§10136. Participation of States

(a) Notification of States and affected tribes

The Secretary shall identify the States with one or more potentially acceptable sites for a repository within 90 days after January 7, 1983. Within 90 days of such identification, the Secretary shall notify the Governor, the State legislature, and the tribal council of any affected Indian tribe in any State of the potentially acceptable sites within such State. For the purposes of this subchapter, the term "potentially acceptable site" means any site at which, after geologic studies and field mapping but before detailed geologic data gathering, the Department undertakes preliminary drilling and geophysical testing for the definition of site location.

(b) State participation in repository siting decisions

(1) Unless otherwise provided by State law, the Governor or legislature of each State shall have authority to submit a notice of disapproval to the Congress under paragraph (2). In any case in which State law provides for submission of any such notice of disapproval by any other person or entity, any reference in this part to the Governor or legislature of such State shall be considered to refer instead to such other person or entity.

(2) Upon the submission by the President to the Congress of a recommendation of a site for a repository, the Governor or legislature of the State in which such site is located may disapprove the site designation and submit to the Congress a notice of disapproval. Such Governor or legislature may submit such a notice of disapproval to the Congress not later than the 60 days after the date that the President recommends such site to the Congress under section 10134 of this title. A notice of disapproval shall be considered to be submitted to the Congress on the date of the transmittal of such notice of disapproval to the Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate. Such notice of disapproval shall be accompanied by a statement of reasons explaining why such Governor or legislature disapproved the recommended repository site involved.

(3) The authority of the Governor or legislature of each State under this subsection shall not be applicable with respect to any site located on a reservation.

(c) Financial assistance

(1)(A) The Secretary shall make grants to the State of Nevada and any affected unit of local government for the purpose of participating in activities required by this section and section 10137 of this title or authorized by written agreement entered into pursuant to section 10137(c) of this title. Any salary or travel expense that would ordinarily be incurred by such State or affected unit of local government, may not be considered eligible for funding under this paragraph.

(B) The Secretary shall make grants to the State of Nevada and any affected unit of local government for purposes of enabling such State or affected unit of local government-

(i) to review activities taken under this part with respect to the Yucca Mountain site for purposes of determining any potential economic, social, public health and safety, and environmental impacts of a repository on such State, or affected unit of local government and its residents;

(ii) to develop a request for impact assistance under paragraph (2);

(iii) to engage in any monitoring, testing, or evaluation activities with respect to site characterization programs with regard to such site;

(iv) to provide information to Nevada residents regarding any activities of such State, the Secretary, or the Commission with respect to such site; and

(v) to request information from, and make comments and recommendations to, the Secretary regarding any activities taken under this part with respect to such site.

(C) Any salary or travel expense that would ordinarily be incurred by the State of Nevada or any affected unit of local government may not be considered eligible for funding under this paragraph.

(2)(A)(i) The Secretary shall provide financial and technical assistance to the State of Nevada, and any affected unit of local government requesting such assistance.

(ii) Such assistance shall be designed to mitigate the impact on such State or affected unit of local government of the development of such repository and the characterization of such site.

(iii) Such assistance to such State or affected unit of local government of such State shall commence upon the initiation of site characterization activities.

(B) The State of Nevada and any affected unit of local government may request assistance under this subsection by preparing and submitting to the Secretary a report on the economic, social, public health and safety, and environmental impacts that are likely to result from site characterization activities at the Yucca Mountain site. Such report shall be submitted to the Secretary after the Secretary has submitted to the State a general plan for site characterization activities under section 10133(b) of this title.

(C) As soon as practicable after the Secretary has submitted such site characterization plan, the Secretary shall seek to enter into a binding agreement with the State of Nevada setting forth-

(i) the amount of assistance to be provided under this subsection to such State or affected unit of local government; and

(ii) the procedures to be followed in providing such assistance.

(3)(A) In addition to financial assistance provided under paragraphs (1) and (2), the Secretary shall grant to the State of Nevada and any affected unit of local government an amount each fiscal year equal to the amount such State or affected unit of local government, respectively, would receive if authorized to tax site characterization activities at such site, and the development and operation of such repository, as such State or affected unit of local government taxes the non-Federal real property and industrial activities occurring within such State or affected unit of local government.

(B) Such grants shall continue until such time as all such activities, development, and operation are terminated at such site.

(4)(A) The State of Nevada or any affected unit of local government may not receive any grant under paragraph (1) after the expiration of the 1-year period following-

(i) the date on which the Secretary notifies the Governor and legislature of the State of Nevada of the termination of site characterization activities at the site in such State;

(ii) the date on which the Yucca Mountain site is disapproved under section 10135 of this title; or

(iii) the date on which the Commission disapproves an application for a construction authorization for a repository at such site;

whichever occurs first.

(B) The State of Nevada or any affected unit of local government may not receive any further assistance under paragraph (2) with respect to a site if repository construction activities or site characterization activities at such site are terminated by the Secretary or if such activities are permanently enjoined by any court.

(C) At the end of the 2-year period beginning on the effective date of any license to receive and possess for a repository in a State, no Federal funds, shall be made available to such State or affected unit of local government under paragraph (1) or (2), except for-

(i) such funds as may be necessary to support activities related to any other repository located in, or proposed to be located in, such State, and for which a license to receive and possess has not been in effect for more than 1 year;

(ii) such funds as may be necessary to support State activities pursuant to agreements or contracts for impact assistance entered into, under paragraph (2), by such State with the Secretary during such 2-year period; and

(iii) such funds as may be provided under an agreement entered into under subchapter IV.

(5) Financial assistance authorized in this subsection shall be made out of amounts held in the Waste Fund.

(6) No State, other than the State of Nevada, may receive financial assistance under this subsection after December 22, 1987.

(d) Additional notification and consultation

Whenever the Secretary is required under any provision of this chapter to notify or consult with the governing body of an affected Indian tribe where a site is located, the Secretary shall also notify or consult with, as the case may be, the Governor of the State in which such reservation is located.

( Pub. L. 97–425, title I, §116, Jan. 7, 1983, 96 Stat. 2220 ; Pub. L. 100–202, §101(d) [title III, §300], Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1329–104 , 1329-121; Pub. L. 100–203, title V, §5032(a), Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1330–241 .)

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1987-Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 100–202 and Pub. L. 100–203 generally amended subsec. (c) identically, substituting provisions consisting of pars. (1) to (6) for former provisions consisting of pars. (1) to (5).