Utah's Toxic Opportunity

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That local skirmish, however, is dwarfed by national issues. Under pressure from Utah Senator Orrin Hatch, four of the original eight utilities in the consortium recently halted further investment in the project. PFS's Parkyn expects other utilities, particularly those with decommissioned plants, to step in as the project comes online in phases. "It is cheaper to ship to Utah than to build a dry storage site," he says. "And how can you guard spent fuel forever after a plant shuts down?" He expects the 31 other states with nuclear fuel stored at home to support both Yucca and PFS projects.

On the reservation, two women confront each other across a weed-choked yard. Bullcreek's run-down house is surrounded by old tires and broken furniture. "It would be nice to live comfortably," she says. "But we want to maintain our heritage--not be a dumping ground for the domineering society." In contrast, Lori Skiby, 44, the Goshutes' vice chairwoman, has built a $100,000 house thanks to utility-funded tribal loans. "Traditional values don't put a roof over your head," she counters. Both say they want the same thing: for their children and grandchildren to live a good, safe life on the reservation. How to accomplish that is a dilemma of the nuclear age.