Meanwhile, the state Division of Radiation Control Board on Thursday night conducted a public hearing to take comment on Envirocare's proposal to expand on land its new owners bought along with the company two months ago. The deadline to submit comment is today.

"Jon Huntsman believes strongly the public comment period needed to play out," Jason Chaffetz, the governor's chief of staff, said Thursday. "DEQ needed time to digest the comments and make a ruling. Unfortunately, the timing just barely missed."

Envirocare says the expansion is necessary to replace equipment the company has been using for more than 20 years at its 536-acre facility near Clive, 80 miles northwest of Salt Lake City.

Company officials want to build a new rail line and replace equipment that empties the waste from the train cars on the 543-acre parcel it acquired from a potential competitor.

When Envirocare applied to Radiation Control last month to amend its license, the company included a request to build a waste disposal cell on the new property.

After hearing from some environmental activists and others concerned about the request, company officials on Monday changed the request to exclude disposal.

The license change requires legislative and gubernatorial approval. The next chance for Envirocare to take their case to lawmakers will be the January general legislative session.

Radiation Control Board executive secretary Dane Finerfrock, who conducted the hearing, has already given preliminary regulatory approval to the license amendment. He declined to predict when his final ruling would be ready.