SALT LAKE CITY -- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is delaying a decision on whether to allow EnergySolutions Inc. to import the largest-ever amount of nuclear waste into the U.S.

The NRC ruled Monday that it will wait until a federal court decides whether an interstate compact can block disposal of the waste in Utah.

The Salt Lake City-based company wants to bring the 20,000 tons of low-level waste from Italy through the ports of Charleston, S.C., or New Orleans for processing in Tennessee. After processing, about 1,600 tons would be disposed at the Salt Lake City-based company's dump in the western Utah desert.

The proposal has drawn a record number of public comments -- most in opposition to the plan.