The Alliance and several members have voiced concern about how little public information has been provided to support an exemption from federal licensing for a shipment of “hot” water to the US Ecology hazardous waste disposal site in Grand View, Idaho. The proposed shipment of 200,000 gallons of water from the Vermont Yankee Power Station would includes low levels of gamma and beta emitting isotopes. Vermont Yankee would normally send this radioactive water to a federally-licensed facility in Clive, Utah.
The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality submitted no comments either supporting or objecting to the shipment being exempted from the regular federal licensing requirements. The agency was not able to assure us that the public would be fully informed of the actual level of radioactivity found in the shipment. (See letter). The Alliance does not believe this shipment in and of itself will be a public health concern. However, we have requested a meeting with US Ecology and will report back what we learn to our members and potentially affected communities.