Re: Envirocare - latest information

[GilsonDG@aol.com]

I have been asked to post this to RADSAFE to answer some of the questions and
concerns that are flying back and forth.  Please direct any questions to me
and I will be glad to connect you with the responsible manager for that area.

David Gilson
GilsonDG@aol.com
Shipping and Receiving Manager
Envirocare of Utah, Inc.
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ENVIROCARE OF UTAH, INC.
The Safe Alternative for Radioactive/Mixed Waste
Treatment and Disposal


Envirocare of Utah owns and operates a state-of-the-art low-level radioactive
and mixed hazardous and radioactive waste treatment and disposal facility
near Clive, Utah --80 miles west of Salt Lake City in Utah’s West Desert.
 Envirocare is regulated by many different state and federal agencies,
including the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Environmental Protection
Agency, and the Utah Divisions of Solid and Hazardous Waste, Radiation
Control, Air Quality, and Water Quality.  

We hold a range of licenses  --  for the disposal of Naturally Occurring
Radioactive Material, low-level radioactive waste, uranium and thorium mill
tailings, mixed low-level radioactive and hazardous waste, and mixed waste
treatment.  Each of these licenses and amendments to these licenses went
through the proper regulatory channels and extensive review.

Because of the sensationalistic stories that continue to crop up in the media
about Envirocare, we’d like to set the record straight.

Myth:	Envirocare licenses and amendments did not go through the appropriate
review process and were not subject to public notice and comment
requirements.
Fact:	Envirocare’s licenses have always complied with applicable legal
requirements. Innumerable audits and staff reviews by state and federal
agencies have shown that Envirocare has met, and continues to meet,
applicable state and federal laws and regulations regarding licensing,
design, and operation, including complying with public notice and comment
requirements.

Myth:	A 1992 Audit by the Legislative Auditor General found something wrong
with Envirocare’s operation and with our relationship with the State.
Fact:	The Legislative Auditor General spent fourteen months investigating
every conceivable aspect of the regulation of Envirocare, our licensing,
design, operation, and relationships.  As reported in the press at the time,
the Audit cleared Envirocare of any wrongdoing and added that the operation
of the facility did not threaten public health or the environment.

Myth:	Larry Anderson gave Envirocare special treatment in the licensing
process and he was lax in the enforcement of state rules involving
Envirocare.
Fact:	With the exhaustive oversight of Envirocare from many different state
and federal agencies and agency staff, it is nothing short of absurd to
suggest that at any time, one man, even if he wanted to, could covertly
circumvent the regulatory process.  Such an idea is an affront to regulated
industry, particularly in the environmental area.  Steps were taken within
the Department of Environmental Quality to insure that appropriate procedures
would be followed in regulating Envirocare, and to insure that Mr. Anderson
would not be able to be improperly lenient in regulating Envirocare. 

Myth:	Envirocare has greatly expanded the amount of radioactivity that can be
disposed at our facility.
Fact:	The radioactivity levels in the waste we have taken is about 5% of what
we could have taken under our licenses.  We have disposed of about 275 Curies
(a radioactivity measure) to date.  While the range of isotopes we can take
has expanded and is proposed for additional expansion (mostly since
Anderson’s departure) by a few dozen (not “literally hundreds,” as has been
reported in the press), it has been with necessary approvals from the State
of Utah and the Northwest Interstate Compact.  In comparison, the Hanford,
Washington, facility has disposed of more than 2,000,000 Curies and the
Barnwell, South Carolina, facility has disposed of more than 8,000,000 Curies
during the same time period.

Myth:	Envirocare goes behind the scenes to undermine potential competitors.
Fact:	Envirocare went through an exhaustive and rigorous licensing process
for all of our licenses.  It is only fair that potential competitors are
required to comply with the same strict standards imposed on Envirocare.  If
it appears that a potential competitor may not be held to the same strict
standard, Envirocare takes appropriate legal and ethical means, including
formal requests for party status in administrative and legal proceedings,  to
insure that there is a level playing field so that competition will be fair.

Myth:	Larry Anderson improperly assisted in securing land for Envirocare’s
facility.
Fact:	The land transfer was properly handled under the auspices of the State
Land and Forestry Board, with no involvement from Mr. Anderson.  This matter
was reviewed in the 1992 Legislative Audit.

Myth:	Larry Anderson improperly secured a favorable deal for Envirocare to
purchase a used railcar rollover.
Fact:	The Department of Environmental Quality wanted to sell the railcar
rollover, and passed the information along to the Utah Division of Surplus
Property (DSP).  The transaction was handled properly with the DSP, including
payment from Envirocare that was delivered by mail.

Envirocare -- The Safe Alternative

Envirocare is an important part of the solution to one of the biggest
environmental problems in the country today -- radioactive contaminated sites
across the nation need to be remediated, and the low-level radioactive waste
from those sites needs to be safely managed at an environmentally suitable
site away from human populations.  We operate a facility that uses superior
technology.  Our site, which was chosen by the Department of Energy for
disposal of this type of material after an exhaustive two-year site selection
process, is uniquely suited for the Envirocare facility.

We pay fees and taxes amounting to millions of dollars to the State of Utah
and Tooele County, and we employ 110 workers and many subcontractors.  Their
incomes have a substantial multiplying effect in the local economy.  

We wish to thank our employees and all who have supported us during these
unfortunate circumstances.  We extend our thanks and admiration to the many
fair and honest government employees involved in the regulation of our
operations.  The citizens of Utah may be assured that Envirocare is safely
and properly operated and regulated.

Khosrow B. Semnani, President
Envirocare of Utah, Inc.