CLIVE, Tooele County — Although more than 3,000 tons of depleted uranium is slated to arrive in Utah as early as next week, it won't be buried because of new agreement reached between Gov. Gary Herbert and the U.S. Department of Energy.
The latest development in radioactive waste controversy, announced Thursday by the governor's office, requires EnergySolutions to put in additional safety measures before burying the material.
Specifically, EnergySolutions will likely install radon detectors and adjust the depth of disposal within two months.
"This is a reasonable compromise on this issue, which is of paramount importance to the people of Utah," Herbert said. "We simply will not accept any more depleted uranium for storage in this state until we are convinced we have addressed all the safety parameters."
The new requirements will come under the purview of the state Department of Environmental Quality, which will have to sign off on them before the two additional shipments are likely to hit the rails.
EnergySolutions President Val Christensen said he doesn't anticipate having a hard time meeting new safety criteria, and storage of the radioactive waste above ground in containers poses little hazard.
"It's been sitting in containers in a warehouse in South Carolina for 40 years. It needs to be permanently buried, but having it sit around for two months, it's not harmful stuff unless you have had a steady diet of it for many years," he said.
The compromise reached Thursday came on the heels of a letter Herbert sent this week to federal regulators asking shipments be delayed until the state has permanent new rules in place for disposal of depleted uranium.
DOE officials at first had little response to Herbert's request, only reiterating that EnergySolutions met all facility requirements, was appropriately licensed to accept depleted uranium and shipments would not be interrupted.
The phone conversation between Herbert and the department changed that, with concessions given to the state's concerns.
"This is proof that by taking a measured, rational approach and engaging in conversations with stakeholders, we can reach agreements that are acceptable to all parties," Herbert said.
Unlike other radioactive material, depleted uranium gets "hotter" over time — peaking at a million years — and poses unique storage challenges as a result.
A man-made byproduct of the uranium enrichment process, depleted uranium was first developed in the 1940s and is largely a legacy of the Cold War era.
HEAL Utah, a vocal critic of the plans to dispose of 10,500 tons of the waste at EnergySolutions' Clive facility, has asked that state regulators inspect the radioactive material once it arrives in Utah and independently verify its composition.
The state is in the process of adopting a new rule on depleted uranium disposal, one that would require an extensive assessment of the Clive facility's ability to safely store the material.
That rule won't come into effect until early next year.
e-mail: amyjoi@desnews.com