Utah is NOT for Sale!

EnergySolutions, the largest commercial nuclear waste dump in the U.S., thought it could buy off the people of Utah by offering us cash to open our doors to the world's nuclear waste.  But thanks to your calls, emails, and rally cries at the Capitol, it appears the Utah Legislature will reject EnergySolutions cash offering for what it is, a radioactive bribe. 

Undeterred, EnergySolutions is suing to force the world's waste into Utah.  But if this is the same company that in countless TV ads claims to have our best interests in mind, why won't it listen to the people of Utah?  Why is it suing to force the world's nuclear waste into our state?

Please take a minute to call Senators Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett and ask them to support the only sure measure to keep the world's nuclear waste out of Utah and the U.S.: Rep. Matheson's (D-UT) Radioactive Import Deterrence Act.  Click here to read more. 

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Background

EnergySolutions has been working steadily over the years to remove any and all public oversight of its operations.

When Gov. Huntsman said he would oppose EnergySolutions' plans to double the footprint of its dumpsite, the company ran a bill to remove the Governor from the oversight process.

When EnergySolutions wanted to double the height of its dump, they passed a bill that removed both the Legislature and the Governor from having any say.

And now that a regional Board--called the Northwest Compact--has said "no" to EnergySolutions' foreign waste plans, it is under attack.

EnergySolutions sued the Northwest Compact last May over its denial of the foreign waste plan and the State of Utah--a member of the Compact--joined as co-defendant. But as the trial date approaches, and EnergySolutions realizes it may lose the court case, the company has turned to yet another strategy: buying us off.

As reported in the Salt Lake Tribune, EnergySolutions officials have been pitching a plan to state lawmakers where the company would split profits on foreign waste contracts with the state.  In return, the Legislature would move to withdraw Utah's membership in the Northwest Compact.

That would mean any country in the world could arrange to bring its waste to Utah, and the state would have no say in the matter.  Equally bad, EnergySolutions would have undone the deal Governor Huntsman brokered back in 2007, that ensured EnergySolutions would not attempt to further expand its dumpsite.

We've been wondering why Steve Creamer has been making such a hard sell on our TV sets every night but now we know. Besides telling us that his nuclear waste cures cancer, creates beautiful parks, and solves our energy crisis, this snake oil salesman is now telling us that dumping nuclear waste in Utah is the fix for our budget.

We can understand certain legislators' temptation to take EnergySolutions' money, but letting EnergySolutions hold the purse strings to the state's budget would be a grave mistake. EnergySolutions is hoping that in a moment of weakness, we'll trade our values for cash.  But while the hole in our budget is temporary, the damage to our democracy would be irreparable.  And Utah would forever be the world's nuclear waste dump.