Goshute Tribe questions state's new stance on nuclear

Friday, October 26, 2007  

The Skull Valley Goshute Tribe is questioning why some state Republicans all of a sudden support the nuclear industry.

The tribe has been trying to open a nuclear waste facility on its reservation. The state has spent 10 years and millions of dollars in efforts to block the project.

But now some lawmakers are proposing to build nuclear reactors. And even Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. (R), who opposes the Goshute facility, says he is open to nuclear power.

"My first thought was, 'Why they are doing it,' since they have been opposed to what we have been doing for 10 years at least," Goshute Chairman Leon Bear told The Salt Lake Tribune.

Still, Bear says a shift could help the tribe with its nuclear waste dump. The tribe has won approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission but the Interior Department has rejected the project. The tribe is appealing DOI's decisions.

Get the Story:
Legislators fought Goshutes' nuke waste dump - but now consider reactors (The Salt Lake Tribune 10/26)

Interior Decision Documents:
Skull Valley Band Nuclear Waste Repository

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

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