dumping in TN

June 11, 2008

As heard on WGNS…

Nuclear Waste Online Poll by Congressman Gordon

Do you think companies should be allowed to import foreign nuclear waste and dispose of it in the U.S.? Take the online poll to let Gordon know your view by clicking the box to the left.

More: Legislation Bart introduced to prohibit the Nuclear Regulatory Commission from authorizing imports of foreign-generated radioactive waste was the subject of a congressional hearing on May 20.

Bart introduced his bill, H.R. 5632, after learning a private company had applied for a license to import 20,000 tons of radioactive waste from decommissioned nuclear reactors in Italy, process and incinerate much of it in Tennessee and dispose of the remainder in Utah.

Rep. Gordon said the bill he introduced would help set a national policy against foreign waste imports.

Huntsman said he will direct Utah’s representative on the Northwest Interstate Compact on Low-level Radioactive Waste Management to oppose the application pending before the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission when the compact meets next month. Federal regulations require the approval of the state and the compact in which the disposal site is located.

"Gov. Huntsman’s decision stands to benefit Tennessee, Utah and the entire nation,” said Gordon. “But we shouldn’t have to go through this process on a case-by-case basis every time an import application comes before the NRC. We need to set a national policy to ban imports of foreign generated nuclear waste, and that’s why I have introduced a bill to do exactly that.”

Gordon’s legislation, H.R. 5632, would block the NRC from authorizing imports of foreign-generated low-level radioactive waste into the United States. The bill would allow the president to grant exceptions if the waste was necessary to meet an important national or international policy goal, such as research.

The issue of importing nuclear waste gained attention last fall when EnergySolutions, a Utah-based company with operations in Tennessee, applied to the NRC for a license to import 20,000 tons of low-level radioactive waste from decommissioned nuclear reactors in Italy.

Gordon fears that application could be just the beginning.

“I don’t want to see the United States become the world’s nuclear dumping ground, but that could happen without action,” said Gordon. “Many other countries do not have adequate space for their nuclear waste, and I’m sure they would be happy to send their waste to the United States and be rid of it forever. That might be a good deal for them, but that plan is simply not in the best interest of the United States.”

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