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(KSL News) -- After taking heat for trying to change the law to allow hotter radioactive waste from the Fernald plant in Ohio to come to Utah, Envirocare is calling off the plan.
Envirocare has withdrawn its license amendment request with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Senior Vice President, Envirocare: "This pretty much ends the Fernald Waste project. We have no plans at this time to pursue this material from Ohio."
Envirocare insists the decision had nothing to do with safety or health, but that once it decided to let Utah have the final say on waste the timing was off and the Energy Department had to pursue other options.
Environmentalists say public pressure brought about the change.
Jason Groenewold, 'Heal Utah': "If it weren't for Utahns speaking out so loudly and demanding good representation from our congressmen, demanding that we don't want hotter waste in Utah, Envirocare wouldn't have backed off."
The waste could still be trucked through Utah if the Energy Department decides to bury the waste at the Nevada test site.
