As a Utah citizen concerned with our short- and long-term quality of life, I am extremely disappointed with the Utah Radiation Control Board's vote to allow the storage of depleted uranium in Utah ("Ban on hot waste rejected," Tribune, Sept. 23). The sluice gates are opened, and tens of thousands of tons of this material will flow here.

At the RCB meeting with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, while the latter's language was measured, it clearly indicated that shallow waste storage may not be appropriate for waste that gets hotter over time. Since depleted uranium becomes more poisonous over time, it should be treated as high-level radioactive waste and buried deep, a la Yucca Mountain. This is material that will be twice as radioactive in 1,000 years and continue to increase its lethality for more than a million years.

The EnergySolutions site assessment only goes out 500 years! Most companies don't last 50 years, so who will be left holding the glowing bag? The RCB has done a disservice to the people of Utah, present and future. Gov. Gary Herbert should follow Rep. Jim Matheson and Gov. Jon Huntsman and say "no!" to radioactive waste in Utah.

Jeff Clay
Salt Lake City