State law currently provides that these costs be recovered through waste disposal fees over a period not to exceed 20 years. This fiscal note illustrates only the first recommendation. No significant administrative costs should result from implementation of the fees and surcharges. The Governor's Office is responsible for these negotiations. If there is a need to identify a new disposal site, these estimates do not include the cost of the site investigation study.
Legislation is needed to authorize the fees and surcharges.
Fee revenue would be assessed annually on projected units of low-level waste generated by the users of radioactive materials, who are expected to be major users of the state's disposal facility. Units of waste would be measured by a combination of volume and degree of radioactivity. Fees would be assessed on all low-level waste generators, with exemptions for a certain threshold of generators, to exempt small users of radioactive materials. Surcharges would be assessed on utility taxes of utility companies owning nuclear power plants, since they will generate approximately 80 percent of the waste. The surcharges may not be needed if Texas can obtain reimbursement of pre-construction costs from other states in a compact agreement.