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Plan to bury uranium in Utah scrutinized as decision nears

In this Wednesday, May 6, 2015, photo, a caution sign hangs on a fence in front of a building that houses depleted uranium at the EnergySolutions facility in Clive, Utah.State regulators on Monday, Monday, May 11, 2015, cited a number of concerns they need resolved before approving a plan to bury in Utah's western desert a type of nuclear waste that grows more radioactive over a million years. The Utah Department of Environmental Quality released a 250-page report Monday that examines a plan from Salt Lake City-based EnergySolutions to store depleted uranium at its site about 80 miles west of Salt Lake City. The company said its plan would allow for it to safely bury the waste in a way that weathers changes in climate, civilization and other disruptions.  (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
In this Wednesday, May 6, 2015, photo, a caution sign hangs on a fence in front of a building that houses depleted uranium at the EnergySolutions facility in Clive, Utah.State regulators on Monday, Monday, May 11, 2015, cited a number of concerns they need resolved before approving a plan to bury in Utah's western desert a type of nuclear waste that grows more radioactive over a million years. The Utah Department of Environmental Quality released a 250-page report Monday that examines a plan from Salt Lake City-based EnergySolutions to store depleted uranium at its site about 80 miles west of Salt Lake City. The company said its plan would allow for it to safely bury the waste in a way that weathers changes in climate, civilization and other disruptions. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) In this Wednesday, May 6, 2015, photo, a caution sign hangs on a fence in front of a building that houses depleted uranium at the EnergySolutions facility in Clive, Utah.State regulators on Monday, Monday, May 11, 2015, cited a number of concerns they need resolved before approving a plan to bury in Utah's western desert a type of nuclear waste that grows more radioactive over a million years. The Utah Department of Environmental Quality released a 250-page report Monday that examines a plan from Salt Lake City-based EnergySolutions to store depleted uranium at its site about 80 miles west of Salt Lake City. The company said its plan would allow for it to safely bury the waste in a way that weathers changes in climate, civilization and other disruptions. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

CLIVE, Utah (AP) – A waste disposal company is trying to reassure regulators and residents that a type of nuclear waste that grows more radioactive can remain safely buried in a barren, remote area of northwest Utah.

A handful of Utah residents recently attended open houses to scrutinize EnergySolutions’ plan. The Salt Lake City company would bring up to 700,000 metric tons of depleted uranium to Utah and store it underground.

The meetings come as EnergySolutions works to answer final concerns from state regulators about how the site will withstand the changes of time and geologic shifts.

The plan will go through a 45-day public comment process later this year that state officials say will play a big role in whether they’ll allow the waste to be buried in Utah.