Section 115261 Of Article 17. Southwestern Low Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact From California Health And Safety Code >> Division 104. >> Part 9. >> Chapter 8. >> Article 17.
115261
. (a) The department may not issue a license to dispose of
low-level radioactive waste pursuant to this chapter, or renew a
license that has been issued by the department pursuant to this
chapter, unless the department determines that the siting, design,
operation, and closure of the facility will, at a minimum, comply
with the performance requirements and objectives of the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission specified in Part 61 of Title 10 of the Code of
Federal Regulations.
(b) The department may not issue a license to dispose of low-level
radioactive waste pursuant to this chapter, or renew a license that
has been issued by the department pursuant to this chapter, unless
the disposal facility is sited, designed, constructed, and operated
to do all of the following:
(1) Consist of multiple, engineered barriers to provide for the
retention of the radioactive waste within the engineered barriers to
last not less than 500 years, using best available technology.
(2) Provide visual inspection or remote monitoring to detect
potential or actual releases of low-level radioactive waste from the
engineered barriers.
(3) Provide methods to prevent potential releases or remediate
actual releases of low-level radioactive waste from the engineered
barriers when monitoring detects potential or actual releases.
(4) Be sited in a location and with soils and hydrology that, if
the engineered barriers fail, the natural site characteristics would
minimize migration of radioactive materials.
(c) A facility for the disposal of low-level radioactive waste may
not use shallow land burial.
(d) (1) The department may issue a license to dispose of low-level
radioactive waste pursuant to this chapter only if the department
determines there is a preponderance of scientific evidence that there
is not a hydrologic pathway whereby the Colorado River or any other
agricultural or drinking water source could be contaminated with
radioactive waste and harm public health or the environment.
(2) The proposed Ward Valley low-level radioactive disposal site
in San Bernardino County may not serve as the state's low-level
radioactive disposal facility for purposes of Article 5 of the
compact.
(3) The state may not accept ownership or any other property
rights to the site of the Ward Valley low-level radioactive waste
disposal facility.
(e) For the purposes of this section, the following terms have the
following meanings:
(1) "Commission" means the United States Nuclear Regulatory
Commission.
(2) "Compact" means the Southwestern Low-Level Radioactive Waste
Disposal Compact described in Section 115255.
(3) "Department" means the Department of Health Services.
(4) "Low-level radioactive waste" has the same meaning as defined
in Article 2 of the compact.
(5) "Low-level radioactive waste disposal facility," or "facility"
means all contiguous land and structures, other appurtenances, and
improvements, on the land used for the disposal of low-level
radioactive waste.
(6) "Shallow land burial" means the disposal of low-level
radioactive waste in or within the upper 30 meters of the earth's
surface without the use of additional confinement by engineered
barriers. Shallow land burial does not include the disposal of
low-level radioactive waste if the disposal facility meets the
requirements of subdivisions (b) and (c).
(f) The provisions of this section are severable. If any provision
of this section or its application is held invalid, that invalidity
shall not affect other provisions or applications that can be given
effect without the invalid provision or application.