Tuesday night the RCB (Radiation Control Board) had a revelation.

They realized that the ‘C’ is for CONTROL and promptly took control of EnergySolutions.

This is new territory for the board.

The board decided in a 7-1 vote to require EnergySolutions to scientifically demonstrate that their site is suitable for depleted uranium disposal before they toss it in their west-desert dump.

A reasonable proposal – kind of like checking that there is a bag in your kitchen garbage can before you throw the carvings from your jack-o-lantern in.

The board seemed to think so as well, and revised what was a rather complicated license amendment to a simple and straightforward condition that protects Utah from depleted uranium while dealing with its unique technical and regulatory considerations...  well there was one representative who said she was for the condition and after a-not-so-discrete-BlackBerry session voted against it with no explanation, and another who abstained (he works for Kennecott).

Some thanks are in order: Thanks to Christian Gardner for proposing the new language to the license amendment. To the board, thank you for conscientiously closing loopholes in the wording and carrying the motion to adopt the amendment.

Let’s not forget HEAL Utah’s policy director, Christopher Thomas whose powerful testimony set the tone for the public comment and voting.

The RCB is not the only group that really came through on Tuesday.

EnergySolutions was there, upset, and threatening legal action.

Litigation is not new territory for our favorite Delaware-incorporated-Salt-Lake-headquartered-radioactive-waste-dumping campaign contributors. (I hear there is a stereotype about environmental groups being litigious but these guys give EarthJustice, Greenpeace and the like something to live up to.)

I’ve gotta give a big thanks to EnergySolutions for their tireless work on this and other issues.

I’m one of those unfortunate college graduates who marched, diploma in hand, out of BYU into a world in the throes of one of the worst job markets in history.

Fortunately for graduates like me EnergySolutions is creating jobs in Utah.

First they so enrage the public that citizens come together across party lines to create and support organizations like HEAL Utah.
Second – EnergySolutions, by taking everyone who opposes them to court, keeps lawyers all over Utah in business. EnergySolutions kindly employs a cadre of competent bread-winning lawyers. Their litigious magnanimity has a wonderful ripple effect, as they litigate so liberally they force any organization that happens to attempt to regulate them to also higher a similar number of lawyers. It’s really a win-win for state employment numbers even before the judge hears the case.

So thanks to EnergySolutions for keeping Utah employed, and thanks to the RCB for protecting Utahans present and future from depleted uranium.

Voice your support for the Board's action: Write a Letter to the Editor of your local paper, and call Governor Herbert and ask him to support the board's action (801-538-1000).