This week, the Washington County Commission became the latest to oppose - for now - federal plans to detonate 700 tons of ammonium nitrate in a non-nuclear blast at the Nevada Test Site.

St. George and Springdale have adopted similar resolutions, and Iron and Kane counties may follow suit.

"We [commissioners] are opposed to Divine Strake and any other similarly crafted weapons experiments," Washington County's statement reads. "We will remain opposed until the federal government finishes a full and complete Environmental Impact Statement which clearly demonstrates the continued safety of our citizens."

Many southwestern Utah residents blame radiation fallout from nuclear testing in the 1950s and '60s for causing cancer and early deaths in thousands of friends and family members.

They worry that Divine Strake - the test proposed by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency to help create bunker-busting weapons - could stir up contaminated soil.

"We want to be careful with what happens," Commission Chairman James Eardley said Tuesday. "We're not completely in opposition [to testing]. [We] just want to make sure there is no danger to the public."

Last week, the St. George City Council also issued a statement against the test - despite government pledges it would pose no danger.

"Assurances from those involved in the testing this time around sound too familiar to those made years ago," reads the statement.

Longtime Mayor Daniel McArthur said Tuesday that St. George wants more in-depth studies before such an explosion is allowed.

The federal government "made us do an Environmental Impact Statement on the Red Hills Parkway and [new] airport, so they should have to do the same," McArthur said. "People have come to me who worked at the test site and say they know there is radiation in the ground where they plan the test."

mhavnes@sltrib.com