1. U.S. Code
  2. title 42
  3. chapter 108
  4. subchapter IV
  5. § 10251

Collapse to view only § 10251. Authorization of appropriations

§ 10241. “State” defined

For purposes of this subchapter, the term “State” means each of the several States and the District of Columbia.

(Pub. L. 97–425, title IV, § 401, as added Pub. L. 100–202, § 101(d) [title III], Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1329–104, 1329–121; Pub. L. 100–203, title V, § 5041, Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1330–243; amended Pub. L. 102–486, title VIII, § 802(b), Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 2923.)

CITE AS: 42 USC 10241

§ 10242. Office of Nuclear Waste Negotiator
(a) Establishment
(b) Nuclear Waste Negotiator
(1) The Office shall be headed by a Nuclear Waste Negotiator who shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Negotiator shall hold office at the pleasure of the President, and shall be compensated at the rate provided for level III of the Executive Schedule in section 5314 of title 5.
(2) The Negotiator shall attempt to find a State or Indian tribe willing to host a repository or monitored retrievable storage facility at a technically qualified site on reasonable terms and shall negotiate with any State or Indian tribe which expresses an interest in hosting a repository or monitored retrievable storage facility.
(Pub. L. 97–425, title IV, § 402, as added Pub. L. 100–202, § 101(d) [title III], Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1329–104, 1329–121; Pub. L. 100–203, title V, § 5041, Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1330–243; amended Pub. L. 100–507, § 1, Oct. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 2541.)

CITE AS: 42 USC 10242

§ 10243. Duties of Negotiator
(a) Negotiations with potential hosts
(1) The Negotiator shall—
(A) seek to enter into negotiations on behalf of the United States, with—
(i) the Governor of any State in which a potential site is located; and
(ii) the governing body of any Indian tribe on whose reservation a potential site is located; and
(B) attempt to reach a proposed agreement between the United States and any such State or Indian tribe specifying the terms and conditions under which such State or tribe would agree to host a repository or monitored retrievable storage facility within such State or reservation.
(2) In any case in which State law authorizes any person or entity other than the Governor to negotiate a proposed agreement under this section on behalf of the State, any reference in this subchapter to the Governor shall be considered to refer instead to such other person or entity.
(b) Consultation with affected States, subdivisions of States, and tribes
(c) Consultation with other Federal agencies
(d) Proposed agreement
(1) The Negotiator shall submit to the Congress any proposed agreement between the United States and a State or Indian tribe negotiated under subsection (a) and an environmental assessment prepared under section 10244(a) of this title for the site concerned.
(2) Any such proposed agreement shall contain such terms and conditions (including such financial and institutional arrangements) as the Negotiator and the host State or Indian tribe determine to be reasonable and appropriate and shall contain such provisions as are necessary to preserve any right to participation or compensation of such State, affected unit of local government, or Indian tribe under sections 10136(c), 10137, and 10138(b) of this title.
(3)
(A) No proposed agreement entered into under this section shall have legal effect unless enacted into Federal law.
(B) A State or Indian tribe shall enter into an agreement under this section in accordance with the laws of such State or tribe. Nothing in this section may be construed to prohibit the disapproval of a proposed agreement between a State and the United States under this section by a referendum or an act of the legislature of such State.
(4) Notwithstanding any proposed agreement under this section, the Secretary may construct a repository or monitored retrievable storage facility at a site agreed to under this subchapter only if authorized by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in accordance with the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 [42 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.], title II of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1982 (42 U.S.C. 5841 et seq.) and any other law applicable to authorization of such construction.
(Pub. L. 97–425, title IV, § 403, as added Pub. L. 100–202, § 101(d) [title III], Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1329–104, 1329–121; Pub. L. 100–203, title V, § 5041, Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1330–244.)

CITE AS: 42 USC 10243

§ 10244. Environmental assessment of sites
(a) In general
(b) Contents
(1) Each environmental assessment prepared for a repository site shall include a detailed statement of the probable impacts of characterizing such site and the construction and operation of a repository at such site.
(2) Each environmental assessment prepared for a monitored retrievable storage facility site shall include a detailed statement of the probable impacts of construction and operation of such a facility at such site.
(c) Judicial review
(d) Public hearings
(1) In preparing an environmental assessment for any repository or monitored retrievable storage facility site, the Secretary shall hold public hearings in the vicinity of such site to inform the residents of the area in which such site is located that such site is being considered and to receive their comments.
(2) At such hearings, the Secretary shall solicit and receive any recommendations of such residents with respect to issues that should be addressed in the environmental assessment required under subsection (a) and the site characterization plan described in section 10133(b)(1) of this title.
(e) Public availability
(f) Evaluation of sites
(1) In preparing an environmental assessment under subsection (a), the Secretary shall use available geophysical, geologic, geochemical and hydrologic, and other information and shall not conduct any preliminary borings or excavations at any site that is the subject of such assessment unless—
(A) such preliminary boring or excavation activities were in progress on or before December 22, 1987; or
(B) the Secretary certifies that, in the absence of preliminary borings or excavations, adequate information will not be available to satisfy the requirements of this chapter or any other law.
(2) No preliminary boring or excavation conducted under this section shall exceed a diameter of 40 inches.
(Pub. L. 97–425, title IV, § 404, as added Pub. L. 100–202, § 101(d) [title III], Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1329–104, 1329–121; Pub. L. 100–203, title V, § 5041, Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1330–245.)

CITE AS: 42 USC 10244

§ 10245. Site characterization; licensing
(a) Site characterization
(b) Licensing
(1) Upon the completion of site characterization activities carried out under subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission an application for construction authorization for a repository at such site.
(2) The Nuclear Regulatory Commission shall consider an application for a construction authorization for a repository or monitored retrievable storage facility in accordance with the laws applicable to such applications, except that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission shall issue a final decision approving or disapproving the issuance of a construction authorization not later than 3 years after the date of the submission of such application.
(Pub. L. 97–425, title IV, § 405, as added Pub. L. 100–202, § 101(d) [title III], Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1329–104, 1329–121; Pub. L. 100–203, title V, § 5041, Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1330–246.)

CITE AS: 42 USC 10245

§ 10246. Monitored retrievable storage
(a) Construction and operation
(b) Financial assistance
(Pub. L. 97–425, title IV, § 406, as added Pub. L. 100–202, § 101(d) [title III], Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1329–104, 1329–121; Pub. L. 100–203, title V, § 5041, Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1330–246.)

CITE AS: 42 USC 10246

§ 10247. Environmental impact statement
(a) In general
(b) Preparation
(c) Adoption
(1) Any such environmental impact statement shall, to the extent practicable, be adopted by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, in accordance with section 1506.3 of title 40, Code of Federal Regulations, in connection with the issuance by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission of a construction authorization and license for such repository or monitored retrievable storage facility.
(2)
(A) In any such statement prepared with respect to a repository to be constructed under this subchapter at the Yucca Mountain site, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission need not consider the need for a repository, the time of initial availability of a repository, alternate sites to the Yucca Mountain site, or nongeologic alternatives to such site.
(B) In any such statement prepared with respect to a repository to be constructed under this subchapter at a site other than the Yucca Mountain site, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission need not consider the need for a repository, the time of initial availability of a repository, or nongeologic alternatives to such site but shall consider the Yucca Mountain site as an alternate to such site in the preparation of such statement.
(Pub. L. 97–425, title IV, § 407, as added Pub. L. 100–202, § 101(d) [title III], Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1329–104, 1329–121; Pub. L. 100–203, title V, § 5041, Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1330–246.)

CITE AS: 42 USC 10247

§ 10248. Administrative powers of Negotiator
In carrying out his functions under this subchapter, the Negotiator may—
(1) appoint such officers and employees as he determines to be necessary and prescribe their duties;
(2) obtain services as authorized by section 3109 of title 5, at rates not to exceed the rate prescribed for grade GS–18 of the General Schedule by section 5332 of title 5;
(3) promulgate such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out such functions;
(4) utilize the services, personnel, and facilities of other Federal agencies (subject to the consent of the head of any such agency);
(5) for purposes of performing administrative functions under this subchapter, and to the extent funds are appropriated, enter into and perform such contracts, leases, cooperative agreements, or other transactions as may be necessary and on such terms as the Negotiator determines to be appropriate, with any agency or instrumentality of the United States, or with any public or private person or entity;
(6) accept voluntary and uncompensated services, notwithstanding the provisions of section 1342 of title 31;
(7) adopt an official seal, which shall be judicially noticed;
(8) use the United States mails in the same manner and under the same conditions as other departments and agencies of the United States;
(9) hold such hearings as are necessary to determine the views of interested parties and the general public; and
(10) appoint advisory committees under chapter 10 of title 5.
(Pub. L. 97–425, title IV, § 408, as added Pub. L. 100–202, § 101(d) [title III], Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1329–104, 1329–121; Pub. L. 100–203, title V, § 5041, Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1330–247; amended Pub. L. 117–286, § 4(a)(273), Dec. 27, 2022, 136 Stat. 4336.)

CITE AS: 42 USC 10248

§ 10249. Cooperation of other departments and agencies

Each department, agency, and instrumentality of the United States, including any independent agency, may furnish the Negotiator such information as he determines to be necessary to carry out his functions under this subchapter.

(Pub. L. 97–425, title IV, § 409, as added Pub. L. 100–202, § 101(d) [title III], Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1329–104, 1329–121; Pub. L. 100–203, title V, § 5041, Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1330–247.)

CITE AS: 42 USC 10249

§ 10250. Termination of Office

The Office shall cease to exist not later than 30 days after the date 7 years after December 22, 1987.

(Pub. L. 97–425, title IV, § 410, as added Pub. L. 100–202, § 101(d) [title III], Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1329–104, 1329–121; Pub. L. 100–203, title V, § 5041, Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1330–247; amended Pub. L. 102–486, title VIII, § 802(a), Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 2923.)

CITE AS: 42 USC 10250

§ 10251. Authorization of appropriations

Notwithstanding subsection (d) of section 10222 of this title, and subject to subsection (e) of such section, there are authorized to be appropriated for expenditures from amounts in the Waste Fund established in subsection (c) of such section, such sums as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this subchapter.

(Pub. L. 97–425, title IV, § 411, as added Pub. L. 100–202, § 101(d) [title III], Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1329–104, 1329–121; Pub. L. 100–203, title V, § 5041, Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1330–248.)

CITE AS: 42 USC 10251