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House approves task force on hazardous and radioactive waste after debate on scope and agency role
Summary
Senate Bill 172, creating a task force to study waste issues and potential disposal-rate oversight, passed the House unanimously after amendments changed the committee’s makeup and prompted debate over explicitly adding 'radioactive' and whether the Public Service Commission should have jurisdiction to set disposal rates.
The Utah House on March 3 approved Senate Bill 172, a bill establishing a task force to study hazardous and other waste issues, after extended floor debate over the task force’s membership and whether the effort should explicitly include radioactive waste and explore giving the Public Service Commission a role in disposal rates.
Representative Alexander offered Amendment Number 1 (pink sheet) to change the task force composition to 16 members, adjusting the Senate and House allocation and placing limits on the number of members from the majority party. After a motion to reconsider an earlier amendment so the new language would align, the House adopted the revised amendment.
Representative Morgan proposed language adding the word 'radioactive' before 'hazardous' in the bill title and to allow the Public Service Commission (PSC) to set disposal rates. Morgan said that clarifying the focus on radioactive waste would avoid conflating the subject with ordinary household trash or minor hazardous items and would ensure the task force studied the correct scope. Several members questioned whether the PSC currently regulates any waste materials and whether it had the staff or expertise to take on a new regulatory area; Representative Bennion and Representative Perez both opposed adding PSC authority at this time.
A substitute motion that sought a broader inclusion of radioactive waste and consideration of PSC authority was debated and divided. Supporters urged a broad study; critics cautioned that adding PSC authority could create regulatory mismatch. After debate and further procedural steps, the House voted to pass Senate Bill 172; the clerk recorded 703 yes votes and 0 no votes, and the bill was referred to the Senate.
Quote: “I just think that we need to be very clear that what we're dealing with here with this task force is radioactive waste and not just hazardous waste,” Representative Morgan said during debate.
