The Obama administration hasn't decided whether to appeal a decision over a nuclear waste facility on the Skull Valley Goshute Reservation, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said in Utah on Tuesday.

Salazar is facing pressure from Utah's Congressional delegation and other politicians in the state to appeal. But he said the Interior Department is still reviewing the July 26 decision.

Judge David M. Ebel ruled that DOI acted in an "arbitrary and capricious" manner when it rejected a lease for the facility and a rail line to the reservation. The decision was made during the Bush administration.

The tribe signed a lease with Private Fuel Storage to store up to 44,000 tons of nuclear waste on a 100-acre site on the 18,000-acre reservation. The waste would be restricted to an 18-acre portion of the site.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved a license for the project. But DOI officials tried to get the tribe to drop its plans and, at one point, former deputy secretary J. Steven Griles offered to add land to the reservation and expand hunting and fishing rights.

Get the Story:
Salazar won’t commit to Skull Valley appeal (The Salt Lake Tribune 8/4)
Utahns give Salazar an earful on public lands (The Salt Lake Tribune 8/4)

Also Today:
Rethink on Utah used fuel storage project (World Nuclear News 8/4)

District Court Decision:
Skull Valley Band of Goshute Indians v. DOI (July 26, 2010)

Interior Decision Documents:
Skull Valley Band Nuclear Waste Repository

Related Stories:
Utah politicians urge appeal on Skull Valley Goshute nuclear waste (8/3)
Politicians promise battle on Goshute Band nuclear waste facility (7/28)
Judge blasts Bush decision on Goshute Band nuclear waste facility (7/27)
Judge holds hearing over rejected Goshute nuclear dump (3/23)
Skull Valley Goshutes sue DOI over lease rejection (7/18)
Court puts off challenge to Goshute nuclear (6/27)
Interior called Goshute chairman on cell phone (09/14)
Goshute chairman blasts Interior on waste deal (9/13)
Editorial: Interior, the imprudent trustee (9/11)
Interior rejects Skull Valley nuclear waste dump (9/8)
Goshute Tribe rejects Griles deal as 'disingenuous' (4/24)