I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 515 

To prohibit the importation of certain low-level radioactive waste into the 

United States. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 14, 2009 

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee (for himself, Mr. TERRY, Mr. MATHESON, Mrs. 

CAPPS, Mr. COHEN, Mr. CHAFFETZ, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Mr. CHANDLER, Mr. DOYLE, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. FILNER, Mr. HILL, 

Mr. BARROW, Mr. CARNAHAN, Mr. MELANCON, Ms. LEE of California, 

Ms. GIFFORDS, Ms. WOOLSEY, Ms. HIRONO, Mr. MOORE of Kansas, Mr. 

HINCHEY, Mr. WHITFIELD, Mr. WEXLER, Mr. KUCINICH, Mr. INSLEE, 

Mr. PITTS, Mr. FORTENBERRY, Mrs. MYRICK, Mr. LIPINSKI, and Mr. 

BUTTERFIELD) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee 

on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 

Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 

the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To prohibit the importation of certain low-level radioactive 

waste into the United States. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Radioactive Import 

5 Deterrence Act’’. 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
2 

•HR 515 IH

1 SEC. 2. PROHIBITION OF IMPORTATION. 

2 (a) AMENDMENT.—Chapter 8 of the Atomic Energy 

3 Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2111 et seq.) is amended by add4 ing at the end the following new section: 

5 ‘‘SEC. 85. IMPORTATION OF LOW-LEVEL RADIO6 ACTIVE WASTE. 

7 ‘‘a. Except as provided in subsection b. or c., the 

8 Commission shall not issue a license authorizing the im9 portation into the United States of— 

10 ‘‘(1) low-level radioactive waste (as defined in 

11 section 2 of the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy 

12 Act (42 U.S.C. 2021b)); or 

13 ‘‘(2) specific radioactive waste streams exempt14 ed from regulation by the Commission under section 

15 10 of the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act 

16 (42 U.S.C. 2021j). 

17 ‘‘b. Subsection a. shall not apply to— 

18 ‘‘(1) low-level radioactive waste being returned 

19 to a United States Government or military facility 

20 which is authorized to possess the material; or 

21 ‘‘(2) low-level radioactive waste resulting from 

22 the use in a foreign country of nuclear material ob23 tained by the foreign user from an entity in the 

24 United States that is being returned to the United 

25 States for management and disposal. 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
3 

•HR 515 IH

1 ‘‘c. The President may waive the prohibition under 

2 this section and authorize the grant of a specific license 

3 to import materials prohibited under subsection a., under 

4 the rules of the Commission, only after a finding that such 

5 importation would meet an important national or inter6 national policy goal, such as the use of waste for research 

7 purposes. Such a waiver must specify the policy goal to 

8 be achieved, how it is to be achieved, and the amount of 

9 material to be imported. 

10 ‘‘d. A license not permitted under this section that 

11 was issued before the date of enactment of this section 

12 may continue in effect according to its terms, but may 

13 not be extended or amended with respect to the amount 

14 of material permitted to be imported.’’. 

15 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS AMENDMENT.—The table 

16 of contents for the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 is amended 

17 by inserting at the end of the items relating to chapter 

18 8 the following new item: 

‘‘Sec. 85. Importation of low-level radioactive waste.’’. 

Æ 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS