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Title 42, The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-110

§2021b Definitions

Title 42 › CHAPTER 23 — DEVELOPMENT AND CONTROL OF ATOMIC ENERGY › SUBCHAPTER I — GENERAL PROVISIONS › § 2021b

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

Defines the key words used for rules about managing and disposing of low-level radioactive waste so people know what each term means. Agreement State: a State that made an agreement with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and can regulate low-level radioactive waste under that agreement. Allocation: a specific share of disposal space set aside for a commercial nuclear power reactor. Commercial nuclear power reactor: a civilian light-water reactor unit that must be licensed by law. Compact: an agreement between two or more States to manage waste together. Compact commission: the regional group set up to run a compact. Compact region: all States that belong to a compact. Disposal: permanently isolating low-level radioactive waste under NRC rules or an agreement State’s rules. Generate: to produce low-level radioactive waste. Low-level radioactive waste: radioactive material that is not high-level waste, spent nuclear fuel, or certain byproduct material and that the NRC calls low-level waste; it does not include some byproduct materials. Non-sited compact region: a compact region without a disposal site. Regional disposal facility: a non-Federal disposal site that was operating on January 1, 1985, or was later created under a compact. Secretary: the Secretary of Energy. State: any U.S. State, the District of Columbia, or Puerto Rico.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §2021b

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

For purposes of sections 2021b to 2021j of this title:
(1)Agreement State
The term “agreement State” means a State that—
(A)has entered into an agreement with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission under section 2021 of this title; and
(B)has authority to regulate the disposal of low-level radioactive waste under such agreement.
(2)Allocation
The term “allocation” means the assignment of a specific amount of low-level radioactive waste disposal capacity to a commercial nuclear power reactor for which access is required to be provided by sited States subject to the conditions specified under sections 2021b to 2021j of this title.
(3)Commercial nuclear power reactor (4) Compact
The term “commercial nuclear power reactor” means any unit of a civilian light-water moderated utilization facility required to be licensed under section 2133 or 2134(b) of this title.
(5)Compact commission
The term “compact commission” means the regional commission, committee, or board established in a compact to administer such compact.
(6)Compact region
The term “compact region” means the area consisting of all States that are members of a compact.
(7)Disposal
The term “disposal” means the permanent isolation of low-level radioactive waste pursuant to the requirements established by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission under applicable laws, or by an agreement State if such isolation occurs in such agreement State.
(8)Generate
The term “generate”, when used in relation to low-level radioactive waste, means to produce low-level radioactive waste.
(9)Low-level radioactive waste
(A)In general
The term “low-level radioactive waste” means radioactive material that—
(i)is not high-level radioactive waste, spent nuclear fuel, or byproduct material (as defined in section 2014(e)(2) of this title); and
(ii)the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, consistent with existing law and in accordance with paragraph (A), classifies as low-level radioactive waste.
(B)Exclusion
The term “low-level radioactive waste” does not include byproduct material (as defined in paragraphs (3) and (4) of section 2014(e) of this title).
(10)Non-sited compact region
The term “non-sited compact region” means any compact region that is not a sited compact region.
(11)Regional disposal facility
The term “regional disposal facility” means a non-Federal low-level radioactive waste disposal facility in operation on January 1, 1985, or subsequently established and operated under a compact.
(12)Secretary
The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Energy.
(13)Sited compact region
The term “sited compact region” means a compact region in which there is located one of the regional disposal facilities at Barnwell, in the State of South Carolina; Richland, in the State of Washington; or Beatty, in the State of Nevada.
(14)State
The term “State” means any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Section was enacted as part of the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act, and not as part of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 which comprises this chapter. ConstitutionalityFor information regarding the constitutionality of certain provisions of Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act (sections 2021b to 2021j of this title), see the Table of Laws Held Unconstitutional in Whole or in Part by the Supreme Court on the Constitution Annotated website, constitution.congress.gov.

Prior Provisions

A prior section 2021b, Pub. L. 96–573, § 2, Dec. 22, 1980, 94 Stat. 3347, related to definitions respecting low-level radioactive waste policy as used in former sections 2021b to 2021d of this title, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 99–240, § 102.

Amendments

2005—Par. (9). Pub. L. 109–58 designated existing provisions as subpar. (A), inserted heading, redesignated former subpars. (A) and (B) as cls. (i) and (ii), respectively, and added subpar. (B).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Short Title

of 1986 Amendment Pub. L. 99–240, title I, § 101, Jan. 15, 1986, 99 Stat. 1842, provided that: “This Title [enacting this section and sections 2021c to 2021j of this title, repealing former sections 2021b to 2021d of this title, and enacting and repealing a provision set out as a note under this section] may be cited as the ‘Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy

Amendments

Act of 1985’.”

Short Title

Pub. L. 96–573, § 1, as added by Pub. L. 99–240, title I, § 102, Jan. 15, 1986, 99 Stat. 1842, provided that: “This Act [enacting sections 2021b to 2021j of this title] may be cited as the ‘Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act’.” A prior section 1 of Pub. L. 96–573, which provided that Pub. L. 96–573 [enacting former sections 2021b to 2021d of this title] could be cited as the “Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act”, was repealed by Pub. L. 99–240, title I, § 102, Jan. 15, 1986, 99 Stat. 1842.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 2021b

Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110