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Senate advances bill to bar limited liability and easements for high-level nuclear waste transport
Summary
Senate Bill 177 would remove government-limited liability for entities transporting high-level radioactive waste through Utah and prohibit granting easements or rights-of-way for common carriers transporting such waste; the Senate moved the bill to the third-reading calendar with broad support.
Senate Bill 177, aimed at preventing the transport and reception of high-level radioactive waste in Utah, was advanced by the Senate to the third-reading calendar following a sponsor—s floor explanation.
Senator Blackcomb described two principal effects of the bill: first, it would eliminate government-granted limited liability for officers and owners of enterprises transporting high-level radioactive waste through the state; second, it would prevent granting an easement or other interest that could authorize a common carrier to transport such waste into Utah by rail or road. "This bill eliminates that limited liability," the sponsor said, arguing that the state should not extend that privilege to an industry the legislature does not want within Utah.
Senators asked a few clarifying questions and then called the question; the measure was recorded as having received 27 ayes, no nays and 2 absent and passed to the third-reading calendar. The bill's sponsor presented it as both a liability and a rights-of-way prohibition intended to remove legal and logistical pathways for high-level radioactive waste transport.
