Politicians in Utah should work with the Skull Valley Band of Goshutes even though they oppose the tribe's plans to store nuclear waste on the reservation, a historian said at a Utah Valley State College forum.

Utah State history professor David Rich Lewis said the idea of storing waste in the state rightfully stirs fear and opposition. But he said state leaders who are unwilling to compromise are guilty of paternalism and environmental racism.

The tribe's leader, Leon Bear, signed a lease with Private Fuel Storage, a consortium of utility companies, to store up to 44,000 tons of waste on the reservation. Some tribal members oppose the deal.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has granted PFS a license to build the waste facility. Utah politicians are trying to do everything they can at the state and federal level to stop the project.

Get the Story:
Waste raises questions of tribes' sovereignty (The Provo Daily Herald 3/7)
Work with Goshutes, USU historian says (The Deseret Morning News 3/7)

Relevant Links:
Skull Valley Goshute Tribe - http://www.skullvalleygoshutes.org
Private Fuel Storage - http://www.privatefuelstorage.com

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