b'P ROVING THE P RINCIPLEThe mission effectively dissolvedA n dr ua s e ds s thoughts of a nuclear-b economic renaissance in southeastIdaho, although he continued to supportnew initiatives for the NRTS. It inter-fered with the boost machine campaignsfor expansion of the NRTS and lent anus against the world patina to the feel-ings of east Idaho residents. The highpublic profile of the issue eventuallygave the NRTS an image, at least inmore distant parts of the state, as a placeof great danger and risk. Grass-rootspolitical movements found a target forenvironmental and anti-proliferationp r ot ets s.The first skirmish in the campaign toBoise State University Library remove waste began with an AEC pro-The December 1973 press tour took the governor already at the NRTS, but also from posal to build an above-ground vault(foreground) and reporters to the Chem Plant. other sources. After all, in dealing with for the storage of spent fuel from com-the waste already present, the NRT S mercial power plants. The candidatewas acquiring a unique expertise in sites were Hanford, Nevada, and Idaho.Then Bradley told him that TRU waste that field. He expected research and The AEC released a draft EIS (environ-from the A rgonne Laboratory in development funding towards that end mental impact statement), numberedIllinois was headed for Idaho. A n d r u s to bring $1.1 million into Idaho inWASH-1539 for its origin at AECtold Bradley he suspected the A ECFY 1975. 14 Headquarters, in September 1974 and capable of letting the NRTS gradually solicited comments for a hearing inevolve into a large burial ground by But an interim storage plan that November.sending one small shipment of waste might last thirty to fifty years lookedafter another and calling it interim. too much like de factopermanent to Andrus swiftly named a Blue RibbonIn the eyes of the press particularly, Andrus. Despite the view held by Study Commission, raising an aware-this shipment was going to look like A n d rus s office, in southeast Idaho, ness of the issue all over Idaho, and another step in the wrong direction. 13 and among others that the NRTS was charged it with reviewing the draft and practicing the best safety methods in making recommendations. TheBradley reminded him that the ship- handling all of its waste, and that nei- Commission absorbed public attentionment was consistent with Dixy Lee ther public health nor the Snake River instead of Andrus, who was running forRay s earlier letter and did not contra- Plain Aquifer was in jeopardy, the re-election as governor. The president of dict any of the assurances she had State of Idaho embarked on a mission Idaho State University, William E.made. It was, on the other hand, quite that would dominate its relationship Davis, was the chairman. Other mem-possible that the NRTS might qualify with the NRTS for the rest of the cen- bers included Cyril Slansky from theas the best site for an interim storage tury: to make the AEC remove buried Sites Chem Plant, Al Wilson of INEC,facility that would reprocess and Rocky Flats waste from Idaho. 15 Kent Just of the Idaho Falls Chamber of repackage not only the TRU waste Commerce, and representatives of orga-20 8'