§6192 — Title 10 Armed Forces | U.S. Code

§6192 Defense Site Acceleration Completion

Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle A— General Military Law › Part VI— ELEMENTS OF DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND OTHER MATTERS › Subpart B— Atomic Energy Defense › Chapter 604— DEFENSE ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUP MATTERS › Subchapter II— CLOSURE OF FACILITIES › § 6192

Last updated Apr 18, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of Energy, working with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), can decide that some radioactive material left over from reprocessing spent nuclear fuel at certain Department of Energy sites in South Carolina or Idaho is not "high-level radioactive waste." That decision can be made only if the material does not need permanent deep geologic disposal, has had the most dangerous radioactive parts removed, and will be disposed of in one of two ways: either it stays below the Class C concentration limits in 10 C.F.R. 61.55 and is disposed of under the performance goals in subpart C of part 61 and a State-approved closure plan or permit, or it exceeds Class C limits but will still meet those performance goals, be covered by a State-approved plan or permit, and be disposed under plans the Secretary makes with the NRC. The NRC must watch and check that the disposal meets the performance goals in subpart C of part 61. If the NRC finds problems, it must tell the Department of Energy, the State, and the listed House and Senate committees (House: Armed Services; Energy and Commerce; Appropriations. Senate: Armed Services; Energy and Natural Resources; Environment and Public Works; Appropriations). For fiscal year 2005, the Secretary must pay the NRC’s expenses for this work from defense site acceleration completion funds. After 2005, the NRC must include needed amounts in its annual budget request to Congress. The rule does not apply if the material is moved out of the covered State. It does not change existing federal cleanup agreements, rules for transuranic waste or the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, DOE duties under section 6154, or the West Valley Demonstration Act. Court review is allowed under chapter 7 of title 5 for Secretary decisions or NRC failures to act.

Title 10, §6192

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Notwithstanding the provisions of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (42 U.S.C. 10101 et seq.), the requirements of section 202 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5842), and other laws that define classes of radioactive waste, with respect to material stored at a Department of Energy site at which activities are regulated by a covered State pursuant to approved closure plans or permits issued by the State, the term “high-level radioactive waste” does not include radioactive waste resulting from the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel that the Secretary of Energy (in this section referred to as the “Secretary”), in consultation with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (in this section referred to as the “Commission”), determines—

(1)does not require permanent isolation in a deep geologic repository for spent fuel or high-level radioactive waste;

(2)has had highly radioactive radionuclides removed to the maximum extent practical; and

(3)(A)does not exceed concentration limits for Class C low-level waste as set out in section 61.55 of title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, and will be disposed of—

(i)in compliance with the performance objectives set out in subpart C of part 61 of title 10, Code of Federal Regulations; and

(ii)pursuant to a State-approved closure plan or State-issued permit, authority for the approval or issuance of which is conferred on the State outside of this section; or

(B)exceeds concentration limits for Class C low-level waste as set out in section 61.55 of title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, but will be disposed of—

(i)in compliance with the performance objectives set out in subpart C of part 61 of title 10, Code of Federal Regulations;

(ii)pursuant to a State-approved closure plan or State-issued permit, authority for the approval or issuance of which is conferred on the State outside of this section; and

(iii)pursuant to plans developed by the Secretary in consultation with the Commission.

(b)(1)The Commission shall, in coordination with the covered State, monitor disposal actions taken by the Department of Energy pursuant to subparagraphs (A) and (B) of subsection (a)(3) for the purpose of assessing compliance with the performance objectives set out in subpart C of part 61 of title 10, Code of Federal Regulations.

(2)If the Commission considers any disposal actions taken by the Department of Energy pursuant to those subparagraphs to be not in compliance with those performance objectives, the Commission shall, as soon as practicable after discovery of the noncompliant conditions, inform the Department of Energy, the covered State, and the following congressional committees:

(A)The Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.

(B)The Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, the Committee on Environment and Public Works, and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.

(3)For fiscal year 2005, the Secretary shall, from amounts available for defense site acceleration completion, reimburse the Commission for all expenses, including salaries, that the Commission incurs as a result of performance under subsection (a) and this subsection for fiscal year 2005. The Department of Energy and the Commission may enter into an interagency agreement that specifies the method of reimbursement. Amounts received by the Commission for performance under subsection (a) and this subsection may be retained and used for salaries and expenses associated with those activities, notwithstanding section 3302 of title 31, and shall remain available until expended.

(4)For fiscal years after 2005, the Commission shall include in the budget justification materials submitted to Congress in support of the Commission budget for that fiscal year (as submitted with the budget of the President under section 1105(a) of title 31) the amounts required, not offset by revenues, for performance under subsection (a) and this subsection.

(c)Subsection (a) shall not apply to any material otherwise covered by that subsection that is transported from the covered State.

(d)For purposes of this section, the following States are covered States:

(1)The State of South Carolina.

(2)The State of Idaho.

(e)(1)Nothing in this section shall impair, alter, or modify the full implementation of any Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order or other applicable consent decree for a Department of Energy site.

(2)Nothing in this section establishes any precedent or is binding on the State of Washington, the State of Oregon, or any other State not covered by subsection (d) for the management, storage, treatment, and disposition of radioactive and hazardous materials.

(3)Nothing in this section amends the definition of “transuranic waste” or regulations for repository disposal of transuranic waste pursuant to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Land Withdrawal Act (Public Law 102–579; 106 Stat. 4777) or part 191 of title 40, Code of Federal Regulations.

(4)Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect in any way the obligations of the Department of Energy to comply with section 6154.

(5)Nothing in this section amends the West Valley Demonstration Act 11 See References in Text note below. (Public Law 96–368; 42 U.S.C. 2021a note).

(f)Judicial review shall be available in accordance with chapter 7 of title 5, for the following:

(1)Any determination made by the Secretary or any other agency action taken by the Secretary pursuant to this section.

(2)Any failure of the Commission to carry out its responsibilities under subsection (b).

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, referred to in subsec. (a), is Pub. L. 97–425, Jan. 7, 1983, 96 Stat. 2201, which is classified generally to chapter 108 (§ 10101 et seq.) of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 10101 of Title 42 and Tables. The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Land Withdrawal Act, referred to in subsec. (e)(3), is Pub. L. 102–579, Oct. 30, 1992, 106 Stat. 4777, which is not classified to the Code. The West Valley Demonstration Act, referred to in subsec. (e)(5), probably means the West Valley Demonstration Project Act, Pub. L. 96–368, Oct. 1, 1980, 94 Stat. 1347, which is set out as a note under section 2021a of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare.

Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in section 3116 of Pub. L. 108–375, which was set out as a note under section 2602 of Title 50, War and National Defense, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 119–60, § 3111(b)(16).