Nuclear Waste Informed Consent Act

Bill: 116-s-649
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV]
Introduced: 2019-03-05
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Federal-Indian relations

Intergovernmental relations

Nuclear power

Radioactive wastes and releases

State and local government operations
Latest action: action_date: 2019-05-01
text: Committee on Environment and Public Works. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 116-29.

Summaries:
action_date: 2019-03-05
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Nuclear Waste Informed Consent Act</b></p> <p>This bill prohibits the Department of Energy (DOE) from using the Nuclear Waste Fund for certain expenditures involving repositories for disposing of spent nuclear fuel or high-level radioactive waste. Specifically, DOE may not use the fund to pay for disposal in a repository or planning, construction, or operation of a repository unless DOE has entered into an agreement with the state in which the repository is located and with affected local governments and Indian tribes.</p>

tv_txt: II 116th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 649 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 5, 2019 Ms. Cortez Masto (for herself and Ms. Rosen ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works A BILL To require the Secretary of Energy to obtain the consent of affected State and local governments before making an expenditure from the Nuclear Waste Fund for a nuclear waste repository, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Nuclear Waste Informed Consent Act . 2. Definitions In this Act, the terms affected Indian tribe , affected unit of local government , high-level radioactive waste , repository , Secretary , spent nuclear fuel , and unit of general local government have the meanings given the terms in section 2 of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 ( 42 U.S.C. 10101 ). 3. Consent based approval (a) In general The Secretary may not make an expenditure from the Nuclear Waste Fund established under section 302(c) of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 ( 42 U.S.C. 10222(c) ) for the costs of the activities described in paragraphs (4) and (5) of section 302(d) of that Act ( 42 U.S.C. 10222(d) ) unless the Secretary has entered into an agreement for a repository with— (1) the Governor of the State in which the repository is proposed to be located; (2) each affected unit of local government; (3) any unit of general local government contiguous to the affected unit of local government if spent nuclear fuel or high-level radioactive waste will be transported through that unit of general local government for disposal at the repository; and (4) each affected Indian tribe. (b) Conditions on agreement Any agreement for a repository under this Act— (1) shall be in writing and signed by all parties; (2) shall be binding on the parties; and (3) shall not be amended or revoked except by mutual agreement of the parties.