The Obama administration won't appeal a decision over a nuclear waste facility on the Skull Valley Goshute Reservation in Utah.

On July 26, Judge David M. Ebel ruled that the Interior Department 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 Obama administration had until Friday to file a notice of appeal. The deadline passed without comment from the department.

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.

Ebel remanded the matter back to Interior for another decision. Politicians in Utah say they will continue to fight against it.

Get the Story:
Interior won’t fight ruling on nuclear site (The Salt Lake Tribune 9/28)

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:
Opinion: Storing nuclear waste on Goshute Reservation bad idea (9/1)
Tim Vollman: Skull Valley Band wins right to nuclear waste facility (8/30)
Secretary Salazar won't commit to appeal on Goshute nuclear site (08/04)
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)