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S.B. 172

             1     

HAZARDOUS WASTE REGULATION AND TAX

             2     
POLICY TASK FORCE AND MORATORIUM ON

             3     
ACCEPTANCE OF CLASS B AND C

             4     
RADIOACTIVE WASTE

             5     
2003 GENERAL SESSION

             6     
STATE OF UTAH

             7     
Sponsor: Curtis S. Bramble

             8      This act creates a task force to study radioactive waste, hazardous waste, and commercial
             9      solid waste issues in the state, including state policy and an evaluation of fees and taxes
             10      imposed on these wastes. The task force is composed of 15 members of the Legislature.
             11      The task force expires on November 30, 2004. This act also places a moratorium on any
             12      acceptance of class B or C radioactive waste through February 15, 2005.
             13      This act affects sections of Utah Code Annotated 1953 as follows:
             14      AMENDS:
             15          19-3-104, as last amended by Chapter 297, Laws of Utah 2002
             16          19-3-105, as last amended by Chapter 188, Laws of Utah 1994
             17      ENACTS:
             18          19-3-103.7, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             19      This act enacts uncodified material.
             20      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             21          Section 1. Section 19-3-103.7 is enacted to read:
             22          19-3-103.7. Moratorium on class B and C radioactive waste.
             23          On and after May 3, 2003, through February 15, 2005, there is a moratorium prohibiting
             24      any entity in the state from accepting class B or C low-level radioactive waste for commercial
             25      storage, decay in storage, treatment, incineration, or disposal.
             26          Section 2. Section 19-3-104 is amended to read:
             27           19-3-104. Registration and licensing of radiation sources by department --



             28      Assessment of fees -- Rulemaking authority and procedure -- Siting criteria.
             29          (1) As used in this section:
             30          (a) "Decommissioning" includes financial assurance.
             31          (b) "Source material" and "byproduct material" have the same definitions as in 42
             32      U.S.C.A. 2014, Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended.
             33          (2) The board may require the registration or licensing of radiation sources that
             34      constitute a significant health hazard.
             35          (3) All sources of ionizing radiation, including ionizing radiation producing machines,
             36      shall be registered or licensed by the department.
             37          (4) The board may make rules:
             38          (a) necessary for controlling exposure to sources of radiation that constitute a
             39      significant health hazard;
             40          (b) to meet the requirements of federal law relating to radiation control to ensure the
             41      radiation control program under this part is qualified to maintain primacy from the federal
             42      government;
             43          (c) to establish:
             44          (i) board accreditation requirements and procedures for mammography facilities; and
             45          (ii) certification procedure and qualifications for persons who survey mammography
             46      equipment and oversee quality assurance practices at mammography facilities; and
             47          (d) as necessary regarding the possession, use, transfer, or delivery of source and
             48      byproduct material and the disposal of byproduct material to establish requirements for:
             49          (i) the licensing, operation, decontamination, and decommissioning, including financial
             50      assurances; and
             51          (ii) the reclamation of sites, structures, and equipment used in conjunction with the
             52      activities described in this Subsection (4).
             53          (5) (a) On and after January 1, 2003, a fee is imposed for the regulation of source and
             54      byproduct material and the disposal of byproduct material at uranium mills or commercial
             55      waste facilities, as provided in this Subsection (5).
             56          (b) On and after January 1, 2003 through March 30, 2003:
             57          (i) $6,667 per month for uranium mills or commercial sites disposing of or
             58      reprocessing byproduct material; and



             59          (ii) $4,167 per month for those uranium mills the executive secretary has determined
             60      are on standby status.
             61          (c) On and after March 31, 2003 through June 30, 2003 the same fees as in Subsection
             62      (5)(b) apply, but only if the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission grants to Utah an
             63      amendment for agreement state status for uranium recovery regulation on or before March 30,
             64      2003.
             65          (d) If the Nuclear Regulatory Commission does not grant the amendment for state
             66      agreement status on or before March 30, 2003, fees under Subsection (5)(e) do not apply and
             67      are not required to be paid until on and after the later date of:
             68          (i) October 1, 2003; or
             69          (ii) the date the Nuclear Regulatory Commission grants to Utah an amendment for
             70      agreement state status for uranium recovery regulation.
             71          (e) For the payment periods beginning on and after July 1, 2003, the department shall
             72      establish the fees required under Subsection (5)(a) under Section 63-38-3.2 , subject to the
             73      restrictions under Subsection (5)(d).
             74          (f) The department shall deposit fees it receives under this Subsection (5) into the
             75      Environmental Quality Restricted Account created in Section 19-1-108 .
             76          (6) (a) The department shall assess fees for registration, licensing, and inspection of
             77      radiation sources under this section.
             78          (b) The department shall comply with the requirements of Section 63-38-3.2 in
             79      assessing fees for licensure and registration.
             80          (7) The department shall coordinate its activities with the Department of Health rules
             81      made under Section 26-21a-203 .
             82          (8) (a) Except as provided in Subsection (9), the board may not adopt rules, for the
             83      purpose of the state assuming responsibilities from the United States Nuclear Regulatory
             84      Commission with respect to regulation of sources of ionizing radiation, that are more stringent
             85      than the corresponding federal regulations which address the same circumstances.
             86          (b) In adopting those rules, the board may incorporate corresponding federal
             87      regulations by reference.
             88          (9) (a) The board may adopt rules more stringent than corresponding federal
             89      regulations for the purpose described in Subsection (8) only if it makes a written finding after


             90      public comment and hearing and based on evidence in the record that corresponding federal
             91      regulations are not adequate to protect public health and the environment of the state.
             92          (b) Those findings shall be accompanied by an opinion referring to and evaluating the
             93      public health and environmental information and studies contained in the record which form
             94      the basis for the board's conclusion.
             95          (10) (a) The board shall by rule:
             96          (i) authorize independent qualified experts to conduct inspections required under this
             97      chapter of x-ray facilities registered with the division; and
             98          (ii) establish qualifications and certification procedures necessary for independent
             99      experts to conduct these inspections.
             100          (b) Independent experts under this Subsection (10) are not considered employees or
             101      representatives of the division or the state when conducting the inspections.
             102          (11) (a) The board may by rule establish criteria for siting commercial low-level
             103      radioactive waste treatment or disposal facilities, subject to the moratorium regarding class B
             104      and C low-level radioactive waste imposed by Section 19-3-103.7 .
             105          (b) Any facility under Subsection (11)(a) for which a radioactive material license is
             106      required by this section shall comply with those criteria.
             107          (c) A facility may not receive a radioactive material license until siting criteria have
             108      been established by the board. The criteria also apply to facilities that have applied for but not
             109      received a radioactive material license.
             110          (12) The board shall by rule establish financial assurance requirements for closure and
             111      postclosure care of radioactive waste land disposal facilities, taking into account existing
             112      financial assurance requirements.
             113          Section 3. Section 19-3-105 is amended to read:
             114           19-3-105. Legislative and gubernatorial approval required -- Class B and C
             115      low-level radioactive waste prohibited.
             116          (1) The provisions of this section are subject to the moratorium regarding class B and
             117      C low-level radioactive waste under Section 19-3-103.7 .
             118          [(1)] (2) (a) A person may not own, construct, modify, or operate any facility for the
             119      purpose of commercially transferring, storing, decaying in storage, treating, or disposing of
             120      radioactive waste without first submitting and receiving the approval of the board for a


             121      radioactive material license for the facility.
             122          (b) A person may not construct a new commercial radioactive waste transfer, storage,
             123      decay in storage, treatment, or disposal facility until:
             124          (i) the requirements of Section 19-3-104 have been met;
             125          (ii) in addition and subsequent to the approval required in Subsection (2)(a), the
             126      governor and the Legislature have approved the facility; and
             127          (iii) local planning and zoning has authorized the facility.
             128          (c) For purposes of this section, the following items shall be treated as submission of a
             129      new license application:
             130          (i) the submission of a revised application specifying a different geographic site than a
             131      previously submitted application; or
             132          (ii) an application for amendment of a commercial radioactive waste license for
             133      transfer, storage, decay in storage, treatment, or disposal facilities, including incinerators, if the
             134      construction would cost 50% or more of the cost of construction of the original transfer,
             135      storage, decay in storage, treatment, or disposal facility or the modification would result in an
             136      increase in capacity or throughput of a cumulative total of 50% of the total capacity or
             137      throughput which was approved in the facility license as of January 1, 1990, or the initial
             138      approval facility license if the initial license approval is subsequent to January 1, 1990; or
             139          (iii) any request for approval for a commercial radioactive waste transfer, storage,
             140      decay in storage, treatment, or disposal facility to receive class B or class C low-level
             141      radioactive waste, including the submission of a new license application, revised license
             142      application, or major license amendment.
             143          [(2)] (3) A person need not obtain gubernatorial or legislative approval for the
             144      construction of a radioactive waste facility for which a license application has been approved
             145      by the Department of Health or submitted to the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission and
             146      to the Department of Health for approval before January 1, 1990, and which has been
             147      determined, on or before October 31, 1990, by the Department of Health to be complete in
             148      accordance with state and federal requirements.
             149          [(3)] (4) The board shall suspend acceptance of further applications for commercial
             150      radioactive waste facilities upon a finding that they cannot adequately oversee existing and
             151      additional radioactive waste facilities for license compliance, monitoring, and enforcement.


             152      The board shall report the suspension to the Legislative Management Committee.
             153          [(4)] (5) The board shall review each proposed radioactive waste license application to
             154      determine whether the application complies with the provisions of this chapter and the rules of
             155      the board.
             156          [(5)] (6) (a) If the radioactive license application is determined to be complete, the
             157      board shall issue a notice of completeness.
             158          (b) If the plan is determined by the board to be incomplete, the board shall issue a
             159      notice of deficiency, listing the additional information to be provided by the applicant to
             160      complete the application.
             161          Section 4. Hazardous Waste Regulation and Tax Policy Task Force -- Creation --
             162      Membership -- Interim rules followed -- Compensation -- Staff.
             163          (1) There is created the Hazardous Waste Regulation and Tax Policy Task Force
             164      consisting of the following 15 members:
             165          (a) seven members of the Senate, appointed by the president of the Senate, of whom
             166      five shall be members of the majority political party, and two shall be members of the minority
             167      political party; and
             168          (b) eight members of the House of Representatives, appointed by the speaker of the
             169      House of Representatives, of whom six shall be members of the majority political party, and
             170      two shall be members of the minority political party.
             171          (2) (a) The president of the Senate shall designate a member of the Senate appointed
             172      under Subsection (1)(a) as a cochair of the task force.
             173          (b) The speaker of the House of Representatives shall designate a member of the House
             174      of Representatives appointed under Subsection (1)(b) as a cochair of the task force.
             175          (3) In conducting its business, the task force shall comply with the rules of legislative
             176      interim committees.
             177          (4) Salaries and expenses of the members of the task force shall be paid in accordance
             178      with Section 36-2-2 and Legislative Joint Rule 15.03.
             179          (5) The Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel shall provide staff support
             180      to the task force.
             181          Section 5. Duties -- Interim Reports.
             182          (1) The task force shall review and make recommendations on the following issues:


             183          (a) radioactive waste policy and economic considerations for the state, including:
             184          (i) how facilities in Utah that accept radioactive waste or radioactive material for
             185      processing or reprocessing compare to other facilities in terms of competitive fees and tax
             186      structure;
             187          (ii) evaluation and recommendations regarding whether Utah should accept class B and
             188      C low-level radioactive waste, in terms of long-term state policy, relative public health and
             189      environment issues, and economic considerations;
             190          (iii) the role of interstate compacts regarding radioactive waste and Utah's obligations
             191      under the Interstate Compact on Low-level Radioactive Waste of which it is a member; and
             192          (iv) the long-term management of radioactive waste facilities and radioactive material
             193      processing and reprocessing facilities in the state and the perpetual care of those facilities; and
             194          (b) evaluation and recommendations regarding policy, fees, and taxes for commercial
             195      hazardous waste and nonhazardous solid waste treatment, storage, or disposal facilities, as
             196      defined in Section 19-6-102 , in Utah, including:
             197          (i) current fee and tax structures for various types of facilities and types of hazardous
             198      waste in the state;
             199          (ii) taxes and fees for comparable facilities and wastes in other states; and
             200          (iii) the long-term management of hazardous waste facilities in the state and the
             201      perpetual care of those facilities.
             202          (2) The task force shall, as funding allows:
             203          (a) visit a low-level radioactive waste storage facility; and
             204          (b) request information from parties having relevant expertise regarding the issues, as
             205      funding allows.
             206          (3) (a) The task force shall prepare a preliminary report and shall present it to the
             207      Executive Appropriations Committee, the Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment
             208      Interim Committee, and the Revenue and Taxation Interim Committee before November 30,
             209      2003.
             210          (b) The task force shall present a final report, including any proposed legislation, to the
             211      Executive Appropriations Committee, the Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment
             212      Interim Committee, and the Revenue and Taxation Interim Committee before November 30,
             213      2004.


             214          Section 6. Repeal date.
             215          Uncodified Sections 4 and 5 that create the task force in this act are repealed November
             216      30, 2004.




Legislative Review Note
    as of 2-12-03 11:30 AM


A limited legal review of this legislation raises no obvious constitutional or statutory concerns.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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