Energy Solutions has been trying for a decade to take depleted uranium (also called DU), which is a byproduct of producing fissionable material for nuclear power plants and weapons.
Utah regulators have held off, so now the company is asking for an exemption to take just some old DU-containing munitions currently stored at Tooele Army Depot and in Indiana. The state will seek public comment on the plan.
DU has a lower percentage of radioactive isotopes than natural uranium. Because it’s less radioactive but still 68 percent more dense than lead, DU has been used by weapons makers to make high-density bullets that can pierce armor.