Utah congressman’s spokeswoman: DOE has decided to dispose of SC depleted uranium in Utah

Congressman’s spokeswoman: SC waste going to Utah

SALT LAKE CITY — A spokeswoman for Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Matheson of Utah says the Department of Energy has decided it will begin shipping thousands of drums of low-level radioactive waste from South Carolina for disposal in Utah.

Alyson Heyrend says the department informed Matheson’s office of its decision Thursday.

Matheson had asked the agency to halt shipments of depleted uranium from the Savannah River Site until the Nuclear Regulatory Commission finalizes rules for how the material should be disposed of.

Depleted uranium is different from other low-level radioactive waste disposed of in Utah because it becomes more radioactive over time.

The regulatory commission isn’t expected to finalize its rules until 2012 at the earliest.