Background

Private Fuel Storage L.L.C. (PFS) plans to build and operate a for profit, centralized, away-from-reactor, high level nuclear waste facility for up to 40 years on the Skull Valley Band of the Goshute Indian Reservation. This site is less than 50 miles from downtown Salt Lake City. In February, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued PFS a license to construct and operate the facility. Because of the Cedar Mountains Wilderness legislation, there is only one remaining means of intrastate transport authorized under the PFS license – heavy truck transport utilizing an intermodal facility just north of I-80 and travel along State Road 196. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is now accepting public comment on PFS’s application for an intermodal facility on BLM land for the transfer of 44,000 tons of spent nuclear fuel rods from rail to heavy truck.

Business Community Response

§ The Salt Lake Chamber, Utah’s largest and longest-serving business association and representing one in every three jobs in the state, opposes the storage of high-level nuclear waste in Utah because it is bad for Utah’s economy.

§ Real and perceived risks of spent nuclear fuel will damage Utah’s economy and business climate. For example,

o Threats to military training readiness may negatively impact Hill Air Force Base that contributes $2 billion annually to Utah’s economy.

§ Skull Valley is only seven miles away from Dugway Proving Grounds and 19 miles away from the Utah Test and Training Range.

§ Above ground, spent nuclear fuel rods and F-16 fighters do not mix.

o Business relocation and headquarters decisions will be impacted by even just the prospects of a terrorist or accidental incident. In the highly competitive world of business recruitment and economic development, we do not want to be viewed as America’s dumping ground.

o A survey has shown that people believe that property values would decrease if the PFS facility is built.

§ The BLM must deny PFS’ application for a right-of-way permit on public land because of its policy of prohibiting the storage of hazardous materials on public lands. We view Utah’s public lands as America’s playground, not its dumping ground.

§ We don’t produce this waste, we don’t benefit from it. If it’s so safe, leave it where it is.

What Business Can Do

The Chamber encourages businesses and citizens to send your comments opposing the intrastate transport of this waste across public lands. Letters should be mailed by May 8, 2006 to this address:

Pam Schuller

U.S. Bureau of Land Management

Salt Lake Field Office

2370 South 2300 West

Salt Lake City, Utah 84119

Or email comments to  pam_schuller at blm.gov

This entry was posted Monday, March 27th, 2006 at 10:31 pm and is filed under Nuclear waste storage, This Blog. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.