The site in South Carolina accepts LLW from all States except North Carolina. There are several additional sites currently under consideration for LLW disposal. The Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1985 authorized the formation of regional compacts. Nine compacts are currently active, although most of them do not have a low-level waste site that has been developed or licensed. The Act contains a system of milestones, incentives, and penalties to ensure that States and compacts will be responsible for their own waste.
Compacts can restrict access to the disposal site from States outside the compact.
If the low-level waste site is closed, the licensee would need to find another waste site that is willing to take the waste. Options such as compaction or incineration would be investigated as a means of reducing the magnitude of this waste stream. Until a new waste site is located, the licensee would need to temporarily store the waste onsite. The NRC has historically discouraged the use of onsite storage as a substitute for permanent disposal, but has not limited the amount of time that the waste can be stored. Onsite storage facilities are designed to minimize personnel exposure.