The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday refused to invalidate the Bureau of Indian Affairs' conditional approval of a nuclear waste dump on the Skull Valley Goshute Reservation in Utah.

In an unpublished decision, a three-judge panel said tribal members who oppose the dump have not exhausted all their challenges within the Department of Interior.

The BIA gave conditional approval to a lease between the tribe and eight private companies that want to store up to 40,000 tons of nuclear waste on the reservation. Tribal members have challenged the BIA's decision and have four complaints before the Interior Board of Indian Appeal, according to The Salt Lake Tribune.

In addition to the tribal members, the state of Utah has lost a decision against the BIA. The 10th Circuit refused to divulge private financial information about the lease to the state, which opposes the dump.

Get the Story:
Goshute dissidents rebuffed by federal court, told to pursue other avenues (The Salt Lake Tribune 3/6)

Get the Decision:
Blackbear v. Norton (March 5, 2004)

Relevant Links:
Skull Valley Goshute Tribe - http://www.skullvalleygoshutes.org

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