Rep. Stephen H. Urquhart, House Majority Whip

37 W. 1070 S. Ste. 102, St. George, Utah 84770

Honorable Orrin Hatch

VIA FACSIMILE

104 Hart Office Building

Washington, DC 20510

Fax No. (202) 224-6331

Senator Hatch:

I write to encourage you to quickly change your position on Yucca Mountain and to legitimately address the issue of nuclear waste storage, in order to protect Utah.

By supporting the storage site at Yucca Mountain, you currently are (1) working to promote transportation of nuclear waste through Utah, (2) working to promote the temporary storage facility in Skull Valley, and (3) wasting critical time and alienating valuable allies.  I will address each of these points below.

One, likely transportation routes to Yucca Mountain will funnel the nuclear waste directly through Utah.  This, of course, raises concerns of accidents occurring in Utah during transportation.  While it is right to oppose Skull Valley, you should be aware that transportation to Yucca Mountain would involve even more road and rail miles through Utah.  Thus, your support of Yucca Mountain makes little sense.  It is like trying to save someone from a bus by throwing him in front of a train.

Two, the basic premise behind the Skull Valley site is that it would store the waste temporarily, until Yucca Mountain is completed.  Though none of us believes the storage truly would be temporary, Skull Valley’s purported reason for being is that the Yucca Mountain facility will be built.  If Yucca Mountain is scuttled, that ruse goes away and Skull Valley goes away with it.  That is why your deciding vote to authorize Yucca Mountain and the importation of nuclear waste to the West was such a devastating blow to Utah, and why your continuing support of the site, despite the better reasoning of all your Congressional colleagues from Utah, makes so little sense.

Three, let’s not kid the people of Utah.  The legislation you propose is a political reaction to Senator Bennett’s changed position on Yucca Mountain, and it does not have a prayer of passing.  Instead of offering up such a sham, I encourage you to seriously involve yourself in this important issue.

Though I understand you are hoping for favors from the current administration, I remind you that this administration only has 3 years remaining.  Whatever it might do on this issue, a subsequent administration could reverse.  In any event, the deal you currently seek – help with Skull Valley in exchange for your invitation of nuclear waste to and through Utah for permanent storage upwind of Southern Utah – is a bad deal.  Thus, Utah’s hope should rest with Congress. 

The minority leader of the Senate is poised to help.  Unless you doubt your ability to muster support on your side of the aisle, the best strategy would be to join with the rest of Utah’s delegation and Senator Reid in opposing importation of nuclear waste to the West.  Nuclear waste should stay where it currently is located, until a better, permanent solution is reached.  Congress should shift funding away from short-sighted solutions like Yucca Mountain toward technology that can more effectively address the problems and opportunities presented by the spent rods.

If you are not willing to join in this fight to protect Utah, I am.

Sincerely,

Steve Urquhart