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Title 42, The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-110

§7922 Termination of Authority of Secretary

Title 42 › CHAPTER 88 — URANIUM MILL TAILINGS RADIATION CONTROL › SUBCHAPTER I — REMEDIAL ACTION PROGRAM › § 7922

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary’s power to do cleanup work under this law ended on September 30, 1998. Two exceptions apply: groundwater cleanup can continue with no time limit, and the Secretary may keep using the Cheney disposal cell in Mesa County, Colorado, to accept and dispose of leftover radioactive material and byproduct material from around the Monticello, Utah site until the cell is full or until September 30, 2031, whichever comes first. “Byproduct material” means what section 2014(e)(2) of this title defines. Money for these activities cannot be more than the amounts set in annual authorization laws starting with fiscal year 1979 and each year after that that apply to the Department of Energy. Any funds appropriated remain available until spent.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §7922

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

(a)Exceptions; “byproduct material” defined
(1)The authority of the Secretary to perform remedial action under this subchapter shall terminate on September 30, 1998, except that—
(A)the authority of the Secretary to perform groundwater restoration activities under this subchapter is without limitation, and
(B)the Secretary may continue operation of the disposal site in Mesa County, Colorado (known as the Cheney disposal cell) for receiving and disposing of residual radioactive material from processing sites and of byproduct material from property in the vicinity of the uranium milling site located in Monticello, Utah, until the Cheney disposal cell has been filled to the capacity for which it was designed, or September 30, 2031, whichever comes first.
(2)For purposes of this subsection, the term “byproduct material” has the meaning given that term in section 2014(e)(2) of this title.
(b)Authorization of appropriations
The amounts authorized to be appropriated to carry out the purposes of this subchapter by the Secretary, the Administrator, the Commission, and the Secretary of the Interior shall not exceed such amounts as are established in annual authorization Acts for fiscal year 1979 and each fiscal year thereafter applicable to the Department of Energy. Any sums appropriated for the purposes of this subchapter shall be available until expended.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2020—Subsec. (a)(1)(B). Pub. L. 116–260 substituted “
September 30, 2031” for “
September 30, 2023”. 1996—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 104–259 amended subsec. (a) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (a) read as follows: “The authority of the Secretary to perform remedial action under this subchapter shall terminate on
September 30, 1996, except that the authority of the Secretary to perform groundwater restoration activities under this subchapter is without limitation.” 1992—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102–486 substituted “1996” for “1994”. 1988—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 100–616 amended subsec. (a) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (a) read as follows: “The authority of the Secretary to perform remedial action under this subchapter shall terminate on the date seven years after the date of promulgation by the Administrator of general standards applicable to such remedial action unless such termination date is specifically extended by an Act of Congress enacted after
November 8, 1978.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 7922

Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110