On Tuesday, it asked the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to reject a Utah company's request to import the foreign waste as the agency began tallying nearly 4,000 postcards, letters and e-mails on the request. It was the final day for public comment on plans by Salt Lake City-based EnergySolutions Inc. to ship 20,000 tons of low-level radioactive waste from Italy, recycle most of it in Tennessee and bury the remaining 1,600 tons in Utah.

The NRC's Steve Dembeck said a few hundred supporters and 2,000 opponents have weighed in. Meanwhile, the Healthy Environment Alliance (HEAL) of Utah said it would forward another 1,300 postcards from critics to Dembeck's office.

The NRC might wait for a federal judge's ruling before deciding. EnergySolutions last month asked the U.S. District Court in Utah to declare that a regional radioactive waste organization, the Northwest Compact, has no authority to block the Italy waste import, contrary to what the compact and the state say.

In the meantime, the NRC will review the comments and possibly have a public meeting or formal hearing.

EnergySolutions spokesman John Ward said the company remains hopeful the NRC will grant the license. He pointed out that no objections have been raised on health and safety grounds, not even from the state.

"We find that when people focus on those facts, their concerns tend to be alleviated," Ward said.

The state wants a formal hearing to discuss its objections to the waste. It says:

* The Italy waste might be "an unreasonable risk" to public health and safety because the company has not fully characterized it.

* Federal law requires a full-blown environmental impact statement.

* There is no approved facility to accept the waste as required.

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. "wants the citizens to know he's exploring all of the options in terms of this waste," said Bill Sinclair, deputy director of the state Department of Environmental Quality.

HEAL's John Urgo said the hearing request shows how seriously the state views the threat from EnergySolutions.

"It's great to see the Governor's Office throwing its muscle behind its clear opposition to foreign nuclear waste being dumped in Utah," said Urgo.

U.S. Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, said this week he would continue pushing for his bill to outlaw radioactive waste imports. He said the handling of the issue - plus reports about the United Kingdom's interest in possible Utah disposal - underscores the need for stronger national oversight.

"No one is clearly in charge of whether or not we should be taking foreign radioactive waste," said Matheson. "I see no good reason, as public policy, to allow other countries to unload their waste on the U.S. and Utah."

fahys@sltrib.com