‘‘(21) OFFICE.—The term ‘Office’ means the
Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management es-
tablished within the Department prior to the date of
enactment of this Act under the provisions of the
Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982.
‘‘(22) PROGRAM
APPROACH.—The term ‘pro-
gram approach’ means the Civilian Radioactive
Waste Management Program Plan, dated May 1996,
as modified by this Act, and as amended from time
to time by the Secretary in accordance with this Act.
‘‘(23) REPOSITORY.—The term ‘repository’
means a system designed and constructed under title
II of this Act for the permanent geologic disposal of
spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste,
including both surface and subsurface areas at
which spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive
waste receipt, handling, possession, safeguarding,
and storage are conducted.
‘‘(24) 
SECRETARY.—The 
term 
‘Secretary’
means the Secretary of Energy.
‘‘(25) SITE
CHARACTERIZATION.—The term
‘site characterization’ means activities, whether in a
laboratory or in the field, undertaken to establish
the geologic condition and the ranges of the param-
eters of a candidate site relevant to the location of
a repository, including borings, surface excavations,
excavations of exploratory facilities, limited sub-
surface lateral excavations and borings, and in situ
testing needed to evaluate the licensability of a can-
didate site for the location of a repository, but not
including preliminary borings and geophysical test-
ing needed to assess whether site characterization
should be undertaken.
‘‘(26) SPENT
NUCLEAR
FUEL.—The term
‘spent nuclear fuel’ means fuel that has been with-
drawn from a nuclear reactor following irradiation,
the constituent elements of which have not been sep-
arated by reprocessing.
‘‘(27) STORAGE.—The term ‘storage’ means re-
tention of spent nuclear fuel or high-level radioactive
waste with the intent to recover such waste or fuel
for subsequent use, processing, or disposal.
‘‘(28) WITHDRAWAL.—The term ‘withdrawal’
has the same definition as that set forth in the Fed-
eral Land Policy and Management Act (43 U.S.C.
1702 and following).
‘‘(29) YUCCA
MOUNTAIN
SITE.—The term
‘Yucca Mountain site’ means the area in the State
of Nevada that is withdrawn and reserved in accord-
ance with this Act for the location of a repository.
‘‘SEC. 3. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
‘‘(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that—
‘‘(1) while spent nuclear fuel can be safely
stored at reactor sites, the expeditious movement to
and storage of such spent nuclear fuel at a central-
ized Federal facility will enhance the nation’s envi-
ronmental protection;
‘‘(2) while the Federal Government has the re-
sponsibility to provide for the centralized interim
storage and permanent disposal of spent nuclear fuel
and high-level radioactive waste to protect the public
health and safety and the environment, the costs of
such storage and disposal should be the responsibil-
ity of the generators and owners of such waste and
fuel, including the Federal Government;
‘‘(3) in the interests of protecting the public
health and safety, enhancing the nation’s environ-
mental protection, promoting the nation’s energy se-
curity, and ensuring the Secretary’s ability to com-
mence acceptance of spent nuclear fuel and high-
level radioactive waste no later than January 31,
2000, it is necessary for Congress to authorize the
interim storage facility;
‘‘(4) deficit-control measures designed to limit
appropriation of general revenues have limited the
availability of the Nuclear Waste Fund for its in-
tended purposes; and
‘‘(5) the Federal Government has the respon-
sibility to provide for the permanent disposal of
waste generated from United States atomic energy
defense activities.
‘‘(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are—
‘‘(1) to direct the Secretary to develop an inte-
grated management system in accordance with this
Act so that the Department can accept spent nuclear
fuel or high-level radioactive waste for interim stor-
age commencing no later than January 31, 2000,
and for permanent disposal at a repository com-
mencing no later than January 17, 2010;
‘‘(2) to provide for the siting, construction, and
operation of a repository for permanent geologic dis-
posal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive
waste in order to adequately protect the public and
the environment;
‘‘(3) to take those actions necessary to ensure
that the consumers of nuclear energy, who are fund-
ing the Secretary’s activities under this Act, receive
the services to which they are entitled and realize
the benefits of enhanced protection of public health
and safety, and the environment, that will ensue
from the Secretary’s compliance with the obligations
imposed by this Act; and
‘‘(4) to provide a schedule and process for the
expeditious and safe development and commence-
ment of operation of an integrated management sys-
tem and any necessary modifications to the trans-
portation infrastructure to ensure that the Secretary
can commence acceptance of spent nuclear fuel and
high-level radioactive waste no later than January
31, 2000.
‘‘TITLE I—OBLIGATIONS
‘‘SEC. 101. OBLIGATIONS OF THE SECRETARY OF ENERGY.
‘‘(a) DISPOSAL.—The Secretary shall develop and op-
erate a repository for the permanent geologic disposal of
spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste.
‘‘(b) ACCEPTANCE.—The Secretary shall accept spent
nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste for storage
at the interim storage facility pursuant to section 204 in
accordance with the acceptance schedule established under
section 508, beginning not later than January 31, 2000.
‘‘(c) TRANSPORTATION.—The Secretary shall provide
for the transportation of spent nuclear fuel and high-level
radioactive waste accepted by the Secretary.
‘‘(d) INTEGRATED
MANAGEMENT
SYSTEM.—The
Secretary shall expeditiously pursue the development of
each component of the integrated management system,
and in so doing shall seek to utilize effective private sector
management and contracting practices in accordance with
title VII of this Act.
‘‘TITLE II—INTEGRATED
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
‘‘SEC. 201. INTERMODAL TRANSFER.
‘‘(a) BEFORE RAIL ACCESS.—Until such time as di-
rect rail access is available to the interim storage facility
site, the Secretary shall utilize heavy-haul truck transport
to move spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste
from the mainline rail line at Caliente, Nevada, to the in-
terim storage facility site.
‘‘(b) CAPABILITY DATE.—The Secretary shall de-
velop the capability to commence rail to truck intermodal
transfer at Caliente, Nevada, no later than January 31,
2000.
‘‘(c) ACQUISITIONS.—The Secretary shall acquire
lands and rights-of-way necessary to commence intermodal
transfer at Caliente, Nevada.
‘‘(d) REPLACEMENTS.—The Secretary shall acquire
and develop on behalf of, and dedicate to, the City of
Caliente, Nevada, parcels of land and rights-of-way as re-
quired to facilitate replacement of land and city
wastewater disposal activities necessary to commence