Bowen Calls on Rob Bishop to Support Bill Banning Foreign Nuclear Waste

Hyde Park, Utah. - Congressional candidate Morgan Bowen expressed his support today for a bill that would outlaw the importation of foreign nuclear waste country-wide. This is of particular importance to citizens of the 1st Congressional district, who are facing an attempt to have hundreds of additional tons of nuclear waste transported to a disposal facility in Tooele County.

The bipartisan bill H.R 5632, which would prohibit the importation of certain low-level radioactive waste into the United States, was introduced on March 13th by Rep. Bart Gordan (D-TN) and co-sponsored by Utah's Jim Matheson and Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY). It was then referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee.

Utah-based Energy Solutions issued a press release the same day opposing the bill. It is currently seeking a license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to import nuclear waste from Italy. If their request is successful, 1,600 additional tons of nuclear waste would end up at Clive in Tooele County. If the NRC approves such a license, it may be the first of many. A bill banning all imported nuclear waste is therefore necessary to guarantee that Utah will not be subjected to foreign nuclear waste now or in the future.

“Energy Solutions is a politically powerful business in this state and has made large contributions to most of the Utah delegation. Jim Matheson has acted courageously in introducing this bill despite the pressure he has no doubt received from Energy Solutions. I call on my opponent, Rob Bishop, to express similar courage and make a public statement in support of a bill that is so clearly in the interests of his constituents as well as the entire country.”, stated Morgan Bowen.