42 U.S.C. § 10133

Current through P.L. 118-47 (published on www.congress.gov on 03/23/2024)

Section 10133 - Site characterization

(a) In general

The Secretary shall carry out, in accordance with the provisions of this section, appropriate site characterization activities at the Yucca Mountain site. The Secretary shall consider fully the comments received under subsection (b)(2) and section 10132(b)(2) of this title and shall, to the maximum extent practicable and in consultation with the Governor of the State of Nevada, conduct site characterization activities in a manner that minimizes any significant adverse environmental impacts identified in such comments or in the environmental assessment submitted under subsection (b)(1).¹

(b) Commission and States

(1) Before proceeding to sink shafts at the Yucca Mountain site, the Secretary shall submit for such candidate site to the Commission and to the Governor or legislature of the State of Nevada, for their review and comment-

(A) a general plan for site characterization activities to be conducted at such candidate site, which plan shall include-

(i) a description of such candidate site;

(ii) a description of such site characterization activities, including the following: the extent of planned excavations, plans for any onsite testing with radioactive or nonradioactive material, plans for any investigation activities that may affect the capability of such candidate site to isolate high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel, and plans to control any adverse, safety-related impacts from such site characterization activities;

(iii) plans for the decontamination and decommissioning of such candidate site, and for the mitigation of any significant adverse environmental impacts caused by site characterization activities if it is determined unsuitable for application for a construction authorization for a repository;

(iv) criteria to be used to determine the suitability of such candidate site for the location of a repository, developed pursuant to section 10132(a) of this title; and

(v) any other information required by the Commission;

(B) a description of the possible form or packaging for the high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel to be emplaced in such repository, a description, to the extent practicable, of the relationship between such waste form or packaging and the geologic medium of such site, and a description of the activities being conducted by the Secretary with respect to such possible waste form or packaging or such relationship; and

(C) a conceptual repository design that takes into account likely site-specific requirements.

(2) Before proceeding to sink shafts at the Yucca Mountain site, the Secretary shall (A) make available to the public the site characterization plan described in paragraph (1); and (B) hold public hearings in the vicinity of such candidate site to inform the residents of the area in which such candidate site is located of such plan, and to receive their comments.

(3) During the conduct of site characterization activities at the Yucca Mountain site, the Secretary shall report not less than once every 6 months to the Commission and to the Governor and legislature of the State of Nevada, on the nature and extent of such activities and the information developed from such activities.

(c) Restrictions

(1) The Secretary may conduct at the Yucca Mountain site only such site characterization activities as the Secretary considers necessary to provide the data required for evaluation of the suitability of such site for an application to be submitted to the Commission for a construction authorization for a repository at such site, and for compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 ( 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).

(2) In conducting site characterization activities-

(A) the Secretary may not use any radioactive material at a site unless the Commission concurs that such use is necessary to provide data for the preparation of the required environmental reports and an application for a construction authorization for a repository at such site; and

(B) if any radioactive material is used at a site-

(i) the Secretary shall use the minimum quantity necessary to determine the suitability of such site for a repository, but in no event more than the curie equivalent of 10 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel; and

(ii) such radioactive material shall be fully retrievable.

(3) If the Secretary at any time determines the Yucca Mountain site to be unsuitable for development as a repository, the Secretary shall-

(A) terminate all site characterization activities at such site;

(B) notify the Congress, the ² Governor and legislature of Nevada of such termination and the reasons for such termination;

(C) remove any high-level radioactive waste, spent nuclear fuel, or other radioactive materials at or in such site as promptly as practicable;

(D) take reasonable and necessary steps to reclaim the site and to mitigate any significant adverse environmental impacts caused by site characterization activities at such site;

(E) suspend all future benefits payments under part F with respect to such site; and

(F) report to Congress not later than 6 months after such determination the Secretary's recommendations for further action to assure the safe, permanent disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste, including the need for new legislative authority.

(d) Preliminary activities

Each activity of the Secretary under this section that is in compliance with the provisions of subsection (c) shall be considered a preliminary decisionmaking activity. No such activity shall require the preparation of an environmental impact statement under section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 ( 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C) ), or to ³ require any environmental review under subparagraph (E) or (F) of section 102(2) of such Act.

¹ See References in Text note below.

² So in original. Probably should read "Congress and the".

³ So in original. The word "to" probably should not appear.

42 U.S.C. § 10133

Pub. L. 97-425, title I, §113, Jan. 7, 1983, 96 Stat. 2211; Pub. L. 100-202, §101(d) [title III, §300], Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1329-104, 1329-121; Pub. L. 100-203, title V, §5011(e)-(g), Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1330-228.

EDITORIAL NOTES

REFERENCES IN TEXTSubsection (b)(1), referred to in subsec. (a), probably means subsec. (b)(1) of section 10132 of this title, which relates to nomination of repository sites for radioactive waste and submission of environmental assessments for those sites.The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, referred to in subsec. (c)(1), is Pub. L. 91-190, Jan. 1, 1970, 83 Stat. 852, which is classified generally to chapter 55 (§4321 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 4321 of this title and Tables.

AMENDMENTS1987-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 100-202 and Pub. L. 100-203, §5011(e)(2), which contained identical amendments directing that "at the Yucca Mountain site" be substituted for "beginning" and all that follows through "geological media", were executed by substituting "at the Yucca Mountain site" for "beginning with the candidate sites that have been approved under section 10132 of this title and are located in various geologic media" as the probable intent of Congress. Pub. L. 100-202 and Pub. L. 100-203, §5011(e)(1), amended subsec. (a) identically, substituting "State of Nevada" for "State involved or the governing body of the affected Indian tribe involved". Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 100-202 and Pub. L. 100-203, §5011(f)(1), amended par. (1) identically, substituting "the Yucca Mountain site" for "any candidate site" and "the Governor or legislature of the State of Nevada" for "either the Governor and legislature of the State in which such candidate site is located, or the governing body of the affected Indian tribe on whose reservation such candidate site is located, as the case may be". Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 100-202 and Pub. L. 100-203, §5011(f)(2), amended par. (2) identically, substituting "the Yucca Mountain site" for "any candidate site".Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 100-202 and Pub. L. 100-203, §5011(f)(3), amended par. (3) identically, substituting "the Yucca Mountain site" for "a candidate site", striking "either" before "the Governor", and substituting "the State of Nevada" for "the State in which such candidate site is located, or the governing body of the affected Indian tribe where such candidate site is located, as the case may be". Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 100-202 and Pub. L. 100-203, §5011(g)(1), amended par. (1) identically, substituting "the Yucca Mountain site" for "any candidate site", "suitability of such site" for "suitability of such candidate site", and "repository at such site" for "repository at such candidate site". Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 100-202 and Pub. L. 100-203, §5011(g)(2), amended par. (2) identically, striking out "candidate" before "site" in two places in subpar. (A) and in two places in subpar. (B). Subsec. (c)(3), (4). Pub. L. 100-202 and Pub. L. 100-203, §5011(g)(3), amended subsec. (c) identically, adding par. (3) and striking out former pars. (3) and (4) which read as follows:"(3) If site characterization activities are terminated at a candidate site for any reason, the Secretary shall (A) notify the Congress, the Governors and legislatures of all States in which candidate sites are located, and the governing bodies of all affected Indian tribes where candidate sites are located, of such termination and the reasons for such termination; and (B) remove any high-level radioactive waste, spent nuclear fuel, or other radioactive materials at or in such candidate site as promptly as practicable."(4) If a site is determined to be unsuitable for application for a construction authorization for a repository, the Secretary shall take reasonable and necessary steps to reclaim the site and to mitigate any significant adverse environmental impacts caused by site characterization activities."

Commission: The term "Commission" means the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Governor: The term "Governor" means the chief executive officer of a State.
Secretary: The term "Secretary" means the Secretary of Energy.
State: The term "State" means each of the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, and any other territory or possession of the United States.
Yucca Mountain site: The term "Yucca Mountain site" means the candidate site in the State of Nevada recommended by the Secretary to the President under section 10132(b)(1)(B) of this title on May 27, 1986.
affected Indian tribe: The term "affected Indian tribe" means any Indian tribe-(A) within whose reservation boundaries a monitored retrievable storage facility, test and evaluation facility, or a repository for high-level radioactive waste or spent fuel is proposed to be located;(B) whose federally defined possessory or usage rights to other lands outside of the reservation's boundaries arising out of congressionally ratified treaties may be substantially and adversely affected by the locating of such a facility: Provided, That the Secretary of the Interior finds, upon the petition of the appropriate governmental officials of the tribe, that such effects are both substantial and adverse to the tribe; 1
candidate site: The term "candidate site" means an area, within a geologic and hydrologic system, that is recommended by the Secretary under section 10132 of this title for site characterization, approved by the President under section 10132 of this title for site characterization, or undergoing site characterization under section 10133 of this title.
disposal: The term "disposal" means the emplacement in a repository of high-level radioactive waste, spent nuclear fuel, or other highly radioactive material with no foreseeable intent of recovery, whether or not such emplacement permits the recovery of such waste.
high-level radioactive waste: The term "high-level radioactive waste" means-(A) the highly radioactive material resulting from the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel, including liquid waste produced directly in reprocessing and any solid material derived from such liquid waste that contains fission products in sufficient concentrations; and(B) other highly radioactive material that the Commission, consistent with existing law, determines by rule requires permanent isolation.
repository: The term "repository" means any system licensed by the Commission that is intended to be used for, or may be used for, the permanent deep geologic disposal of high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel, whether or not such system is designed to permit the recovery, for a limited period during initial operation, of any materials placed in such system. Such term includes both surface and subsurface areas at which high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel handling activities are conducted.
reservation: The term "reservation" means-(A) any Indian reservation or dependent Indian community referred to in clause (a) or (b) of section 1151 of title 18; or(B) any land selected by an Alaska Native village or regional corporation under the provisions of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act ( 43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.).
site characterization: The term "site characterization" means-(A) siting research activities with respect to a test and evaluation facility at a candidate site; and(B) activities, whether in the laboratory or in the field, undertaken to establish the geologic condition and the ranges of the parameters of a candidate site relevant to the location of a repository, including borings, surface excavations, excavations of exploratory shafts, limited subsurface lateral excavations and borings, and in situ testing needed to evaluate the suitability of a candidate site for the location of a repository, but not including preliminary borings and geophysical testing needed to assess whether site characterization should be undertaken.
spent nuclear fuel: The term "spent nuclear fuel" means fuel that has been withdrawn from a nuclear reactor following irradiation, the constituent elements of which have not been separated by reprocessing.