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Ketchum, ID 83340-1013 208.726.8060 Voice 208.726.2329 Fax |
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© 2002 Express Publishing Inc. All Rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Express Publishing Inc. is prohibited. |
For the week of August 14 - 20, 2002
No disappearing act
A federal judge took away the U.S. Department of Energy’s magic wand this week.
The department had planned to reclassify one million gallons of highly radioactive nuclear waste to "incidental" waste. It looked like an unprecedented disappearing act.
Reclassification would allow the DOE to duck its agreement with Idaho to remove the waste from the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory to a permanent storage facility. Instead, the DOE wants to enclose tanks of radioactive sludge in cement and leave them stored 500 feet above the Snake River Aquifer.
The aquifer is a key source of water for southern Idaho. Its underground waters eventually emerge near Twin Falls.
The DOE’s magic didn’t work on a federal judge. The judge this week told the DOE that it couldn’t just wave its magic wand and make highly radioactive waste disappear by changing its name. The judge ordered the DOE to defend its decision—or rescind the sleight of hand.
Good for the judge. Disappearing acts are best left to professional magicians—not to government agencies who are supposed to be in the business of protecting the public.
The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.