6,700 tons of sand containing traces of depleted uranium from Kuwait coming to US [View All]

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http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004387018_apidtoxicsand1stldwritethru.html

Contaminated sand slated for Idaho dump site

Nearly 80 rail cars loaded with contaminated sand from Kuwait are headed toward a dump in southwestern Idaho.

American Ecology Corp. is shipping about 6,700 tons of sand containing traces of depleted uranium and lead to a hazardous waste disposal site 70 miles southeast of Boise. The sand arrived by ship at Longview, Wash., this week and company officials say loads are scheduled to begin arriving in Idaho by rail in two weeks.

Transfer of the sand to the United States was first reported this week by The Daily News in Longview.

The company has previously disposed of low-level radioactive waste and hazardous materials from U.S. military bases overseas at facilities in Idaho, Nevada and Texas, said American Ecology spokesman Chad Hyslop, who is based in Boise.

"As you can imagine, the host countries of those bases don't want the waste in their country," Hyslop said.