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S.B. 166

             1     

PROHIBITION AGAINST CERTAIN

             2     
LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE

             3     
2005 GENERAL SESSION

             4     
STATE OF UTAH

             5     
Sponsor: Patrice M. Arent

             6      Gregory S. Bell
             7      Lyle W. HillyardKaren Hale
Paula F. JulanderDavid L. Thomas
Allen M. Christensen              8     
             9      LONG TITLE
             10      General Description:
             11          This bill modifies provisions relating to certain types of low-level radioactive waste.
             12      Highlighted Provisions:
             13          This bill:
             14          .    prohibits any entity in the state from accepting class B or C low-level radioactive
             15      waste or radioactive waste having a higher radionuclide concentration than allowed
             16      under existing licenses;
             17          .    directs the Utah member of the Northwest low-level radioactive waste compact not
             18      to bring to the compact committee for approval and to vote against any arrangement
             19      with persons outside the compact area to access a Utah facility for storage,
             20      treatment, incineration, or disposal of class B and class C low-level radioactive
             21      waste; and
             22          .    makes conforming changes.
             23      Monies Appropriated in this Bill:
             24          None
             25      Other Special Clauses:
             26          This bill provides an immediate effective date.
             27          This bill provides revisor instructions.



             28      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             29      AMENDS:
             30          19-3-103.7, as enacted by Chapter 73, Laws of Utah 2003
             31          19-3-104, as last amended by Chapter 73, Laws of Utah 2003
             32          19-3-105, as last amended by Chapter 334, Laws of Utah 2004
             33      ENACTS:
             34          19-3-206, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             35     
             36      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             37          Section 1. Section 19-3-103.7 is amended to read:
             38           19-3-103.7. Prohibition against certain low-level radioactive waste.
             39          [On and after May 3, 2003, through February 15, 2005, there is a moratorium
             40      prohibiting any entity in the state from accepting] No entity may accept in the state or apply for
             41      a license to accept in the state for commercial storage, decay in storage, treatment, incineration,
             42      or disposal:
             43          (1) class B or C low-level radioactive waste [for commercial storage, decay in storage,
             44      treatment, incineration, or disposal.]; or
             45          (2) radioactive waste having a higher radionuclide concentration than the highest
             46      radionuclide concentration allowed under licenses existing on the effective date of this section
             47      that have met all the requirements of Section 19-3-105 .
             48          Section 2. Section 19-3-104 is amended to read:
             49           19-3-104. Registration and licensing of radiation sources by department --
             50      Assessment of fees -- Rulemaking authority and procedure -- Siting criteria.
             51          (1) As used in this section:
             52          (a) "Decommissioning" includes financial assurance.
             53          (b) "Source material" and "byproduct material" have the same definitions as in 42
             54      U.S.C.A. 2014, Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended.
             55          (2) The board may require the registration or licensing of radiation sources that
             56      constitute a significant health hazard.
             57          (3) All sources of ionizing radiation, including ionizing radiation producing machines,
             58      shall be registered or licensed by the department.



             59          (4) The board may make rules:
             60          (a) necessary for controlling exposure to sources of radiation that constitute a
             61      significant health hazard;
             62          (b) to meet the requirements of federal law relating to radiation control to ensure the
             63      radiation control program under this part is qualified to maintain primacy from the federal
             64      government;
             65          (c) to establish:
             66          (i) board accreditation requirements and procedures for mammography facilities; and
             67          (ii) certification procedure and qualifications for persons who survey mammography
             68      equipment and oversee quality assurance practices at mammography facilities; and
             69          (d) as necessary regarding the possession, use, transfer, or delivery of source and
             70      byproduct material and the disposal of byproduct material to establish requirements for:
             71          (i) the licensing, operation, decontamination, and decommissioning, including financial
             72      assurances; and
             73          (ii) the reclamation of sites, structures, and equipment used in conjunction with the
             74      activities described in this Subsection (4).
             75          (5) (a) On and after January 1, 2003, a fee is imposed for the regulation of source and
             76      byproduct material and the disposal of byproduct material at uranium mills or commercial
             77      waste facilities, as provided in this Subsection (5).
             78          (b) On and after January 1, 2003 through March 30, 2003:
             79          (i) $6,667 per month for uranium mills or commercial sites disposing of or
             80      reprocessing byproduct material; and
             81          (ii) $4,167 per month for those uranium mills the executive secretary has determined
             82      are on standby status.
             83          (c) On and after March 31, 2003 through June 30, 2003 the same fees as in Subsection
             84      (5)(b) apply, but only if the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission grants to Utah an
             85      amendment for agreement state status for uranium recovery regulation on or before March 30,
             86      2003.
             87          (d) If the Nuclear Regulatory Commission does not grant the amendment for state
             88      agreement status on or before March 30, 2003, fees under Subsection (5)(e) do not apply and
             89      are not required to be paid until on and after the later date of:


             90          (i) October 1, 2003; or
             91          (ii) the date the Nuclear Regulatory Commission grants to Utah an amendment for
             92      agreement state status for uranium recovery regulation.
             93          (e) For the payment periods beginning on and after July 1, 2003, the department shall
             94      establish the fees required under Subsection (5)(a) under Section 63-38-3.2 , subject to the
             95      restrictions under Subsection (5)(d).
             96          (f) The department shall deposit fees it receives under this Subsection (5) into the
             97      Environmental Quality Restricted Account created in Section 19-1-108 .
             98          (6) (a) The department shall assess fees for registration, licensing, and inspection of
             99      radiation sources under this section.
             100          (b) The department shall comply with the requirements of Section 63-38-3.2 in
             101      assessing fees for licensure and registration.
             102          (7) The department shall coordinate its activities with the Department of Health rules
             103      made under Section 26-21a-203 .
             104          (8) (a) Except as provided in Subsection (9), the board may not adopt rules, for the
             105      purpose of the state assuming responsibilities from the United States Nuclear Regulatory
             106      Commission with respect to regulation of sources of ionizing radiation, that are more stringent
             107      than the corresponding federal regulations which address the same circumstances.
             108          (b) In adopting those rules, the board may incorporate corresponding federal
             109      regulations by reference.
             110          (9) (a) The board may adopt rules more stringent than corresponding federal
             111      regulations for the purpose described in Subsection (8) only if it makes a written finding after
             112      public comment and hearing and based on evidence in the record that corresponding federal
             113      regulations are not adequate to protect public health and the environment of the state.
             114          (b) Those findings shall be accompanied by an opinion referring to and evaluating the
             115      public health and environmental information and studies contained in the record which form
             116      the basis for the board's conclusion.
             117          (10) (a) The board shall by rule:
             118          (i) authorize independent qualified experts to conduct inspections required under this
             119      chapter of x-ray facilities registered with the division; and
             120          (ii) establish qualifications and certification procedures necessary for independent


             121      experts to conduct these inspections.
             122          (b) Independent experts under this Subsection (10) are not considered employees or
             123      representatives of the division or the state when conducting the inspections.
             124          (11) (a) The board may by rule establish criteria for siting commercial low-level
             125      radioactive waste treatment or disposal facilities, subject to the [moratorium regarding class B
             126      and C low-level radioactive waste] prohibition imposed by Section 19-3-103.7 .
             127          (b) Any facility under Subsection (11)(a) for which a radioactive material license is
             128      required by this section shall comply with those criteria.
             129          (c) A facility may not receive a radioactive material license until siting criteria have
             130      been established by the board. The criteria also apply to facilities that have applied for but not
             131      received a radioactive material license.
             132          (12) The board shall by rule establish financial assurance requirements for closure and
             133      postclosure care of radioactive waste land disposal facilities, taking into account existing
             134      financial assurance requirements.
             135          Section 3. Section 19-3-105 is amended to read:
             136           19-3-105. Definitions -- Legislative and gubernatorial approval required for
             137      radioactive waste license -- Application for new, renewed, or amended license.
             138          (1) As used in this section:
             139          (a) "Alternate feed material" has the same definition as provided in Section 59-24-102 .
             140          (b) (i) "Class A low-level radioactive waste" means:
             141          (A) radioactive waste that is classified as class A waste under 10 C.F.R. 61.55; and
             142          (B) radium-226 up to a maximum radionuclide concentration level of 10,000
             143      picocuries per gram.
             144          (ii) "Class A low-level radioactive waste" does not include:
             145          (A) uranium mill tailings;
             146          (B) naturally occurring radioactive materials; or
             147          (C) the following radionuclides if classified as "special nuclear material" under the
             148      Atomic Energy Act of 1954, 42 U.S.C. 2014:
             149          (I) uranium-233; and
             150          (II) uranium-235 with a radionuclide concentration level greater than the concentration
             151      limits for specific conditions and enrichments established by an order of the Nuclear


             152      Regulatory Commission:
             153          (Aa) to ensure criticality safety for a radioactive waste facility in the state; and
             154          (Bb) in response to a request, submitted prior to January 1, 2004, from a radioactive
             155      waste facility in the state to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to amend the facility's special
             156      nuclear material exemption order.
             157          (c) (i) "Radioactive waste facility" or "facility" means a facility that receives, transfers,
             158      stores, decays in storage, treats, or disposes of radioactive waste:
             159          (A) commercially for profit; or
             160          (B) generated at locations other than the radioactive waste facility.
             161          (ii) "Radioactive waste facility" does not include a facility that receives:
             162          (A) alternate feed material for reprocessing; or
             163          (B) radioactive waste from a location in the state designated as a processing site under
             164      42 U.S.C. 7912(f).
             165          (d) "Radioactive waste license" or "license" means a radioactive material license issued
             166      by the executive secretary under Subsection 19-3-108 (2)(c)(i), to own, construct, modify, or
             167      operate a radioactive waste facility.
             168          (2) The provisions of this section are subject to the [moratorium regarding class B and
             169      C low-level radioactive waste] prohibition under Section 19-3-103.7 .
             170          (3) A person may not own, construct, modify, or operate a radioactive waste facility
             171      without:
             172          (a) having received a radioactive waste license for the facility;
             173          (b) meeting the requirements established by rule under Section 19-3-104 ;
             174          (c) the approval of the governing body of the municipality or county responsible for
             175      local planning and zoning where the radioactive waste is or will be located; and
             176          (d) subsequent to meeting the requirements of Subsections (3)(a) through (c), the
             177      approval of the governor and the Legislature.
             178          (4) A new radioactive waste license application, or an application to renew or amend
             179      an existing radioactive waste license, is subject to the requirements of Subsections (3)(b)
             180      through (d) if the application, renewal, or amendment:
             181          (a) specifies a different geographic site than a previously submitted application;
             182          (b) would cost 50% or more of the cost of construction of the original radioactive


             183      waste facility or the modification would result in an increase in capacity or throughput of a
             184      cumulative total of 50% of the total capacity or throughput which was approved in the facility
             185      license as of January 1, 1990, or the initial approval facility license if the initial license
             186      approval is subsequent to January 1, 1990; or
             187          (c) requests approval to receive, transfer, store, decay in storage, treat, or dispose of[:
             188      (i) class B or class C low-level radioactive waste; or (ii)] radioactive waste having a higher
             189      radionuclide concentration limit than allowed[,] under an existing approved license held by the
             190      facility, for the specific type of waste to be received, transferred, stored, decayed in storage,
             191      treated, or disposed of.
             192          (5) The requirements of Subsection (4)(c)[(ii)] do not apply to an application to renew
             193      or amend an existing radioactive waste license if:
             194          (a) the radioactive waste facility requesting the renewal or amendment has received a
             195      license prior to January 1, 2004; and
             196          (b) the application to renew or amend its license is limited to a request to approve the
             197      receipt, transfer, storage, decay in storage, treatment, or disposal of class A low-level
             198      radioactive waste.
             199          (6) A radioactive waste facility which receives a new radioactive waste license after
             200      May 3, 2004, is subject to the requirements of Subsections (3)(b) through (d) for any license
             201      application, renewal, or amendment that requests approval to receive, transfer, store, decay in
             202      storage, treat, or dispose of radioactive waste not previously approved under an existing license
             203      held by the facility.
             204          (7) If the board finds that approval of additional radioactive waste license applications,
             205      renewals, or amendments will result in inadequate oversight, monitoring, or licensure
             206      compliance and enforcement of existing and any additional radioactive waste facilities, the
             207      board shall suspend acceptance of further applications for radioactive waste licenses. The
             208      board shall report the suspension to the Legislative Management Committee.
             209          (8) The board shall review each proposed radioactive waste license application to
             210      determine whether the application complies with the provisions of this chapter and the rules of
             211      the board.
             212          (9) (a) If the radioactive waste license application is determined to be complete, the
             213      board shall issue a notice of completeness.


             214          (b) If the board determines that the radioactive waste license application is incomplete,
             215      the board shall issue a notice of deficiency, listing the additional information to be provided by
             216      the applicant to complete the application.
             217          Section 4. Section 19-3-206 is enacted to read:
             218          19-3-206. Direction to compact committee member.
             219          The Utah compact committee member designated under Section 19-3-204 may not
             220      bring to the committee for approval and shall vote to disapprove any arrangement under
             221      Subsection 19-3-204 (4) for a facility to receive class B or class C low-level radioactive waste
             222      for commercial storage, decay in storage, treatment, incineration, or disposal within the state.
             223          Section 5. Effective date.
             224          If approved by two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, this bill takes effect
             225      upon approval by the governor, or the day following the constitutional time limit of Utah
             226      Constitution Article VII, Section 8, without the governor's signature, or in the case of a veto,
             227      the date of veto override.
             228          Section 6. Revisor instructions.
             229           It is the intent of the Legislature that the Office of Legislative Research and General
             230      Counsel, in preparing the database for publication, delete "the effective date of this section"
             231      where it appears in this bill and replace it with the actual date on which the bill takes effect.




Legislative Review Note
    as of 1-24-05 6:38 AM


Based on a limited legal review, this legislation has not been determined to have a high
probability of being held unconstitutional.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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