Pam Schuller
Bureau of Land Management,
Salt Lake Field Office
2370 S. 2300 W.
Salt Lake City, UT 84119

RE: My Comments on PFS Right of Way and Transfer Facility

Dear Ms. Schuller,

I strongly urge the BLM to deny a right-of-way for Private Fuel Storage (PFS) to transfer or haul high-level nuclear waste across public land to the Skull Valley Goshute Reservation. This project is extremely inappropriate, dangerous and unwise. It is inconsistent with BLM’s management plan and not at all in the interest of American citizens nor Utah residents. Furthermore, PFS is not qualified to receive a permit for this project and it lacks the technical and financial capabilities to carry out the project.

Constructing a high-level nuclear waste transfer facility next to Interstate-80 creates a significant health and economic risk to the region if there were an accident or intentional act of sabotage. As a concerned American, I join a large majority of Utah residents in opposing the transportation and storage of nuclear waste in Utah.

Over half of the utility companies that created PFS have either dropped out of the consortium or have announced they will not give any more money to the project. The Department of Energy has said it cannot contribute money to the project because it would violate federal law. Thus, the financial capabilities to complete the project are in doubt, especially if there were an accident requiring significant funds to clean up the site.

In addition, granting a right-of-way for the construction of a rail-line would undermine the recent designation of wilderness in this area.

For all of these reasons, the BLM should uphold its responsibility to the American people by denying a right-of-way to haul nuclear waste across public lands or the granting of a permit to construct a transfer facility on public lands to PFS.