Gov. Batt Gave Away The Store

Gov. Phil Batt’s nuclear waste agreement with the federal government is bad business for Idaho. The governor has committed our state to take on the incredible burden of receiving and storing the nation’s nuclear waste for the next 40 years.

What did Idaho receive in return? Consider the following:

Our state treasury will not receive a single dollar for storing nuclear waste over the nest 40 years. By contrast, when New Mexico obtained the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant project, that state was paid in excess of $200 million.

We have no commitment from the federal government to fund more jobs at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. In fact, shortly after the agreement was signed, the Republican Congress cut the INEL budget by $25 million.

There is no commitment from the government for waste cleanup. Liquid spent fuel poses the greatest danger. We have the technology to solidify the liquid waste, yet Gov. Batt’s agreement does nothing to require the government to commit funds to this project.

There is nothing in the agreement to require the federal government to commit money for new projects at the site. In fact, INEL recently lost a bid to obtain the medical isotope project. This project was given to New Mexico, even though it will cost more money than if the project was undertaken at INEL.

The only benefit that our state receives from this agreement is that, if the government does not remove the waste by the year 2035 we may receive penalty money from the government. However, upon closer inspection of this provision we learn our state will receive this money only if Congress chooses to fund the penalties. There is no guarantee that we will receive a single dollar from the government for storing this nuclear waste after 2035.

Batt’s agreement contains no requirement that the government build a permanent repository in another state. Indeed, by 2035, Congress may choose to simply fund the payment of penalties to our state and keep the waste in Idaho.

It will cost the government far more money to build a permanent repository than it will cost to simply pay the so-called penalties and keep the waste in Idaho.

Even if Congress chooses to fund the penalties in 2035, that money must be measured in terms of present value. A $20 million penalty paid in the year 2035 has a present value of only $6-7 million.

Batt accuses the Democratic legislative delegation from Bannock County of attempting to use this issue to embarrass him politically. Batt should be embarrassed. Sen. Larry Craig should be embarrassed. And Rep. Mike Crapo should be embarrassed by this agreement.

This agreement is bad business for Idaho. In the next election, let’s support candidates who will work for INEL in a meaningful way. Idaho Democrats support the INEL.

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