But local activists say Hill needs a slap on the wrist - at least - rather than a pat on the back.

Brian Moench, founder of Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment, says the matter calls for a thorough probe.

"There is no room for complacency here," said Moench. "This needs a full investigation by both state and federal officials."

Problem is, it's unclear who - if anyone - has the authority to handle such a probe.

Bob Duraski, a health physicist at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Denver, said Friday: "We're looking at it."

Meanwhile, Utah Department of Environmental Quality Assistant Director Bill Sinclair said Hill's use of nuclear materials is covered under an Air Force-wide "master materials license" granted by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, so the state has no authority in this case. And although the state does oversee the incinerator, it makes no sense to punish the burn plant for relying on Hill - which, plant officials say, promised there was nothing dangerous in the "top secret" waste.

"It's hard to hold them accountable," Sinclair said.

Base officials acknowledged earlier this week that, over the past eight months, about five pounds of depleted uranium went to a Layton garbage-burning plant as part of nine tons worth of an obsolete weapons component. The nature of the weapon has not been disclosed.

The base's calculations, reviewed by the state's radiation division, indicated the possible health implications of being exposed to such a small amount of airborne depleted uranium is negligible - no more than if a household smoke detector had been burned.

As such, Hill chief of environmental public affairs Barbara Fisher said, "we don't expect any enforcement action from any regulatory agency."

Indeed, local officials had no criticism.

"I think everybody's level of diligence will improve after what happened here," said Lewis Garrett, director of the Davis County Health Department.

Alan Hansen, a Davis County Commission member who serves on the 18-person incinerator board, added: "Hill Air Force Base has been forthright in coming forward - which is a good thing because they didn't need to."

Hansen said the full board will review the matter, and possibly consider the addition of a monitor at the plant, but only after all the information is in.

For the moment, though, it's unclear how extensive Hill's own investigation will be. Fisher said destruction has been halted of the specific uranium-tainted component that was burned at the Layton plant. But there has been no pause in the destruction of other items.

She said the base is "unaware of any other items containing depleted uranium that have been processed at the burn plant," but acknowledged that officials don't know, at this point, what other items were destroyed there or elsewhere.

Hill's Weapons System Program Office was responsible for making sure the parts were safe to burn before sending the items to the incinerator. Fisher said that procedures "were followed" but that the office didn't have immediate access to 40-year-old classified drawings that indicated the presence of depleted uranium. Technicians only learned there might be an issue during a recent meeting in which the status of the specific weapons program was discussed, she said.

Hill has caught unfavorable attention in two other nuclear-related cases recently.

Department of Defense officials revealed last month that four ballistic missile fuses stored at Hill went unaccounted for over a period of several years before turning up in Taiwan last year.

Also last year, a public information request by Salt Lake City activist Steve Erickson revealed Hill had given up on finding about 430 pounds of depleted uranium that had been used as ballast in cruise missiles on the Utah Test and Training Range.

"What's the matter with those people at Hill Air Force Base these days?" asked Erickson, who said he was disappointed but not surprised by the inaction of state and local authorities in the most recent situation.

Moench called the bumbling "unbelievable," given that even low levels of radiation exposure pose a risk, especially to unborn babies and children.

He said soil in the surrounding area needs to be tested and action is needed to prevent the same mistake from happening again.

"No one in the state should take this lightly," he added. "It's a public emergency to find out what's happened."

fahys@sltrib.com

mlaplante@sltrib.com