Title 42The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§7916 Acquisition of land by Secretary; transfer of public lands by Secretary of the Interior to Secretary; consultations with Governor; consent of Governor; transfer from Federal agency to Secretary

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 88— - URANIUM MILL TAILINGS RADIATION CONTROL › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - REMEDIAL ACTION PROGRAM › § 7916

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary can get land needed to gather, store, and stabilize leftover radioactive material taken from processing sites. The Secretary can buy land, accept donations, or use other legal ways to get it. The Secretary of the Interior can permanently give Bureau of Land Management lands near processing sites to the Secretary for these purposes in Apache County, Arizona; Mesa, Gunnison, Moffat, Montrose, Garfield, and San Miguel Counties, Colorado; Boise County, Idaho; Billings and Bowman Counties, North Dakota; Grand and San Juan Counties, Utah; Converse and Fremont Counties, Wyoming; and any other nearby county if the county with a processing site is not suitable.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §7916

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Where necessary or appropriate in order to consolidate in a safe and environmentally sound manner the location of residual radioactive materials which are removed from processing sites under cooperative agreements under this subchapter, or where otherwise necessary for the permanent disposition and stabilization of such materials in such manner—
(1)the Secretary may acquire land and interests in land for such purposes by purchase, donation, or under any other authority of law or
(2)the Secretary of the Interior may transfer permanently to the Secretary to carry out the purposes of this chapter, public lands under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management in the vicinity of processing sites in the following counties:
(A)Apache County in the State of Arizona;
(B)Mesa, Gunnison, Moffat, Montrose, Garfield, and San Miguel Counties in the State of Colorado;
(C)Boise County in the State of Idaho;
(D)Billings and Bowman Counties in the State of North Dakota;
(E)Grand and San Juan Counties in the State of Utah;
(F)Converse and Fremont Counties in the State of Wyoming; and
(G)Any other county in the vicinity of a processing site, if no site in the county in which a processing site is located is suitable.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This chapter, referred to in text, was in the original “this Act”, meaning Pub. L. 95–604, Nov. 8, 1978, 92 Stat. 3021, known as the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 7901 of this title and Tables. The National Environmental Policy Act, referred to in text, probably means the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, Pub. L. 91–190, Jan. 1, 1970, 83 Stat. 852, which is classified generally to chapter 55 (§ 4321 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 4321 of this title and Tables.

Amendments

1988—Par. (2). Pub. L. 100–616 added par. (2) and concluding provisions and struck out former par. (2) and concluding provisions which read as follows: “(2) the Secretary of the Interior may make available public lands administered by him for such purposes in accordance with other applicable provisions of law. Prior to acquisition of land under paragraph (1) or (2) of this subsection in any State, the Secretary shall consult with the Governor of such State. No lands may be acquired under such paragraph (1) or (2) in any State in which there is no (1) processing site designated under this subchapter or (2) active uranium mill operation, unless the Secretary has obtained the consent of the Governor of such State. No lands controlled by any Federal agency may be transferred to the Secretary to carry out the purposes of this chapter without the concurrence of the chief administrative officer of such agency.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 7916

Title 42The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73