Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Environment Radioactive Waste topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
House approves bill tightening state oversight of radioactive waste groundwater discharge
Summary
Lawmakers passed HB 324 to require groundwater permits and increased state oversight where radioactive waste reprocessing or discharge could affect groundwater, focusing debate on White Mesa mill operations, federal primacy, and potential long-term cleanup costs; the bill passed 65–3.
The Utah House on Feb. 24 passed first-substitute House Bill 324 to require groundwater-discharge permits and strengthen state oversight over certain radioactive waste reprocessing and disposal activities.
Representative Brown, the floor sponsor, said the bill addresses a regulatory gap created when processing or reprocessing activities can affect groundwater and public health. He noted past permitting and the state’s authority to request information and indicated the measure would require appropriate groundwater permits. “This bill... deals with the issue of regulating radioactive waste in our state,” Brown said during his floor remarks.
Floor debate focused on operations at the White Mesa mill and whether facilities were properly reprocessing ore or effectively storing waste. Representative Johnson, addressing those concerns, described recent inspections and an administrative-law-judge decision indicating the mill was processing material properly and that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and federal agencies perform sampling and oversight. He added that sampling and monitoring programs were in place and that the company had agreed to cooperate with state sampling needs.
Opponents and cautious supporters raised long-term liability concerns; Representative Brown and others warned that if the state assumed primacy over certain aspects, it could carry future costs to stabilize legacy tailings (citing a $200 million stabilization project in Monticello as an example). Supporters argued the bill strikes a balance by ensuring permits and monitoring when groundwater discharge is possible.
After extended floor debate and questions, the House voted to approve the first substitute for HB 324; the Clerk recorded 65 yes votes and 3 no votes. The bill will be referred to the Senate for further action.
