§3224a — Title 22 Foreign Relations and Intercourse | U.S. Code

Summary

The Department of Energy may work with other countries to study whether it is possible to expand or add international or regional storage sites for spent nuclear fuel and to study international transportation and storage systems. The Department can make agreements with other nations to support more multinational storage, but only if Congress later approves that action by a joint or concurrent resolution or by new law. The law authorizes $20,000,000 for these studies. No DOE funds from any source may be used to buy, move, or store foreign spent nuclear fuel unless certain rules are followed. "Foreign spent nuclear fuel" means fuel used in power reactors outside the United States (research reactor fuel is excluded). The President may allow use of funds in an emergency if he says it is needed for U.S. defense and security and notifies the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology at least 30 calendar days while either House is in session before spending the funds. Bringing foreign spent fuel into the United States for storage or disposal also requires either a future law or concurrent resolution from Congress, or a Presidential plan sent 30 days while Congress is in continuous session (as defined in the Impoundment Control Act of 1974) and not disapproved by either House in that time. If Congress is slow to act on a disapproval resolution, a special motion can force its immediate consideration under rules like those in section 1017 of the Impoundment Control Act. Any Presidential report or plan must include policy goals, technical details, location info, cost estimates, justification, legal and regulatory matters, environmental effects, and any related international agreements. Nothing in this law is meant to change or overturn the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s June 28, 1977, order or other NRC export licenses for special nuclear material to India or other export license orders.

Title 22, §3224a

Foreign Relations and Intercourse — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Department of Energy is hereby authorized to undertake studies, in cooperation with other nations, on a multinational or international basis designed to determine the general feasibility of expanding capacity of existing spent fuel storage facilities; to enter into agreements, subject to the consent of the Congress (by joint or concurrent resolution or legislation hereafter enacted), with other nations or groups of nations, for providing appropriate support to increase international or multinational spent fuel storage capacity; to conduct studies on the feasibility of establishing regional storage sites; and to conduct studies on international transportation and storage systems. For the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this section, there is included in subsection 101(20) of this Act authorization of appropriations in the amount of $20,000,000: Provided, That, notwithstanding any other provision of law, that none of the funds made available to the Secretary of Energy under any other authorization or appropriation Act shall be used, directly or indirectly, for the repurchase, transportation or storage of any foreign spent nuclear fuel (including any nuclear fuel irradiated in any nuclear power reactor located outside of the United States and operated by any foreign legal entity, government or nongovernment, regardless of the legal ownership or control of the fuel or the reactor, and regardless of the origin or licensing of the fuel or the reactor, but not including fuel irradiated in a research reactor, and not including fuel irradiated in a power reactor if the President determines that (1) use of funds for repurchase, transportation or storage of such fuel is required by an emergency situation, (2) it is in the interest of the common defense and security of the United States to take such action, and (3) he notifies the Congress of the determination and action, with a detailed explanation and justification thereof, as soon as possible) unless the President formally notifies, with the report information specified herein, the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives of such use of funds thirty calendar days, during such time as either House of Congress is in session, before the commitment, expenditure, or obligation of such funds: And provided further, That, notwithstanding any other provision of law, that none of the funds appropriated pursuant to this Act or any other funds made available to the Secretary of Energy under any other authorization or appropriation Act shall be used, directly or indirectly, for the repurchase, transportation, or storage of any such foreign spent nuclear fuel for storage or other disposition, interim or permanent, in the United States, unless the use of the funds for that specific purpose has been (1) previously and expressly authorized by Congress in legislation hereafter enacted, (2) previously and expressly authorized by a concurrent resolution, or (3) the President submits a plan for such use, with the report information specified herein, thirty days during which the Congress is in continuous session, as defined in the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 [2 U.S.C. 681 et seq.], prior to such use and neither House of Congress approves a resolution of disapproval of the plan prior to the expiration of the aforementioned thirty-day period. If such a resolution of disapproval has been introduced, but has not been reported by the Committee on or before the twentieth day after transmission of the Presidential message, a privileged motion shall be in order in the respective body to discharge the Committee from further consideration of the resolution and to provide for its immediate consideration, using the procedures specified for consideration of an impoundment resolution in section 1017 of the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (31 U.S.C. 1407) [2 U.S.C. 688]. Any report or plan proposed under this proviso shall include information and any supporting documentation thereof relating to policy objectives, technical description and discussion, geographic information, cost data, justification and projections, legal and regulatory considerations, environmental impact information and any related bilateral or international agreements, arrangements or understandings: And provided further, That nothing contained in this section shall be construed in any executive branch action, administrative proceeding, regulatory proceeding, or legal proceeding as being intended to delay, modify, or reverse the Memorandum and Order of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission of June 28, 1977, for the issuance of License No. XSNM–845 to the agent-applicant for the Government of India and the subsequent export thereby licensed of the special nuclear material to be used as fuel for the Tarapur Atomic Power Station or any other order of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to issue a license for the export of special nuclear material and subsequent exports thereby licensed, or any consideration by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission of a license application for the export of special nuclear material.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 101(20) of this Act, referred to in text, is section 101(20) of Pub. L. 95–238, title I, Feb. 25, 1978, 92 Stat. 48, which authorized appropriations for fuel cycle research and development and which was not classified to the Code. Pub. L. 95–238 is known as the Department of Energy Act of 1978—Civilian Applications. The Impoundment Control Act of 1974, referred to in text, is parts A and B of title X of Pub. L. 93–344, July 12, 1974, 88 Stat. 332, which is classified principally to subchapters I (§ 681) and II (§ 682 et seq.) of chapter 17B of Title 2, The Congress. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 681 of Title 2 and Tables. Codification Section was enacted as part of the Department of Energy Act of 1978—Civilian Applications, and not as part of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act of 1978 which comprises this chapter.

Amendments

1994—Pub. L. 103–437 substituted “Science, Space, and Technology” for “Science and Technology”.

§3224a Studies and Agreements by Secretary of Energy on Multinational or International Basis Concerning Spent Fuel Storage Facilities and Transportation Systems; Congressional Consent; Authorization of Appropriations; Limitations on Use of Funds; Exceptions; Special Nuclear Material for India