The state of Utah is continuing its fight against the Skull Valley Goshute Tribe's plan to store up to 44,000 tons of nuclear waste on the reservation.

A board of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission recommended approval of the $3 billion facility, overriding concerns of a plane crash from a nearby Air Force base. The ruling means a license could be issued by the NRC within a month, according to a state official.

State officials and lawmakers have tried to stop the waste dump but have failed nearly every attempt. The state attorney general's office paid some legal fees for members of the tribe who oppose the facility and chairman Leon Bear, who is under indictment for theft and tax fraud charges.

Get the Story:
A Tribe, Nimble and Determined, Moves Ahead With Nuclear Storage Plan (The New York Times 2/28)
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Huntsman to D.C.: Utah is no nuclear waste dump (The Salt Lake Tribune 2/28)

Public Decision:
In the matter of Private Fuel Storage (February 24, 2005)

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

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