Next week, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission will formally begin inviting the public and affected government agencies to weigh in on EnergySolutions' application to accept low-level radioactive waste from Italy.
But the agency is already welcoming public comments, said Brooke Smith, a member of the NRC team reviewing the import license.
"We do read them," she said. "And, if there's a health-and-safety issue raised, we do take those seriously."
Smith noted that all correspondence becomes part of the public record available to anyone who requests it. It also may be shared with the company, she said.