Comment sought on nuclear shipment

Federal nuclear industry regulators are seeking comments on a plan to import 20,000 tons of radioactive waste and debris from Italy through Charleston or New Orleans.

EnergySolutions, which runs the radioactive waste dump in Barnwell County, wants to recycle and treat some of the material in Tennessee and bury the rest in its landfill in Utah.

Before the company can begin shipping the waste to the United States, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission must grant EnergySolutions a license. The commission began fielding comments on the proposal Monday. The comment period ends March 12.

Congressional representatives from Utah and Tennessee have questioned the import plan, saying it sets a bad precedent.

In South Carolina, a bipartisan group of 10 lawmakers, including state Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell, R-Charleston, recently sponsored a resolution asking the NRC to deny the license.

The resolution says the "importation of foreign waste is an issue that not only South Carolina must strongly resist but also that the United States must stand firmly against."

Mark Walker, director of media relations for EnergySolutions, said the company believes it's "entirely appropriate for the South Carolina Legislature or any other interested party to weigh in during the public comment period."

The company's letter also said that none of the material from Italy would be disposed of in Barnwell or in municipal landfills in the United States.

Tom Clements, a coordinator for Friends of the Earth in South Carolina, said his group opposes the EnergySolutions plan.

"Italy should deal with its own waste and not dump it in the U.S.," he said, adding that his group will push to extend the comment period from 30 days to 90 days.

Comments can be e-mailed to secy@nrc.gov through March 12. Written comments can be sent to: Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C. 20555-0001, Attention: Rulemakings and Adjudications Staff.

Information about public participation in the NRC's review is available at: www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/cfr/part110/