42 USC 10173 - Review Panel

Collapse to view only § 10173b. Review Panel

§ 10173. Benefits agreements
§ 10173a. Content of agreements
§ 10173b. Review Panel
§ 10173c. Termination

§ 10173. Benefits agreements

(a) In general

(1) The Secretary may enter into a benefits agreement with the State of Nevada concerning a repository or with a State or an Indian tribe concerning a monitored retrievable storage facility for the acceptance of high-level radioactive waste or spent nuclear fuel in that State or on the reservation of that tribe, as appropriate.

(2) The State or Indian tribe may enter into such an agreement only if the State Attorney General or the appropriate governing authority of the Indian tribe or the Secretary of the Interior, in the absence of an appropriate governing authority, as appropriate, certifies to the satisfaction of the Secretary that the laws of the State or Indian tribe provide adequate authority for that entity to enter into the benefits agreement.

(3) Any benefits agreement with a State under this section shall be negotiated in consultation with affected units of local government in such State.

(4) Benefits and payments under this part may be made available only in accordance with a benefits agreement under this section.

(b) Amendment

(d) Monitored retrievable storage

(e) Limitation

(f) Judicial review

(Pub. L. 97–425, title I, § 170, as added Pub. L. 100–202, § 101(d) [title III, § 300], Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1329–104, 1329–121; Pub. L. 100–203, title V, § 5031, Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1330–237.)

§ 10173a. Content of agreements

(a) In general

(1) In addition to the benefits to which a State, an affected unit of local government or Indian tribe is entitled under this subchapter, the Secretary shall make payments to a State or Indian tribe that is a party to a benefits agreement under section 10173 of this title in accordance with the following schedule:

BENEFITS SCHEDULE
(amounts in $ millions)
Event	MRS	Repository
(A) Annual payments prior to first spent fuel receipt	5	10
(B) Upon first spent fuel receipt	10	20
(C) Annual payments after first spent fuel receipt until closure of the facility	10	20

(2) For purposes of this section, the term—

(A) “MRS” means a monitored retrievable storage facility,

(B) “spent fuel” means high-level radioactive waste or spent nuclear fuel, and

(C) “first spent fuel receipt” does not include receipt of spent fuel or high-level radioactive waste for purposes of testing or operational demonstration.

(3) Annual payments prior to first spent fuel receipt under paragraph (1)(A) shall be made on the date of execution of the benefits agreement and thereafter on the anniversary date of such execution. Annual payments after the first spent fuel receipt until closure of the facility under paragraph (1)(C) shall be made on the anniversary date of such first spent fuel receipt.

(4) If the first spent fuel payment under paragraph (1)(B) is made within six months after the last annual payment prior to the receipt of spent fuel under paragraph (1)(A), such first spent fuel payment under paragraph (1)(B) shall be reduced by an amount equal to one-twelfth of such annual payment under paragraph (1)(A) for each full month less than six that has not elapsed since the last annual payment under paragraph (1)(A).

(5) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), (2), or (3), no payment under this section may be made before

(6) Except as provided in paragraph (7), the Secretary may not restrict the purposes for which the payments under this section may be used.

(7)

(A) Any State receiving a payment under this section shall transfer an amount equal to not less than one-third of the amount of such payment to affected units of local government of such State.

(B) A plan for this transfer and appropriate allocation of such portion among such governments shall be included in the benefits agreement under section 10173 of this title covering such payments.

(C) In the event of a dispute concerning such plan, the Secretary shall resolve such dispute, consistent with this chapter and applicable State law.

(b) ContentsA benefits agreement under section 10173 of this title shall provide that—

(1) a Review Panel be established in accordance with section 10173b of this title;

(2) the State or Indian tribe that is party to such agreement waive its rights under this subchapter to disapprove the recommendation of a site for a repository;

(3) the parties to the agreement shall share with one another information relevant to the licensing process for the repository or monitored retrievable storage facility, as it becomes available;

(4) the State or Indian tribe that is party to such agreement participate in the design of the repository or monitored retrievable storage facility and in the preparation of documents required under law or regulation governing the effects of the facility on the public health and safety; and

(5) the State or Indian tribe waive its rights, if any, to impact assistance under sections 10136(c)(1)(B)(ii), 10136(c)(2), 10138(b)(2)(A)(ii), and 10138(b)(3) of this title.

(Pub. L. 97–425, title I, § 171, as added Pub. L. 100–202, § 101(d) [title III, § 300], Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1329–104, 1329–121; Pub. L. 100–203, title V, § 5031, Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1330–237.)

§ 10173b. Review Panel

(a) In general

The Review Panel required to be established by section 10173a(b)(1) of this title shall consist of a Chairman selected by the Secretary in consultation with the Governor of the State or governing body of the Indian tribe, as appropriate, that is party to such agreement and 6 other members as follows:

(1) 2 members selected by the Governor of such State or governing body of such Indian tribe;

(2) 2 members selected by units of local government affected by the repository or monitored retrievable storage facility;

(3) 1 member to represent persons making payments into the Waste Fund, to be selected by the Secretary; and

(4) 1 member to represent other public interests, to be selected by the Secretary.

(b) Terms

(1) The members of the Review Panel shall serve for terms of 4 years each.

(2) Members of the Review Panel who are not full-time employees of the Federal Government, shall receive a per diem compensation for each day spent conducting work of the Review Panel, including their necessary travel or other expenses while engaged in the work of the Review Panel.

(3) Expenses of the Panel shall be paid by the Secretary from the Waste Fund.

The Review Panel shall—

(1) advise the Secretary on matters relating to the proposed repository or monitored retrievable storage facility, including issues relating to design, construction, operation, and decommissioning of the facility;

(2) evaluate performance of the repository or monitored retrievable storage facility, as it considers appropriate;

(3) recommend corrective actions to the Secretary;

(4) assist in the presentation of State or affected Indian tribe and local perspectives to the Secretary; and

(5) participate in the planning for and the review of preoperational data on environmental, demographic, and socioeconomic conditions of the site and the local community.

(d) Information

(e) Chapter 10 of title 5

(Pub. L. 97–425, title I, § 172, as added Pub. L. 100–202, § 101(d) [title III, § 300], Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1329–104, 1329–121; Pub. L. 100–203, title V, § 5031, Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1330–239; amended Pub. L. 117–286, § 4(a)(272), Dec. 27, 2022, 136 Stat. 4335.)

§ 10173c. Termination

(a) In general

The Secretary may terminate a benefits agreement under this subchapter if—

(1) the site under consideration is disqualified for its failure to comply with guidelines and technical requirements established by the Secretary in accordance with this chapter; or

(2) the Secretary determines that the Commission cannot license the facility within a reasonable time.

(b) Termination by State or Indian tribe

(Pub. L. 97–425, title I, § 173, as added Pub. L. 100–202, § 101(d) [title III, § 300], Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1329–104, 1329–121; Pub. L. 100–203, title V, § 5031, Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1330–240.)