Newsroom: Press Releases

Dec.15, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Salt Lake City, UT--Congressman Jim Matheson today released the following statement:

Salt Lake City, UT—Congressman Jim Matheson said today he has many questions about the terms of a new contract awarded for radioactive tailings cleanup at the old Atlas site near Moab. Matheson succeeded in getting Congress to set a 2019 deadline for completion. The Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded a five-year contract worth $121.2 million to Portage, Inc. The scope of work is for removal of 3.1 million tons of tailings.

Since remediation work at the site along the banks of the Colorado River began in February 2009, more than 4.6 million tons of the 16 million tons of radioactive mill tailings have been safely removed to a secure, environmentally controlled storage site.

“Congress passed legislation requiring the cleanup to be completed by 2019. I do not understand why DOE issued a five-year contract instead of contracting for the full eight years. Even more concerning is the fact that the scope of work outlined in the contract does not appear to be even close to the level of cleanup required to finish the job on time. I remain committed to seeing that DOE completes this project on the schedule set out by Congress. The health and safety of Utahns as well as the 25 million downstream users of the Colorado River is at stake,” said Matheson. “Taxpayers will also realize savings from a more rapid completion.”

Washington, D.C.—Congressman Jim Matheson said his bill—H.R. 818-- to help a rural Utah county’s water needs has passed the House and Senate and is now headed to the President’s desk for signing.
 
“This measure allows the Uintah County water district to repay money ahead of schedule. That benefits taxpayers and water users in the county,” said Matheson.  “It will also help better manage and utilize water for the benefit of economic growth.”
 
The Uintah Water Conservancy District includes most of Uintah County.  The District entered into a repayment contract with the federal government in 1976 to repay all reimbursable costs associated with the Jensen Unit of the Central Utah Project.  The project’s purpose was to supply water for irrigation, industrial and municipal use in central and eastern Utah. The water district asked the Bureau of Reclamation to be allowed to make prepayments on the amounts it owes to the government which it estimates would reduce the cost of the water.
 

Washington, D.C.—Congressman Jim Matheson successfully passed his bill to help a rural Utah county’s water needs. Matheson’s H.R. 818 – legislation on behalf of the Uintah Water Conservancy District—passed the House overwhelmingly.

“This measure allows the Uintah County water district to repay money ahead of schedule. That benefits taxpayers and water users in the county,” said Matheson. “it will also help better manage and utilize water for the benefit of economic growth.”

October 28, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Salt Lake City, UT--Congressman Jim Matheson released the following statement from his Utah campaign office Friday:

"There has been a great deal of speculation during the past several months about whether I will consider entering the U.S. Senate race.  After consulting my family, I have made the decision that I will not run in next year's Senate election."

Congressman Jim Matheson issued the following statement in response to an announcement today by his fellow Utah delegation colleague Jason Chaffetz:

“The decision to run for office is a big step and it involves serious discussions with family, friends and advisors. I am sure Jason’s announcement comes on the heels of that type of extensive deliberation and I wish him well in his future endeavors.

“I am engaged in the same sort of thoughtful process, independent of Jason’s decision.

“I am committed to serving the state of Utah. I am proud to advocate for our state. Many have encouraged me to run for statewide office, and I am currently evaluating the opportunities to best continue my work,” said Matheson.

Washington, D.C.—Congressman Jim Matheson said today he is voting for an amendment repealing the military’s “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that prohibits military service by openly gay men and women. The repeal would take effect only after the President transmits a written certification signed by the President, Defense Secretary and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff stating that ending the ban would not harm the military.

Matheson supported a similar amendment to a defense spending bill last spring. Since that time, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen released results of a Pentagon study concluding that—if implemented correctly—repeal of the policy would not harm military readiness. That 9-month study included a survey of military personnel. 70% of those surveyed believe a change in the law would have either a positive, mixed or no effect on morale or readiness.

“Anyone who is willing to put on the uniform of America’s armed forces and put his or her life on the line to protect our freedoms deserves respect for their commitment to our nation,” said Matheson.

Washington, D.C.—Congressman Jim Matheson said the alarming news of another oil leak near the area of Red Butte Creek has federal pipeline safety inspectors hurrying to the scene.

Matheson said US Department of Transportation officials tell him that they were notified at approximately 2 a.m. by Chevron Pipeline that approximately 100 barrels of crude oil condensate had been released. This crude oil pipeline transports crude from Rangeley, Colorado to the refineries in Salt Lake City.

Washington D.C.—Congressman Jim Matheson said today that a request to a federal agency from a Utah company to bring in radioactive waste from Germany is a reminder that the issue about the U.S becoming the home to foreign waste is unresolved.

“This underscores the need for my bill to prohibit the importation of foreign radioactive waste and not leave it up to individual business decisions,” said Matheson. “There is still time for the Senate to pass HR 515 this year and set good public policy once and for all.”

Matheson’s statement is in response to a Utah company’s request to import up to 1,000 tons of radioactive waste from Germany to its facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The firm says it will incinerate the waste and package the leftover ash for shipment back to Germany. The import license request to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission triggers a public comment period during which written comments on the license request may be submitted to the NRC.

Washington, D.C.—Congressman Jim Matheson’s effort to support research into minimizing water usage in new nuclear power plants is part of a bipartisan nuclear energy research bill. The legislation—HR 5866—the Nuclear Energy Research and Development Act of 2010—is expected to pass the House Monday.

Matheson is a member of the House Science and Technology Committee which advanced the bill this summer.

“Climate change and the growing demand for electricity dictate that nuclear power is an important part of our energy future,” said Matheson. “Current technology requires large amounts of water which, in the West, is a scarce and often over-allocated resource. We need to look at alternative cooling methods.”