Reader comments: Decision delayed on importing nuclear waste
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Blaine N. Howard | 11:01 a.m. Oct. 15, 2008
The decision about allowing radioactive waste to be imported from Italy should be considered a business decision not a health and safety issue. The confusion arises from the misunderstanding about the health effects of very low levels of ionizing radiation. It has been widely publicized by the news media,the regulatory agencies, and anti-nuclear activists that the tiniest amount of ionizing radiation adds to the cancer risk. THIS IS NOT TRUE! There is more scientific evidence that low dose radiation is beneficial to health than there is to the contrary. Jim Matheson's claim that he is protecting the health of the citizens of Utah by opposing the importation of Italian waste is not valid. There is no danger to health from such waste when it is handled according to regulatory standards. THIS IS STRICTLY A BUSINESS DECISION and if someone wants to pay Energy Solutions millions of dollars to take care of the waste why should we try to stop them. After all, a significant amount of this money will go the the state of Utah in taxes so EVERYONE SHOULD BENEFIT.
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It is to be stored in a wasteland nobody wants. The prevailing winds are from the West so even if it did leak nothing worthwhile would be hurt. Wendover, Nevada and the casinos would be OK. Anything to the East isn't worth worrying about anyway. All dead and dry wasteland no one could even tell was radiated.