SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah company is among nearly 40 firms expressing interest in operating a pilot plant to recycle nuclear waste for the Department of Energy.
But EnergySolutions — formerly Envirocare — says it has no plans to build a recycling facility in Utah.
"I can promise you, categorically, it's not anywhere in Utah," said Tim Barney, vice president of governmental relations at the company.
Barney declined to say where such a facility might be built.
Last month, the DOE asked communities and companies to state their interest in a project aimed at finding ways to reusing spent nuclear fuel.
Congress has allocated $20 million this year to evaluate possible sites. DOE expects to begin accepting formal proposals by the spring and begin site evaluation studies in the summer.
On Friday DOE released a list of 36 names, including individuals, counties and corporations interested in the project. Some names, including EnergySolutions', were withheld at the companies' request.
Duratek Inc., a South Carolina company which is in the process of being acquired by EnergySolutions, was on the list of companies bidding for a shot at the project.