SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - EnergySolutions is now confirming what ABC 4 News first reported.

It is in nuclear waste settlement talks with the state and that a proposal to pay Utah to bring foreign waste here is still on the table.

This latest development led Vanessa Pierce, the director of the Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah to suggest that, as far as Utah is concerned, this is a case of waste not want not.

Vanessa Pierce, Heal Utah: "Any proposal that would turn Utah into the world's nuclear dumping ground is a bad proposal."

Pierce called ABC 4 Friday morning.

She had just heard about our story - the one detailing talks between EnergySolutions and the state of Utah.

These talks are believed to be about allowing more than 15-hundred tons of processed Italian low level nuclear waste into Utah.

Pierce: "I can understand our country being responsible for our waste but I don't think we should fill up our own nuclear waste repositories with waste from other countries."

Friday morning, EnergySolutions also released this statement confirming what ABC 4 reported.

"We believe that it is in the best interest of the state, the citizens of Utah and EnergySolutions to settle this matter and we hope the state considers this proposal."

This proposal would likely settle the state's nuke waste lawsuit with EnergySolutions and, reportedly, give the state 50 percent of the company’s net revenue for disposing of foreign waste.

This would bring Utah an estimated 100 million dollars a year for ten years.

Pierce: "If Governor Herbert is responsible in opening this new nuclear Pandora's box we have real questions about whether he will be the strong leader that we need."

But Pierce talks it a step further, all but questioning Herbert's waste-osterone.

“There is no reason for Governor Herbert to consider this deal right now. The only reason is that he is too weak to stand up to EnergySolutions."

As for Governor Herbert, his office has not yet commented on these latest developments.

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