42 U.S.C. § 2021f: Emergency access

Summary

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) can allow short-term emergency use of a regional or non-Federal disposal site in a State that is not in a compact when doing so is needed to stop an immediate, serious danger to public health, safety, or national defense. A waste maker or a State’s Governor (or chief executive) can ask the NRC for emergency access and must give any information the NRC wants. The NRC must decide within 45 days whether the emergency is real and cannot be fixed by other safe options. If the NRC agrees, it names a facility, tells the Governor and the compact commission, and describes the waste and the smallest amount of space and time needed (not more than 180 days). The NRC can give temporary access while it finishes its review; that temporary access ends after 45 days unless the full grant is made. One extension may be given, but the total extra time cannot go beyond 180 days and requires that the generator and State have tried in good faith to fix the problem. States that host emergency access win reciprocal rights to equal amounts of similar waste at future facilities. The compact commission must approve within 15 days. States cannot be forced to accept waste that breaks a facility’s license, exceeds capacity, delays a planned closing, or more than 20 percent of the facility’s prior-year intake in any 12-month period. Waste must be reduced as much as possible and is subject to the usual surcharges. Waste from commercial reactors granted access is counted against their allocation. NRC decision rules are not changed by agreements under section 2021. Generator: the person or company that makes the low-level radioactive waste. Governor (or chief executive): the State’s top official who may request access on behalf of generators. Compact commission: the regional body that oversees compact rules for disposal.

Title 42, §2021f

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

(a)In general

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission may grant emergency access to any regional disposal facility or non-Federal disposal facility within a State that is not a member of a compact for specific low-level radioactive waste, if necessary to eliminate an immediate and serious threat to the public health and safety or the common defense and security. The procedure for granting emergency access shall be as provided in this section.

(b)Request for emergency access

Any generator of low-level radioactive waste, or any Governor (or, for any State without a Governor, the chief executive officer of the State) on behalf of any generator or generators located in his or her State, may request that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission grant emergency access to a regional disposal facility or a non-Federal disposal facility within a State that is not a member of a compact for specific low-level radioactive waste. Any such request shall contain any information and certifications the Nuclear Regulatory Commission may require.

(c)Determination of Nuclear Regulatory Commission

(1)Required determination

Not later than 45 days after receiving a request under subsection (b), the Nuclear Regulatory Commission shall determine whether—

(A)emergency access is necessary because of an immediate and serious threat to the public health and safety or the common defense and security; and

(B)the threat cannot be mitigated by any alternative consistent with the public health and safety, including storage of low-level radioactive waste at the site of generation or in a storage facility obtaining access to a disposal facility by voluntary agreement, purchasing disposal capacity available for assignment pursuant to section 2021e(c) of this title or ceasing activities that generate low-level radioactive waste.

(2)Required notification

If the Nuclear Regulatory Commission makes the determinations required in paragraph (1) in the affirmative, it shall designate an appropriate non-Federal disposal facility or facilities, and notify the Governor (or chief executive officer) of the State in which such facility is located and the appropriate compact commission that emergency access is required. Such notification shall specifically describe the low-level radioactive waste as to source, physical and radiological characteristics, and the minimum volume and duration, not exceeding 180 days, necessary to alleviate the immediate threat to public health and safety or the common defense and security. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission shall also notify the Governor (or chief executive officer) of the State in which the low-level radioactive waste requiring emergency access was generated that emergency access has been granted and that, pursuant to subsection (e), no extension of emergency access may be granted absent diligent State action during the period of the initial grant.

(d)Temporary emergency access

Upon determining that emergency access is necessary because of an immediate and serious threat to the public health and safety or the common defense and security, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission may at its discretion grant temporary emergency access, pending its determination whether the threat could be mitigated by any alternative consistent with the public health and safety. In granting access under this subsection, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission shall provide the same notification and information required under subsection (c). Absent a determination that no alternative consistent with the public health and safety would mitigate the threat, access granted under this subsection shall expire 45 days after the granting of temporary emergency access under this subsection.

(e)Extension of emergency access

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission may grant one extension of emergency access beyond the period provided in subsection (c), if it determines that emergency access continues to be necessary because of an immediate and serious threat to the public health and safety or the common defense and security that cannot be mitigated by any alternative consistent with the public health and safety, and that the generator of low-level radioactive waste granted emergency access and the State in which such low-level radioactive waste was generated have diligently though unsuccessfully acted during the period of the initial grant to eliminate the need for emergency access. Any extension granted under this subsection shall be for the minimum volume and duration the Nuclear Regulatory Commission finds necessary to eliminate the immediate threat to public health and safety or the common defense and security, and shall not in any event exceed 180 days.

(f)Reciprocal access

Any compact region or State not a member of a compact that provides emergency access to non-Federal disposal facilities within its borders shall be entitled to reciprocal access to any subsequently operating non-Federal disposal facility that serves the State or compact region in which low-level radioactive waste granted emergency access was generated. The compact commission or State having authority to approve importation of low-level radioactive waste to the disposal facility to which emergency access was granted shall designate for reciprocal access an equal volume of low-level radioactive waste having similar characteristics to that provided emergency access.

(g)Approval by compact commission

Any grant of access under this section shall be submitted to the compact commission for the region in which the designated disposal facility is located for such approval as may be required under the terms of its compact. Any such compact commission shall act to approve emergency access not later than 15 days after receiving notification from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or reciprocal access not later than 15 days after receiving notification from the appropriate authority under subsection (f).

(h)Limitations

No State shall be required to provide emergency or reciprocal access to any regional disposal facility within its borders for low-level radioactive waste not meeting criteria established by the license or license agreement of such facility, or in excess of the approved capacity of such facility, or to delay the closing of any such facility pursuant to plans established before receiving a request for emergency or reciprocal access. No State shall, during any 12-month period, be required to provide emergency or reciprocal access to any regional disposal facility within its borders for more than 20 percent of the total volume of low-level radioactive waste accepted for disposal at such facility during the previous calendar year.

(i)Volume reduction and surcharges

Any low-level radioactive waste delivered for disposal under this section shall be reduced in volume to the maximum extent practicable and shall be subject to surcharges established in sections 2021b to 2021j of this title.

(j)Deduction from allocation

Any volume of low-level radioactive waste granted emergency or reciprocal access under this section, if generated by any commercial nuclear power reactor, shall be deducted from the low-level radioactive waste volume allocable under section 2021e(c) of this title.

(k)Agreement States

Any agreement under section 2021 of this title shall not be applicable to the determinations of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission under this section.

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.

§2021f Emergency Access

Summary

Title 42, §2021f

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Citations & Metadata