Los Angeles Times: Andrus: New agreement sets up Idaho to become nuclear waste site
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Former Democratic Gov. Cecil Andrus said he's troubled by a new deal that would allow even small amounts of nuclear waste to be shipped to eastern Idaho.
Andrus was instrumental in negotiating an agreement in 1995 with the federal government to limit nuclear waste shipments coming into the state for any reason.
In a Jan. 11 letter obtained by the Idaho Statesman, Andrus raises questions with Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter about a new agreement that clears shipments of small amounts of waste to the Idaho National Laboratory for research.
The new agreement essentially makes Idaho a final destination for nuclear waste, Andrus said.
"The good news is the Department of Energy has found a place to store nuclear waste," Andrus said. "The bad news is it's between Idaho Falls and Arco."
Otter, a Republican, said the 880 pounds of used fuel coming to the lab annually under the new agreement was being used for research and will count toward existing limits set in the state's 1995 nuclear waste agreement with the federal government.
That agreement requires the federal government to remove all 300 tons of spent fuel at the lab by 2035, or pay the state $60,000 a day if it fails to do so.
"What this agreement does is simply set forth the process by which spent commercial fuel research can occur, recognizing and adhering to all of the limits and deadlines of the 1995 agreement," said Jon Hanian, Otter's spokesman.
Andrus, however, said the change, combined with the federal decision not to store nuclear waste at the Yucca Mountain site in Nevada, means Idaho will end up storing more nuclear waste.
In his letter, Andrus said he also finds it troubling the state is willing to get tough with the federal government on wolves and health care reform but has decided not to take a stand on allowing new sources of nuclear waste to come to the state.
Andrus teamed with former Republican Idaho Gov. Phil Batt to forge the original agreement limiting nuclear waste shipments to Idaho, fearing radioactive and toxic Cold War garbage shipped to the 890-square-mile nuclear reservation from sites including the Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant near Golden, Colo., would spread to the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer and eventually the Snake River.
Batt supports the new agreement made by Otter.
"I think it's a good deal for Idaho and a good deal for the nation," Batt said. "We are a part of the United States and should be working together to achieve energy independence. This is not a partisan issue."
Andrus said the old agreement allowed small amounts of nuclear waste for research into Idaho with a deadline for it to be removed.
John Grossenbacher, Idaho National Laboratory director, said the procedure was expensive and made long-term research programs difficult to set up — problems eliminated with the new agreement.
"The agreement gives us much more flexibility," said Grossenbacher. "We can do our job much more effectively."
Energy Department spokesman Brad Bugger said the agency has spent more than $700 million to upgrade the Idaho National Laboratory since 2005. He said the number of jobs at the lab have increased from 3,300 in 2005 to 4,075.
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