The community-building Alliance for Unity sees no reason for Utah to become a world dumping ground for low-level radioactive waste, and its members are urging state leaders to do what's necessary to prevent that from happening.

"We must do all in our power to protect Utah's image as a beautiful, safe and healthy place," said the statement, approved Dec. 8. "As we do so, we protect not only our economic future but also the well-being of our children and future generations unborn."

The Alliance formed nearly a decade ago to bridge the community where faith or geography might have created a rift between Utahns. It has tackled a variety of contentious issues, including the controversy over the Main Street Plaza, tension between LDS Church members and minority religious communities and friction among Salt Lake Valley east-siders and west-siders.

Its members several religious leaders -- including Elder M. Russell Ballard, a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Catholic Bishop John C. Wester, Baptist Reverend France A. Davis and Rabbi Tracee Rosen --- civic activists and the publishers of the capital city's daily newspapers. Other members are from business like banker Spencer F. Eccles, chemical company founder and philanthropist Jon M. Huntsman and entrepreneur Dinesh Patel.

Alliance spokesman Alexander B. Morrison said the statement has been in the making for awhile.

"We don't think Utah should be the garbage dump for the rest of the world," he said. "We think that if [the radioactive waste] is so benign why not keep it there" in the country that generated it.

The statement criticizes plans by EnergySolutions Inc., a Salt Lake City nuclear waste company, to import 20,000 tons of low-level waste from the cleanup of Italy's decommissioned reactors, process some of it an EnergySolutions' plant in Tennessee and dispose of 1,600 tons in Utah.

The company has fought in court for the right to accept foreign waste over the objections of the regional waste organization, the Northwest Interstate Compact on Low-level Radioactive Waste, the state government and thousands of critics. It is also fighting efforts by U.S. Reps. Jim Matheson and Jason Chaffetz of Utah to pass a congressional ban on foreign waste imports.

EnergySolutions spokesman Mark Walker said Wednesday: "We have no comment."

But the company has defended its proposal in the past by saying any foreign waste would be no more hazardous than what it routinely accepts from throughout the United States and that there is plenty of capacity for U.S. -generated waste at the company's landfill in Tooele County, the sole disposal site for cleanups and nuclear plant rubbish in 36 states.

Also, in recent weeks, the company has faced a public outcry over 11,000 tons of depleted uranium that is headed to Utah from a government cleanup in South Carolina.

Former Utah First Lady Norma Matheson, an Alliance member and mother of Congressman Matheson, said the foreign-waste statement was not as contentious as other issues the group has addressed. The group wanted to give voice to a position shared by a large majority of Utahns, she said.

"Any kind of nuclear waste, " Matheson said, "local or foreign, is on people's minds."

Christopher Thomas, policy director for the Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah said the statement "shows just how united Utahns are against foreign nuclear waste coming here." He said Utah Sens. Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett should start supporting a congressional ban on foreign waste.

Meanwhile, spokesman Scott Trotter said the Alliance statement does not reflect an official LDS church position.

"The Alliance is a group of respected Utah civic, business, and religious leaders," he said. "Under the Alliance policies, its views are not binding on the institutions its members represent."

Matheson, the Democratic congressman, welcomed the Alliance's support for the waste-import ban legislation.

"During my effort on this issue, it has always been one that brings people together from across the political spectrum on behalf of Utah families, businesses and our future," he said. "I am very pleased to have the support of the Alliance for Unity and together we will see this fight to keep Utah from becoming a nuclear dumping ground to a successful end."