The Northwest Interstate Compact on Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management is hereby enacted into law and entered into by the state of Washington as a party, and is in full force and effect between the state and other states joining the compact in accordance with the terms of the compact.
(1) "Facility" means any site, location, structure, or property used or to be used for the storage, treatment, or disposal of low-level waste, excluding federal waste facilities;
(2) "Low-level waste" means waste material which contains radioactive nuclides emitting primarily beta or gamma radiation, or both, in concentrations or quantities which exceed applicable federal or state standards for unrestricted release. Low-level waste does not include waste containing more than ten nanocuries of transuranic contaminants per gram of material, nor spent reactor fuel, nor material classified as either high-level waste or waste which is unsuited for disposal by near-surface burial under any applicable federal regulations;
(3) "Generator" means any person, partnership, association, corporation, or any other entity whatsoever which, as a part of its activities, produces low-level radioactive waste;
(4) "Host state" means a state in which a facility is located.
(1) Maintaining an inventory of all generators within the state that have shipped or expect to ship low-level waste to facilities in another party state;
(2) Periodic unannounced inspection of the premises of such generators and the waste management activities thereon;
(3) Authorization of the containers in which such waste may be shipped, and a requirement that generators use only that type of container authorized by the state;
(4) Assurance that inspections of the carriers which transport such waste are conducted by proper authorities, and appropriate enforcement action taken for violations;
(5) After receiving notification from a host state that a generator within the party state is in violation of applicable packaging or transportation standards, the party state will take appropriate action to assure that such violations do not recur. Such action may include inspection of every individual low-level waste shipment by that generator.
Each party state may impose fees upon generators and shippers to recover the cost of the inspections and other practices under this Article. Nothing in this Article shall be construed to limit any party state's authority to impose additional or more stringent standards on generators or carriers than those required under this Article.
Section 2. No facility located in any party state may accept low-level waste generated outside of the region comprised of the party states, except as provided in Article V.
Section 3. Until such time as Section 2 takes effect as provided in Article VI, facilities located in any party state may accept low-level waste generated outside of any of the party states only if such waste is accompanied by a certificate of compliance issued by an official of the state in which such waste shipment originated. Such certificate shall be in such form as may be required by the host state, and shall contain at least the following:
(1) The generator's name and address;
(2) A description of the contents of the low-level waste container;
(3) A statement that the low-level waste being shipped has been inspected by the official who issued the certificate or by his agent or by a representative of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and found to have been packaged in compliance with applicable federal regulations and such additional requirements as may be imposed by the host state;
(4) A binding agreement by the state of origin to reimburse any party state for any liability or expense incurred as a result of an accidental release of such waste during shipment or after such waste reaches the facility.
Section 4. Each party state shall cooperate with the other party states in determining the appropriate site of any facility that might be required within the region comprised of the party states, in order to maximize public health and safety while minimizing the use of any one party state as the host of such facilities on a permanent basis. Each party state further agrees that decisions regarding low-level waste management facilities in their region will be reached through a good faith process which takes into account the burdens borne by each of the party states as well as the benefits each has received.
Section 5. The party states recognize that the issue of hazardous chemical waste management is similar in many respects to that of low-level waste management. Therefore, in consideration of the state of Washington allowing access to its low-level waste disposal facility by generators in other party states, party states such as Oregon and Idaho which host hazardous chemical waste disposal facilities will allow access to such facilities by generators within other party states. Nothing in this compact may be construed to prevent any party state from limiting the nature and type of hazardous chemical or low-level wastes to be accepted at facilities within its borders or from ordering the closure or [of] such facilities, so long as such action by a host state is applied equally to all generators within the region composed of the party states.
Section 6. Any host state may establish a schedule of fees and requirements related to its facility, to assure that closure, perpetual care, and maintenance and contingency requirements are met, including adequate bonding.
Section 2. After the compact has initially taken effect pursuant to Section 1, any eligible party state may become a party to this compact by the execution of an executive order by the governor of the state. Any state which becomes a party in this manner shall cease to be a party upon the final adjournment of the next general or regular session of its legislature or July 1, 1983, whichever occurs first, unless the compact has by then been enacted as a statute by that state.
Section 3. Section 2 of Article IV of this compact shall take effect on July 1, 1983, if consent is given by Congress. As provided in Public Law 96-573, Congress may withdraw its consent to the compact after every five-year period.