2023 Indiana Code › Title 13. Environment › Article 29. Interstate Compacts › Chapter 1. Midwest Interstate Compact on Low-Level Radioactive Waste › 13-29-1-6. Development, Operation, and Closing of Compact Facilities

Sec. 6.
ARTICLE VI. DEVELOPMENT, OPERATION, AND
CLOSING OF COMPACT FACILITIES
a. Any party state may volunteer to become a host state, and the Commission may designate that state as a host state.
b. If not all compact facilities required by the regional disposal plan are developed pursuant to Article VI(a) of this compact, the Commission may designate a host state.
c. After a state is designated a host state by the Commission, it is responsible for the timely development and operation of the compact facility it is designated to host. The development and operation of the compact facility shall not conflict with applicable federal and host state laws, rules, and regulations, provided that the laws, rules, and regulations of a host state and its political subdivisions shall not prevent, nor shall they be applied so as to prevent, the host state's discharge of the obligation set forth in Article VI(c) of this compact. The obligation set forth in Article VI(c) of this compact is contingent upon the discharge by the Commission of its obligation set forth in Article III(i)(5) of this compact.
d. If a party state designated as a host state fails to discharge the obligations imposed upon it by Article VI(c) of this compact, its host state designation may be terminated by a two-thirds vote of the Commission with the member from the host state of any then operating compact facility voting in the affirmative. A party state whose host state designation has been terminated has failed to fulfill its obligations as a host state and is subject to the provisions of Article VIII(d) of this compact.
e. Any party state designated as a host state may request the Commission to relieve that state of the responsibility to serve as a host state. Except as set forth in Article VI(d) of this compact, the Commission may relieve a party state of its responsibility only upon a showing by the requesting party state that, based upon criteria established by the Commission that are consistent with any applicable federal criteria, no feasible potential compact facility site exists within its borders.
A party state relieved of its host state responsibility shall repay to the Commission any funds provided to that state by the Commission for the development of a compact facility, and also shall pay to the Commission the amount the Commission determines is necessary to ensure that the Commission and the other party states do not incur financial loss as a result of the state being relieved of its host state responsibility. Any funds so paid to the Commission with respect to the financial loss of the other party states shall be distributed forthwith by the Commission to the party states that would otherwise incur the loss. In addition, until the state relieved of its responsibility is again designated as a host state and a compact facility located in that state begins operating, it shall annually pay to the Commission, for deposit in the remedial action fund, an amount the Commission determines is fair and equitable in light of the fact the state has been relieved of the responsibility to host a compact facility, but continues to enjoy the benefits of being a member of this compact.
f. The host state shall select the technology for the compact facility. If requested by the Commission, information regarding the technology selected by the host state shall be submitted to the Commission for its review. The Commission may require the host state to make changes in the technology selected by the host state if the Commission demonstrates that the changes do not decrease the protection of air, land, and water resources and the health and safety of all people who may be affected by the facility. If requested by the host state, any Commission decision requiring the host state to make changes in the technology shall be preceded by an adjudicatory hearing in which the Commission shall have the burden of proof.
g. A host state may assign to a private contractor the responsibility, in whole or in part, to develop, construct, operate, close, or provide long-term care for a compact facility. Assignment of such responsibility by a host state to a private contractor does not relieve the host state of any responsibility imposed upon it by this compact. A host state may secure indemnification from the contractor for any costs, liabilities, and expenses incurred by the host state resulting from the development, construction, operation, closing, or long-term care of a compact facility.
h. To the extent permitted by federal and state law, a host state shall regulate and license any facility within its borders and ensure the long-term care of that facility.
i. A host state shall accept waste for disposal for a period of twenty years from the date the compact facility in the host state becomes operational, or until its capacity has been reached, whichever occurs first. At any time before the compact facility closes, the host state and the Commission may enter into an agreement to extend the period during which the host state is required to accept such waste or to increase the capacity of the compact facility. Except as specifically authorized by Article VI(l)(4) of this compact, the twenty year period shall not be extended, and the capacity of the facility shall not be increased, without the consent of the affected host state and the Commission.
j. A host state shall establish a system of fees to be collected from the users of any compact facility within its borders. The fee system, and the costs paid through the system, shall be reasonable and equitable. The fee system shall be subject to the Commission's approval. The fee system shall provide the host state with sufficient revenue to pay costs associated with the compact facility including, but not limited to, operation, closing, long-term care, debt service, legal costs, local impact assistance, and local financial incentives. The fee system also shall be used to collect the surcharge provided in Article III(j)(2) of this compact. The fee system shall include incentives for source reduction and shall be based on the hazard of the waste as well as the volume.
k. A host state shall ensure that a compact facility located within its borders that is permanently closed is properly cared for so as to ensure protection of air, land, and water resources and the health and safety of all people who may be affected by the facility.
l. The development of subsequent compact facilities shall be as follows:
1. No compact facility shall begin operating until the Commission designates the host state of the next compact facility.
2. The following actions shall be taken by the state designated to host the next compact facility within the specified number of years after the compact facility it is intended to replace begins operation:
a. Within three years, enact legislation providing for the development of the next compact facility.
b. Within seven years, initiate site characterization investigations and tests to determine licensing suitability for the next compact facility.
c. Within eleven years, submit a license application for the next compact facility that the responsible licensing authority deems complete.
If a host state fails to take any of these actions within the specified time, all waste generated by any person within that state shall be denied access to the then operating compact facility, and to any noncompact facility made available to the region by any agreement entered into by the Commission pursuant to Article III(h)(6) of this compact, until the action is taken. Denial of access may be rescinded by the Commission, with the member from the host state of the then operating compact facility voting in the affirmative. A host state that fails to take any of these actions within the specified time has failed to fulfill its obligations as a host state and is subject to the provisions of Articles VI(d) and VIII(d) of this compact.
3. Within fourteen years after any compact facility begins operating, the state designated to host the next compact facility shall have obtained a license from the responsible licensing authority to construct and operate the compact facility the state has been designated to host. If the license is not obtained within the specified time, all waste generated by any person within the state designated to host the next compact facility shall be denied access to the then operating compact facility, and to any noncompact facility made available to the region by any agreement entered into by the Commission pursuant to Article III(h)(6) of this compact, until the license is obtained. The state designated to host the next compact facility shall have failed in its obligations as a host state and shall be subject to Articles VI(d) and VIII(d) of this compact. In addition, at the sole option of the host state of the then operating compact facility, all waste generated by any person within any party state that has not fully discharged its obligations under Article VI(i) of this compact shall be denied access to the then operating compact facility, and to any noncompact facility made available to the region by any agreement entered into by the Commission pursuant to Article III(h)(6) of this compact, until the license is obtained. Denial of access may be rescinded by the Commission, with the member from the host state of the then operating compact facility voting in the affirmative.
4. If twenty years after a compact facility begins operating, the next compact facility is not ready to begin operating, the state designated to host the next compact facility shall have failed in its obligation as a host state and shall be subject to Articles VI(d) and VIII(d) of this compact. If at the time the capacity of the then operating compact facility has been reached, or twenty years after the facility began operating, whichever occurs first, the next compact facility is not ready to begin operating, the host state of the then operating compact facility, without the consent of any other party state or the Commission, may continue to operate the facility until a compact facility in the next host state is ready to begin operating. During any such period of continued operation of a compact facility, all waste generated by any person within the state designated to host the next compact facility shall be denied access to the then operating compact facility and to any noncompact facility made available to the region by any agreement entered into by the Commission pursuant to Article III(h)(6) of this compact. In addition, during such period, at the sole option of the host state of the then operating compact facility, all waste generated by any person within any party state that has not fully discharged its obligations under Article VI(i) of this compact shall be denied access to the then operating compact facility and to any noncompact facility made available to the region by any agreement entered into by the Commission pursuant to Article III(h)(6) of this compact. Denial of access may be rescinded by the commission, with the member from the host state of the then operating compact facility voting in the affirmative. The provisions of Article VI(l)(4) of this compact shall not apply if their application is inconsistent with an agreement between the host state of the then operating compact facility and the Commission as authorized in Article VI(i) of this compact, or inconsistent with Article VI(p) or (q) of this compact.
5. During any period that access is denied for waste disposal pursuant to Article VI(l)(2), (3), or (4) of this compact, the party state designated to host the next compact disposal facility shall pay to the host state of the then operating compact facility an amount the Commission determines is reasonably necessary to ensure that the host state, or any agency or political subdivision thereof, does not incur financial loss as a result of the denial of access.
6. The Commission may modify any of the requirements contained in Articles VI(l)(2) and (3) of this compact if it finds that circumstances have changed so that the requirements are unworkable or unnecessarily rigid or no longer serve to ensure the timely development of a compact facility. The Commission may adopt such a finding by a two-thirds vote, with the member from the host state of the then operating compact facility voting in the affirmative.
m. This compact shall not prevent an emergency closing of a compact facility by a host state to protect air, land and water resources and the health and safety of all people who may be affected by the facility. A host state that has an emergency closing of a compact facility shall notify the Commission in writing within three working days of its action and shall, within thirty (30) working days of its action, demonstrate justification for the closing.
n. A party state that has fully discharged its obligations under Article VI(i) of this compact shall not again be designated a host state of a compact facility without its consent until each party state has been designated to host a compact facility and has fully discharged its obligations under Article VI(i) of this compact or has been relieved under Article VI(e) of this compact of its responsibility to serve as a host state.
o. Each host state of a compact facility shall establish a long-term care fund to pay for monitoring, security, maintenance, and repair of the facility after it is permanently closed. The expenses of administering the long-term care fund shall be paid out of the fund. The fee system established by the host state that establishes a long-term care fund shall be used to collect moneys in amounts that are adequate to pay for all long-term care of the compact facility. The moneys shall be deposited into the long-term care fund. Except where the matter is resolved through arbitration, the amount to be collected through the fee system for deposit into the fund shall be determined through an agreement between the Commission and the host state establishing the fund. Not less than three years, nor more than five years, before the compact facility it is designated to host is scheduled to begin operating, the host state shall propose to the Commission the amount to be collected through the fee system for deposit into the fund. If, one hundred eighty days after such proposal is made to the Commission, the host state and the Commission have not agreed, either the Commission or the host state may require the matter to be decided through binding arbitration. The method of administration of the fund shall be determined by the host state establishing the long-term care fund, provided that moneys in the fund shall be used only for the purposes set forth in Article VI(o) of this compact and shall be invested in accordance with the standards applicable to trustees under the laws of the host state establishing the fund. If, after a compact facility is closed, the Commission determines the long-term care fund established with respect to that facility is not adequate to pay for all long-term care for that facility, the Commission shall collect and pay over to the host state of the closed facility, for deposit into the long-term care fund, an amount determined by the Commission to be necessary to make the amount in the fund adequate to pay for all long-term care of the facility. If a long-term care fund is exhausted and long-term care expenses for the facility with respect to which the fund was created have been reasonably incurred by the host state of the facility, those expenses are a liability with respect to which generators shall provide indemnification as provided in Article VII(g) of this compact. Generators that provide indemnification shall have contribution rights as provided in Article VII(g) of this compact.
p. A host state that withdraws from the compact or has its membership revoked shall immediately and permanently close any compact facility located within its borders, except that the Commission and a host state may enter into an agreement under which the host state may continue to operate, as a noncompact facility, a facility within its borders that, before the host state withdrew or had its membership revoked, was a compact facility.
q. If this compact is dissolved, the host state of any then operating compact facility shall immediately and permanently close the facility, provided that a host state may continue to operate a compact facility or resume operating a previously closed compact facility, as a noncompact facility, subject to all of the following requirements:
1. The host state shall pay to the other party states the portion of the funds provided to that state by the Commission for the development, construction, operation, closing, or long-term care of a compact facility that is fair and equitable, taking into consideration the period of time the compact facility located in that state was in operation and the amount of waste disposed of at the facility, provided that a host state that has fully discharged its obligations under Article VI(i) of this compact shall not be required to make such payment.
2. The host state shall physically segregate waste disposed of at the facility after this compact is dissolved from waste disposed of at the facility before this compact is dissolved.
3. The host state shall indemnify and hold harmless the other party states from all costs, liabilities, and expenses, including reasonable attorneys' fees and expenses, caused by operating the facility after this compact is dissolved, provided that this indemnification and hold harmless obligation shall not apply to costs, liabilities, and expenses resulting from the activities of a host state as a generator of waste.
4. Moneys in the long-term care fund established by the host state that are attributable to the operation of the facility before this compact is dissolved, and investment earnings thereon, shall be used only to pay the cost of monitoring, securing, maintaining, or repairing that portion of the facility used for the disposal of waste before this compact is dissolved. Such moneys and investment earnings, and any moneys added to the long-term care fund through a distribution authorized by Article III(r) of this compact, also may be used to pay the cost of any remedial action made necessary by an event resulting from the disposal of waste at the facility before this compact is dissolved.
r. Financial statements of a compact facility shall be prepared according to generally accepted accounting principles. The Commission may require the financial statements to be audited on an annual basis by a firm of certified public accountants selected and paid by the Commission.
s. Waste may be accepted for disposal at a compact facility only if the generator of the waste has signed, and there is on file with the Commission, an agreement to provide indemnification to a party state, or employee of that state, for all of the following:
1. Any cost of a remedial action described in Article III(p) of this compact that, due to inadequacy of the remedial action fund, is not paid as set forth in that provision.
2. Any expense for long-term care described in Article VI(o) of this compact that, due to exhaustion of the long-term care fund, is not paid as set forth in that provision.
3. Any liability for damages to persons, property, or the environment incurred by a party state, or employee of that state while acting within the scope of employment, resulting from the development, construction, operation, regulation, closing, or long-term care of a compact facility, or any noncompact facility made available to the region by any agreement entered into by the Commission pursuant to Article III(h)(6) of this compact, or any other matter arising from this compact. The agreement also shall require generators to indemnify the party state or employee against all reasonable attorney's fees and expenses incurred in defending any action for such damages. This indemnification shall not extend to liability based on any of the following:
a. The activities of the party states as generators of waste.
b. The obligations of the party states to each other and the Commission imposed by this compact or other contracts related to the disposal of waste under this compact.
c. Activities of a host state or employees thereof that are grossly negligent or willful and wanton.
The agreement shall provide that the indemnification obligation of generators shall be joint and several, except that the indemnification obligation of the party states with respect to their activities as generators of waste shall not be joint and several, but instead shall be prorated according to the amount of waste that each state had disposed of at the compact facility giving rise to the liability. Such proration shall be calculated as of the date of the event giving rise to the liability. The agreement shall be in a form approved by the Commission with the member from the host state of any then operating compact facility voting in the affirmative. Among generators there shall be rights of contribution based on equitable principles, and generators shall have rights of contribution against any other person responsible for such damages under common law, statute, rule, or regulation, provided that a party state that through its own activities did not generate any waste disposed of at the compact facility giving rise to the liability, an employee of such a party state, and the Commission shall have no such contribution obligation. The Commission may waive the requirement that the party state sign and file such an indemnification agreement as a condition to being able to dispose of waste generated as a result of the party state's activities. Such a waiver shall not relieve a party state of the indemnification obligation imposed by Article VII(g) of this compact.
[Pre-1996 Recodification Citation: 13-5-9-6.]
As added by P.L.1-1996, SEC.19. Amended by P.L.131-1996, SEC.7.