Congressman Salazar pushes for permanent diversion of radioactive waste away from Conejos County today

Conejos County Commissioners request permanent solution

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Congressman John Salazar asked U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu to make the current diversion of low level radioactive waste away from Conejos County a permanent one. The waste is being shipped from Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico to Clive, Utah.

Below is a copy of Congressman Salazar’s request:

June 2, 2010

Steven Chu, Secretary

Department of Energy

1000 Independence Ave., SW

Washington, DC 20585

Re. Shipment of Class 9 and Class 7 remediation waste through Conejos County, Colorado

Dear Mr. Secretary:

As you may recall, I wrote you on May 24,, 2010, regarding my concerns with the shipment of Class 9 and Class 7 remediation waste from Los Alamos National Labs through Conejos County, Colorado. In that letter, I asked you to use all discretion to continue to divert these shipments out of Conejos County until an agreement could be reached among Conejos County, Energy Solutions and the San Luis and Rio Grande Railroad that might be satisfactory to my constituents. I appreciate your attention to that request and the temporary suspension of those shipments since May 25th while the parties worked on such an agreement.

I write you again today after receiving a letter from the Conejos County Board of Commissioners on June 1 asking my assistance in requesting a permanent redirection of those shipments out of Conejos County. After personally discussing their concerns, I am asking today that you use all discretion to respect their concerns and permanently redirect the shipments of this waste. As a proud Conejos County native, many of these constituents are my friends and neighbors.

Thank you again for your consideration. Please keep my Alamosa office informed of any developments related to this matter.

Sincerely,

John T. Salazar
Member of Congress

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