Western environmental groups that have attempted to block construction of a 3,000-megawatt nuclear power plant near Green River, Utah, are backing away from a legal battle over water rights, saying this will force project leader Blue Castle Holdings to begin paying for water rights they cannot afford.
“We frankly do not believe they have those resources,” said HEAL Utah executive director Matt Pacenza, one of the groups that took Blue Castle to court over water rights, claiming the draw of massive amounts of water for nuclear plant cooling would strain water resources in the area, threatening endangered species and local recreation options.
The Utah Court of Appeals ruled in late July in favor of Blue Castle, which had been challenged by environmental groups HEAL Utah, Uranium Watch and Living Rivers.
The groups have spent almost 10 years confronting Blue Castle. But now they say they are calling the company's bluff by stepping aside from the environmental argument and forcing Blue Castle to begin paying for water rights, even though the company, they say, does not have the finances to do so.
“It's a project we're confident is going nowhere,” the Associated Press quoted Pacenza as saying.
But Blue Castle attorney David Wright indicated that Blue Castle would make the water rights payments and that he was pleased he court battle was over – even as he expressed confidence that the state's highest court would have supported the district court's ruling.