Rep. Craig Frank, R-Pleasant Grove, made the case to eliminate the possibility of "B and C waste" being stored in Utah - and then voted against that ban.
"I believe the people of our state really do want to ban B and C waste," Frank said "But I have come to the realization that we don't have all of the facts."
Frank said he believes more federal study is necessary before the Legislature can make an informed vote. He says the risk model used in past analysis is antiquated.
Frank's actions shocked Rep. Stephen Urquhart, R-St. George, who co-chaired a task force that examined the issue for the past two years.
Urquhart handpicked Frank from that task force to present the bill without knowing of Frank's reservations.
"This is an unruly process at times. That was one of several surprises I have received this session," Urquhart said.
Senate Bill 24 already was approved by senators and now goes to Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., who has publicly endorsed it. The measure would stop the state from issuing a permit to accept waste hotter than the Class A variety now disposed of at the Envirocare facility in Tooele County. Class B and C waste is thousands of times more radioactive than Class A, and mostly comes from nuclear plants.
The bill also enhances state regulatory powers over commercial radioactive waste facilities and makes changes to the way those facilities are taxed.
Rep. James Ferrin, R-Orem, denounced the ban as shortsighted, saying it ignores the possibility of increased revenues for the state. He also said the Legislature is hiding behind the issue of safety, when the Department of Environmental Quality has stated the waste could be stored without any serious threat.
"Nevada has gambling. Wyoming has oil. Utah has vast open spaces with no groundwater problems, perfect for storing this natural byproduct of our industrialized society," Ferrin said.
Urquhart countered by saying the money that would come from storing the hotter waste is negligible and the threat is not overstated because of the possibility of an accident transporting the material.
The ban passed 57-13.
