Court rules against Utah in nuke fight | Salt Lake Tribune

[Ediacara]

Court rules against Utah in nuke fight
Decision concludes: It is the federal government, not a state, that has authority on spent radioactive fuel

By Judy Fahys
The Salt Lake Tribune

The state lost a major legal battle Wednesday in its fight to stop the Skull Valley Goshute Reservation in Tooele County from becoming a parking lot for thousands of tons of nuclear reactor waste.

The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver affirmed U.S. District Judge Tena Campbell's 2002 ruling that the state improperly hindered efforts by the Skull Valley Band of Goshutes and its partner, the utility consortium Private Fuel Storage (PFS), to pursue a federal license for their project.

While PFS applauded the ruling, Utah officials vowed to keep fighting, even as they began reviewing the 71-page decision.

"It's important to recognize we will continue to oppose the storage of high-level waste in Utah," said Amanda Covington, spokeswoman for Utah Gov. Olene Walker.

More at the Salt Lake Tribune

[struggle4progress]

1. I still can't believe Utah let Envirocare set up shop ...

... because that seems to have sent a clear signal that they could be rolled again.