This year, the fight to keep foreign nuclear waste out of Utah has gained an ally in a Republican Congressman from Provo, Utah.

Representative Jason Chaffetz, newly elected to Utah’s 3rd district, announced that he is co-sponsoring the Radioactive Import Deterrence (RID) Act (H.R. 515) with Rep. Jim Matheson, Democrat from Utah’s 2nd district. The RID Act is the only measure left to prevent Utah and the U.S. from becoming the world’s nuclear dumping ground.

Rep. Chaffetz is doing what his colleagues, Senators Hatch and Bennett and Representative Bishop, still refuse: standing up to EnergySolutions and listening to his constituents. Chaffetz called his opposition to the importation of foreign nuclear waste “simply good public policy.” That makes sense to us. Perhaps the rest of Utah’s Congressional Delegation could learn a thing or two from this newcomer about representative democracy.

Add your signature to the thousands of Utahns who have let their opinion be known.  Sign our petition to help ban nuclear waste here

Please take a minute to call Senators Hatch and Bennett and ask them to get behind this important legislation, which has a companion bill in the Senate, S. 232, sponsored by Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN). This measure will have a hard time passing if Utah’s own two senators don’t get behind it.

Here’s a sample message you can leave: “I live in ____ and I am calling to urge Sen. ____ to support the Radioactive Import Deterrence Act, S.232. We need to keep our state from becoming the world’s nuclear waste dump and Sen. ___ needs to stand up for the thousands of Utahns like myself who support that position. Thank you.”

You can reach Sen. Hatch in D.C. (202) 224-5251, in Provo (801) 375-7881, or through his email form.
 

You can reach Sen. Bennett in D.C. (202) 224-5444, in Provo (801) 851-2525, or through his email form. 

Then, if you live in Rep. Matheson's or Rep. Chaffetz's district, please take a minute to thank them for introducing this important legislation.  (To find your Congressman, go to votesmart.org).

You can reach Rep. Matheson at (202) 225-3011or (801) 486-1236, or through his email form.
 

You can reach Rep. Chaffetz in D.C. (202) 225-7751, in Provo (801) 851-2500, or through his email form.

For more talking points, go to http://healutah.org/nuclearutah/waste/energysolutions/italianwastefactsheet.

Never one to back down from a fight, EnergySolutions is of course maintaining the company line that turning Utah and the U.S. into the world's nuclear waste dump is a technical issue best left in the hands of unelected bureaucrats.

The people of Utah have a different opinion. Please help Senators Hatch and Bennett understand that this is an important policy decision, and should be decided by elected leaders and the citizens they represent.

Please make your calls today. With EnergySolutions stepping up its lobbying efforts in Washington there’s no telling when its money and influence will completely drown out the voices of ordinary citizens. Thank you!

This work is funded in part by the Unitarian Universalist Fund for a Just Society.