Bishop's N-waste ties eyed

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WASHINGTON - EnergySolutions Inc. and its executives have poured money into Rep. Rob Bishop's re-election campaign in recent months.

The company, which is fighting a bill in Congress that would block its attempt to import foreign radioactive waste to Utah, has given Bishop nearly $25,000 since April. That's more than one-third of Bishop's total campaign haul of $67,000 for the time period covered in campaign finance disclosures filed late Tuesday.

Bishop's opponent, Democrat Morgan Bowen, says the Salt Lake City-based company is not merely supporting a candidate it likes, it's buying one.

"He is not the people of the 1st District's congressman. He is EnergySolutions' congressman," Bowen said. "Just follow the money."

Bishop's Chief of Staff Scott Parker shot back.

"That's kind of a nasty and thoughtless thing to say, but maybe he doesn't realize Rob doesn't actually make decisions based on who might support him and who might criticize him. Rob makes decisions with his constituents in mind, and most importantly based on what he thinks is accurate and right," he said.

Bishop's ties to EnergySolutions are long-standing, but the company, which operates a low-level radioactive landfill in Tooele County, has also never given him this much campaign cash.

EnergySolutions, which previously hired him as a state lobbyist, held a May fundraiser for Bishop where he received big dollar donations from a dozen company executives. He has also received $8,500 from the company's political action committee.

In all, EnergySolutions has contributed more than $28,000 to Bishop's latest re-election effort. That is more than the company gave Bishop for his three previous campaigns combined.

EnergySolutions is a big political player in the state and has donated to Sens. Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett among scores of others. But it also has some political opponents in Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. and Democratic Rep. Jim Matheson.

Matheson is backing a bill that would block EnergySolutions' attempts to import 1,600 tons of radioactive waste from Italy, a move that is also opposed by Huntsman and the state's Radiation Control Board.

Bishop has not endorsed Matheson's bill. He doesn't want Congress to weigh in on the issue, preferring that Utah have the authority to accept or block the foreign waste on its own, said his chief of staff.

Bowen strongly opposes the importation of foreign waste, which he believes will give the state a reputation as the "the radioactive waste dump of the world."

He also claims Bishop's position is directly tied to the financial contributions he has received from the company. EnergySolutions invited Bowen to tour its waste facility. Bowen declined and told the company he would not accept any campaign contributions.

"We've got to get this idea of patronage through campaign donations out of our political system," he said. "It is wrecking our country."

Parker said campaign contributors don't decide how Bishop votes.

"I guess Mr. Bowen has said that he won't accept certain contributions because he doesn't want to be beholden," Parker said. "That says a lot about his susceptibility, but that's just not the way Rob works."

This is not the first time Bishop's ties to EnergySolutions have been questioned. In 2003, Bishop urged the House Energy and Commerce Committee to allow the company to receive hotter radioactive waste, sending a letter that said the current restriction "deprives a significant Utah company of additional revenue."

Congress eventually passed the legislation incorporating Bishop's suggestion. That would have allowed millions of pounds of highly contaminated waste from Ohio and New York cleanups to come to Utah, although its radioactivity exceeded state limits. But the company withdrew its proposal to accept it under heavy pressure from the public and then-Gov. Olene Walker.

Bishop said at the time that his history with the company, then known as Envirocare, didn't impact his decision to send the letter, though he did acknowledge his connections to the company.

"They're friends," Bishop said. "I like the people there."

Beyond EnergySolutions, Bishop has received hefty donations from credit unions and defense contractors. He has raised $200,000 and has $190,000 in remaining cash.

Bowen, a former agriculture consultant, who is now a seminary teacher for the Mormon church, has raised $6,400 and he loaned his campaign $3,800 of his own money. The long-shot candidate has $1,500 remaining.

mcanham@sltrib.com