42 U.S.C. § 10134

Current through P.L. 118-47 (published on www.congress.gov on 03/23/2024)
Section 10134 - Site approval and construction authorization
(a) Hearings and Presidential recommendation
(1) The Secretary shall hold public hearings in the vicinity of the Yucca Mountain site, for the purposes of informing the residents of the area of such consideration and receiving their comments regarding the possible recommendation of such site. If, upon completion of such hearings and completion of site characterization activities at the Yucca Mountain site, under section 10133 of this title, the Secretary decides to recommend approval of such site to the President, the Secretary shall notify the Governor and legislature of the State of Nevada, of such decision. No sooner than the expiration of the 30-day period following such notification, the Secretary shall submit to the President a recommendation that the President approve such site for the development of a repository. Any such recommendation by the Secretary shall be based on the record of information developed by the Secretary under section 10133 of this title and this section, including the information described in subparagraph (A) through subparagraph (G). Together with any recommendation of a site under this paragraph, the Secretary shall make available to the public, and submit to the President, a comprehensive statement of the basis of such recommendation, including the following:
(A) a description of the proposed repository, including preliminary engineering specifications for the facility;
(B) a description of the waste form or packaging proposed for use at such repository, and an explanation of the relationship between such waste form or packaging and the geologic medium of such site;
(C) a discussion of data, obtained in site characterization activities, relating to the safety of such site;
(D) a final environmental impact statement prepared for the Yucca Mountain site pursuant to subsection (f) and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 ( 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), together with comments made concerning such environmental impact statement by the Secretary of the Interior, the Council on Environmental Quality, the Administrator, and the Commission, except that the Secretary shall not be required in any such environmental impact statement to consider the need for a repository, the alternatives to geological disposal, or alternative sites to the Yucca Mountain site;
(E) preliminary comments of the Commission concerning the extent to which the at-depth site characterization analysis and the waste form proposal for such site seem to be sufficient for inclusion in any application to be submitted by the Secretary for licensing of such site as a repository;
(F) the views and comments of the Governor and legislature of any State, or the governing body of any affected Indian tribe, as determined by the Secretary, together with the response of the Secretary to such views;
(G) such other information as the Secretary considers appropriate; and
(H) any impact report submitted under section 10136(c)(2)(B) of this title by the State of Nevada.
(2)
(A) If, after recommendation by the Secretary, the President considers the Yucca Mountain site qualified for application for a construction authorization for a repository, the President shall submit a recommendation of such site to Congress.
(B) The President shall submit with such recommendation a copy of the statement for such site prepared by the Secretary under paragraph (1).
(3)
(A) The President may not recommend the approval of the Yucca Mountain site unless the Secretary has recommended to the President under paragraph (1) approval of such site and has submitted to the President a statement for such site as required under such paragraph.
(B) No recommendation of a site by the President under this subsection 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 1 require any environmental review under subparagraph (E) or (F) of section 102(2) of such Act.
(b) Submission of application

If the President recommends to the Congress the Yucca Mountain site under subsection (a) and the site designation is permitted to take effect under section 10135 of this title, the Secretary shall submit to the Commission an application for a construction authorization for a repository at such site not later than 90 days after the date on which the recommendation of the site designation is effective under such section and shall provide to the Governor and legislature of the State of Nevada a copy of such application.

(c) Status report on application

Not later than 1 year after the date on which an application for a construction authorization is submitted under subsection (b), and annually thereafter until the date on which such authorization is granted, the Commission shall submit a report to the Congress describing the proceedings undertaken through the date of such report with regard to such application, including a description of-

(1) any major unresolved safety issues, and the explanation of the Secretary with respect to design and operation plans for resolving such issues;
(2) any matters of contention regarding such application; and
(3) any Commission actions regarding the granting or denial of such authorization.
(d) Commission action

The Commission shall consider an application for a construction authorization for all or part of a repository in accordance with the laws applicable to such applications, except that the Commission shall issue a final decision approving or disapproving the issuance of a construction authorization not later than the expiration of 3 years after the date of the submission of such application, except that the Commission may extend such deadline by not more than 12 months if, not less than 30 days before such deadline, the Commission complies with the reporting requirements established in subsection (e)(2). The Commission decision approving the first such application shall prohibit the emplacement in the first repository of a quantity of spent fuel containing in excess of 70,000 metric tons of heavy metal or a quantity of solidified high-level radioactive waste resulting from the reprocessing of such a quantity of spent fuel until such time as a second repository is in operation. In the event that a monitored retrievable storage facility, approved pursuant to part C of this subchapter, shall be located, or is planned to be located, within 50 miles of the first repository, then the Commission decision approving the first such application shall prohibit the emplacement of a quantity of spent fuel containing in excess of 70,000 metric tons of heavy metal or a quantity of solidified high-level radioactive waste resulting from the reprocessing of spent fuel in both the repository and monitored retrievable storage facility until such time as a second repository is in operation.

(e) Project decision schedule
(1) The Secretary shall prepare and update, as appropriate, in cooperation with all affected Federal agencies, a project decision schedule that portrays the optimum way to attain the operation of the repository, within the time periods specified in this part. Such schedule shall include a description of objectives and a sequence of deadlines for all Federal agencies required to take action, including an identification of the activities in which a delay in the start, or completion, of such activities will cause a delay in beginning repository operation.
(2) Any Federal agency that determines that it cannot comply with any deadline in the project decision schedule, or fails to so comply, shall submit to the Secretary and to the Congress a written report explaining the reason for its failure or expected failure to meet such deadline, the reason why such agency could not reach an agreement with the Secretary, the estimated time for completion of the activity or activities involved, the associated effect on its other deadlines in the project decision schedule, and any recommendations it may have or actions it intends to take regarding any improvements in its operation or organization, or changes to its statutory directives or authority, so that it will be able to mitigate the delay involved. The Secretary, within 30 days after receiving any such report, shall file with the Congress his response to such report, including the reasons why the Secretary could not amend the project decision schedule to accommodate the Federal agency involved.
(f) Environmental impact statement
(1) Any recommendation made by the Secretary under this section shall be considered a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment for purposes of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 ( 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). A final environmental impact statement prepared by the Secretary under such Act shall accompany any recommendation to the President to approve a site for a repository.
(2) With respect to the requirements imposed by the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 ( 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), compliance with the procedures and requirements of this chapter shall be deemed adequate consideration of the need for a repository, the time of the initial availability of a repository, and all alternatives to the isolation of high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel in a repository.
(3) For purposes of complying with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 ( 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and this section, the Secretary need not consider alternate sites to the Yucca Mountain site for the repository to be developed under this part.
(4) Any environmental impact statement prepared in connection with a repository proposed to be constructed by the Secretary under this part shall, to the extent practicable, be adopted by the Commission in connection with the issuance by the Commission of a construction authorization and license for such repository. To the extent such statement is adopted by the Commission, such adoption shall be deemed to also satisfy the responsibilities of the Commission under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 ( 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and no further consideration shall be required, except that nothing in this subsection shall affect any independent responsibilities of the Commission to protect the public health and safety under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 ( 42 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.).
(5) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to amend or otherwise detract from the licensing requirements of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission established in title II of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 ( 42 U.S.C. 5841 et seq.).
(6) In any such statement prepared with respect to the repository to be constructed under this part, 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.

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

42 U.S.C. § 10134

Pub. L. 97-425, title I, §114, Jan. 7, 1983, 96 Stat. 2213; 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(h)-(l), Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1330-229, 1330-230.

EDITORIAL NOTES

REFERENCES IN TEXTThe National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, referred to in subsecs. (a)(1)(D) and (f), 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.The Atomic Energy Act of 1954, referred to in subsec. (f)(4), is act Aug. 1, 1946, ch. 724, as added by act Aug. 30, 1954, ch. 1073, §1, 68 Stat. 919, which is classified principally to chapter 23 (§2011 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 2011 of this title and Tables.The Energy Reorganization Act of 1974, referred to in subsec. (f)(5), is Pub. L. 93-438, Oct. 11, 1974, 88 Stat. 1233. Title II of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 is classified generally to subchapter II (§5841 et seq.) of chapter 73 of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 5801 of this title and Tables.

AMENDMENTS1987-Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 100-202 and Pub. L. 100-203, §5011(h)(1)(A)-(E), amended par. (1) identically, in introductory provisions substituting "vicinity of the Yucca Mountain site" for "vicinity of each site under consideration for recommendation to the President under this paragraph as a site for the development of a repository", striking out "in which such site is located" after "residents of the area", substituting "activities at the Yucca Mountain site" for "activities at not less than 3 candidate sites for the first proposed repository, or from all of the characterized sites for the development of subsequent respositories" [sic] and "of Nevada" for "in which such site is located, or the governing body of the affected Indian tribe where such site is located, as the case may be", and struck out before last sentence "In making site recommendations and approvals subsequent to the first site recommendation, the Secretary and the President, respectively, shall also consider the need for regional distribution of repositories and the need to minimize, to the extent practicable, the impacts and cost of transporting spent fuel and solidified high-level radioactive waste."Subsec. (a)(1)(D). Pub. L. 100-202 and Pub. L. 100-203, §5011(h)(1)(F), generally amended subpar. (D) identically. Prior to amendment, subpar. (D) read as follows: "a final environmental impact statement prepared pursuant to subsection (f) of this section and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 ( 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), including an analysis of the consideration given by the Secretary to not less than 3 candidate sites for the first proposed respository [sic] or to all of the characterized sites for the development of subsequent repositories, with respect to which site characterization is completed under section 10133 of this title, together with comments made concerning such environmental impact statement by the Secretary of the Interior, the Council on Environmental Quality, the Administrator, and the Commission, except that any such environmental impact statement concerning the first repository to be developed under this chapter shall not be required to consider the need for a repository or the alternatives to geologic disposal;".Subsec. (a)(1)(H). Pub. L. 100-202 and Pub. L. 100-203, §5011(h)(1)(G), amended subpar. (H) identically, substituting "the State of Nevada" for "the State in which such site is located, or under section 10138(b)(3)(B) of this title by the affected Indian tribe where such site is located, as the case may be".Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 100-202 and Pub. L. 100-203, §5011(h)(2), amended subsec. (a) identically, adding par. (2) and striking out former par. (2) which required submission of recommendation of one site for repository not later than Mar. 31, 1987, and recommendation of second site not later than Mar. 31, 1990, and permitted subsequent recommendations for other sites and extension of deadlines.Subsec. (a)(3), (4). Pub. L. 100-202 and Pub. L. 100-203, §5011(h)(2), (3), amended subsec. (a) identically, redesignating par. (4) as (3), in subpar. (A), substituting "the Yucca Mountain site" for "any site under this subsection" and "statement" for "report", and striking out former par. (3) which read as follows: "If approval of any such site recommendation does not take effect as a result of a disapproval by the Governor or legislature of a State under section 10136 of this title or the governing body of an affected Indian tribe under section 10138 of this title, the President shall submit to the Congress, not later than 1 year after the disapproval of such recommendation, a recommendation of another site for the first or subsequent repository."Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 100-202 and Pub. L. 100-203, §5011(i), amended subsec. (b) identically, substituting "the Yucca Mountain site" for "a site for a repository" and "State of Nevada" for "State in which such site is located, or the governing body of the affected Indian tribe where such site is located, as the case may be,".Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 100-202 and Pub. L. 100-203, §5011(j), amended subsec. (d) identically, substituting "than the expiration" for "than- (1) January 1, 1989, for the first such application, and January 1, 1992 for the second such application; or (2) the expiration" and "subsection (e)(2)" for "subsection (e)(2); whichever occurs later". Subsec. (e)(1). Pub. L. 100-202 and Pub. L. 100-203, §5011(k), amended par. (1) identically, substituting "operation of the repository" for "operation of the repository involved".Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 100-202 and Pub. L. 100-203, §5011(l), generally amended subsec. (f) identically, substituting provisions consisting of pars. (1) to (6) for former provisions consisting of single unnumbered par.

STATUTORY NOTES AND RELATED SUBSIDIARIES

TERMINATION OF REPORTING REQUIREMENTS For termination, effective May 15, 2000, of provisions of law requiring submittal to Congress of any annual, semiannual, or other regular periodic report listed in House Document No. 103-7 (in which a report required under subsec. (c) of this section is listed as the 17th item on page 186), see section 3003 of Pub. L. 104-66 as amended, set out as a note under section 1113 of Title 31, Money and Finance.

VIABILITY ASSESSMENT OF YUCCA MOUNTAIN SITE Pub. L. 104-206, 110 Stat. 2995, provided in part: "That no later than September 30, 1998, the Secretary shall provide to the President and to the Congress a viability assessment of the Yucca Mountain site. The viability assessment shall include:"(1) the preliminary design concept for the critical elements for the repository and waste package;"(2) a total system performance assessment, based upon the design concept and the scientific data and analysis available by September 30, 1998, describing the probable behavior of the repository in the Yucca Mountain geological setting relative to the overall system performance standards;"(3) a plan and cost estimate for the remaining work required to complete a license application; and"(4) an estimate of the costs to construct and operate the repository in accordance with the design concept."

Administrator
The term "Administrator" means the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
Commission
The term "Commission" means the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Federal agency
The term "Federal agency" means any Executive agency, as defined in section 105 of title 5.
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
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.
monitored retrievable storage facility
The term "monitored retrievable storage facility" means the storage facility described in section 10161(b)(1) of this title.1 So in original. The semicolon probably should be a period.2 See References in Text note below.
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.
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.
package
The terms "disposal package" and "package" mean the primary container that holds, and is in contact with, solidified high-level radioactive waste, spent nuclear fuel, or other radioactive materials, and any overpacks that are emplaced at a repository.
project
The terms "federally assisted housing" and "project" mean-(A) a public housing project (as such term is defined in section 3(b) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 [ 42 U.S.C. 1437a(b) ]);(B) housing for which project-based assistance is provided under section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 [ 42 U.S.C. 1437f ];(C) housing that is assisted under section 1701q of title 12;(D) housing that is assisted under section 1701q of title 12, as such section existed before November 28, 1990;(E) housing financed by a loan or mortgage insured under section 1715l(d)(3) of title 12 that bears interest at a rate determined under the proviso of section 1715l(d)(5) of title 12;(F) housing insured, assisted, or held by the Secretary or a State or State agency under section 1715z-1 of title 12;(G) housing constructed or substantially rehabilitated pursuant to assistance provided under section 8(b)(2) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 [ 42 U.S.C. 1437f(b)(2) ], as in effect before October 1, 1983, that is assisted under a contract for assistance under such section; and(H) housing that is assisted under section 8013 1 of this title.