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Congressman Matheson visits Utah Senate, cites wins on nuclear waste, highways and local permitting
Summary
Rep. Jim Matheson updated the Utah Senate on recent federal wins, including blocking funds for new nuclear-weapons testing, moving a radioactive-waste pile near Moab, securing a federal designation for Highway 6 and pressing for more BLM permitting resources in the Uinta Basin.
Congressman Jim Matheson (D-Utah), in a congressional update to the Utah Senate on Jan. 26, 2006, outlined recent federal actions and local priorities, saying congressional work has produced wins “that illustrate what we can do when we put Utah first.”
Matheson highlighted bipartisan success in defeating funding for new nuclear-weapons testing and in zeroing out money for the so-called bunker-buster, saying those funds were instead redirected to conventional-weapons research. He said the delegation also secured a wilderness designation that, in his view, helped block proposals to transport or store East Coast nuclear waste in Utah.
Matheson told senators he helped assemble a coalition of western stakeholders to push the Department of Energy to move a 12-million-ton pile of radioactive material away from the Colorado River near Moab, noting work is now underway to relocate the material after more than a decade of advocacy.
He discussed transportation investments he supported, including designation of Highway 6 as a federal high-priority corridor to unlock federal dollars for upgrades, and federal funding for local rail and transit projects. Matheson said the corridor designation “provides a new source of federal dollars to make the critically important upgrades.”
During questions, senators pressed Matheson on mine-safety enforcement, permitting bottlenecks at the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Vernal, and federal support for science and small-business research grants. Sen. Dimitrich raised recent mine tragedies and urged stronger mine-safety oversight; Matheson replied that Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has primacy and stressed the need to restore inspectors and enforce existing federal law rather than pursue immediate state-law changes. Sen. Evans described a permitting backlog at the Vernal BLM office; Matheson said interim steps — including some privately funded positions — have helped but that more federal staffing allocation is needed.
On representation, Matheson said he supports additional congressional seats for Utah but cautioned that at-large arrangements raise constitutional and one-person-one-vote issues. On science, Matheson said the House Science Committee is working on bipartisan measures to strengthen science education and basic research, but he did not detail specific state-level SBIR strategies.
The visit concluded after a broad round of questions. Matheson thanked senators for their time and reiterated his office’s willingness to assist with federal matters affecting Utah communities.
