If passed, the bill makes the state of Texas the owner of the facility, the land and the waste. Licenses to manage the waste would be granted by the state to a private waste disposal company. Decommissioned power plants, research institutions and the oil and medical industries will generate waste included in the compact. The compact will be governed by the Texas Compact Commission. Department of Energy waste, such as nuclear weapons, is not part of the compact waste.
Assured isolation is the storage of radioactive waste above ground.
Burial is the other disposal method used in the industry. The bill also makes the management company provide financial assurance up front, in case of any contamination or accidents. Opponents to the bill disagree with Jacobi. Rogers said this provision is dangerous. This bill will open the floodgates to dumping radioactive waste in Texas for the benefit of a handful of corporations.