Bill Sinclair, deputy director of Utah's Department of Environmental Quality, noted that many around the nation rely on EnergySolutions Inc.'s disposal site for low-level radioactive waste in Tooele County. And it is being eyed as a solution for even more kinds of waste from more places, including international cleanups, he told nuclear waste handlers and regulators today at the RadWaste Summit in Las Vegas.
But Utah leaders and the public are growing wary of being a known as a "national treasure" because of the EnergySolutions site.
"Don't put all of your eggs into one basket," he told the group, recalling advice his grandfather used to give.
The three-day meeting, the second of its kind, involves local, state, regional, national and international regulators, as well as businesses that provide cleanup, disposal and treatment of low-level radioactive waste.
Many of those attending are looking at ways to use hazardous-waste sites for material that is mildly contaminated with radiation. They also are considering blending mildly contaminated waste with hotter waste so that it is eligible for disposal at the EnergySolutions site.
EnergySolutions is the only disposal site for low-level waste from 36 states.
