State Rep Says Disposal Could Be Dangerous
Burnam says the documents show that the landfill could be dangerously close to groundwater tables. Photo courtesy flickr.com/photos/kmartby David Barer, KUT News
There’s a new twist in a controversial plan to store radioactive waste at a landfill in West Texas. State Representative Lon Burnam (D-Fort Worth) says internal state documents show that the landfill could be dangerously close to groundwater tables.
Burnham said he can’t disclose more information because he had to sign a confidentiality agreement in order to see the documents, which are not open to the public. But he asked the attorney general’s office to allow the papers to be released.
The disposal site, operated by Dallas-based Waste Control Specialists, is due to receive radioactive waste as soon as Monday.
“I understand that they want to open up the site next week, but they’re not ready,” Burnam said. “They’re not ready because quite possibly some way or another they’ve gotten away with misrepresenting the facts.”
Waste Control Specialists is owned by Harold Simmons – one of the largest donors to conservative politicians in the state. The company calls Burnam’s allegations “absolutely false” and “a political stunt.”
