Colorado Governor Signs Toxic Waste Bill

Danielle Jackson

Denver -- Colorado Governor Bill Owens signed a bill Friday that would require public meetings and state approval before any toxic waste could be shipped into the state.

Under the law, the state Department of Public Health and Environment has to hold at least two public hearings and gather information on the potential environmental and economic effects of waste disposal before issuing a permit.

The bill was rushed through the state legislature to prevent a Colorado company from accepting 470,000 tons of radioactive soil from a Superfund cleanup site in New Jersey.