Updated . . .

EnergySolutions has a PR problem with Utah big enough to engulf an NBA arena. Many Utahns, including Congressman Jim Matheson, Gov. Jon Huntsman and Downwinders went a little nuts over news that EnergySolutions is angling for permit to bring Italian radioactive waste to its landfill near Clive in Tooele County.

Their argument basically goes like this: American nuclear waste is bad enough, but foreign waste? NO WAY.

So you can understand how disturbing it was for those Utahns to learn that Brazillian radioactive laundry may have been destined for Utah and then, that Canadian, Mexican, Taiwanese, British and German low-level N-waste is already buried at the landfill in Tooele County. The Tribune's Judy Fahys reported:

Federal regulators gave their blessing to low-level radioactive waste from Canada and Mexico that is now buried in Utah.
But Utah never got the memo. Nor did the regional radioactive waste oversight organization Utah belongs to [Northwest Compact].

Now those skeptical Utahns think EnergySolutions is being sneaky.

In an attempt to control the fall out (metaphorically, not literally) from the surprising news, EnergySolutions Senior Vice President of Government Relations and Communications Jill Sigal met Tuesday with several Tribune reporters and editors.

I attended the meeting with one question: Why doesn't EnergySolutions — a good corporate neighbor — build trust and credibility with Utahns by being more transparent about what it is up to? At least tell us when some Utah-bound radioactive waste from overseas is in the regulatory pipeline. EnergySolutions can knock itself out convincing us why it's a good idea on the EnergySolutions website.

Quick disclaimer: I think nuclear power should be part of America's energy policy. I accept that the radioactive waste from N-plants, research and medical treatment has to go somewhere. Utah is as good place as any for it.

As I bugged Sigal for an answer, she told me I was "hostile" and was not willing to comprehend how the radioactive waste industry and the laws that govern it operate:

If anybody has a less hostile question, I'll be glad to answer.

After I kept pestering her about why EnergySolutions can't be more open about what is going into the Clive landfill — even though the letter of the law does not require it, she finally said, in frustration:

I'm happy to take that suggestion back to EnergySolutions management.

Was that so hard?

Update: At a debate Tuesday, Huntsman laid the blame on federal regulators for letting radioactive waste from foreign countries go to the EnergySolutions landfill.

Shame on the United States for doing that. The United States government did not inform our regulators and did not inform the Northwest Compact (the regional regulatory group).