Federal Judge Overturns Interior Decision to Block Nuclear Fuel Storage

07.28.2010 by Whittney Evans

(KCPW News) A federal judge in Denver has overturned an Interior Department decision to block spent nuclear fuel from being stored on the Skull Valley Goshute Indian Reservation.  HEAL Utah Executive Director Vanessa Pierce says the department can appeal the judge’s ruling, or order a new decision.  She wants Utah’s elected officials keep the pressure on.

“Our hope is that the Utah Congressional delegation will continue to push in D.C. on the Department of the Interior,” She said. “We’re also hoping to see some strong leadership from Governor Herbert.”

Pierce says the nuclear power industry is exploiting the sovereignty of Indian reservations.

“There are huge risks with the transportation of high-level waste and ultimately the public is best served by minimizing the number of times that this lethal material is shipped around the country,” She said. “Literally a few seconds of exposure to spent fuel rods would kill a person.”

Utah’s five-member congressional delegation issued a statement criticizing the judge’s decision.  Senator Orrin Hatch said, “The plain simple fact is that we will never allow this facility to be built.”