Inel Waste May Be Moved

A Utah company is working with the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory on a process for permanently disposing of mixed radioactive and hazardous waste that could lead to permanent removal of thousands of cubic yards of waste from Idaho.

Envirocare is working with 110,000 pounds of radioactive lead shipped from INEL to its Tooele County dump west of Salt Lake City. The company is using Energy Department technology to encase the lead in plastic and then storing it in its own dump.

If the process proves financially viable, it could mean over 80,000 cubic yards of mixed waste would be permanent removed from the INEL for processing and storage in Utah.