H.R. 466 — Nuclear Waste Informed Consent Act

This section defines, for purposes of this Act, the terms affected Indian tribe, affected unit of local government, high-level radioactive waste, repository, Secretary, spent nuclear fuel, and unit of general local government by reference to their meanings in section 2 of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982.

This section prohibits the Secretary of Energy from expending Nuclear Waste Fund monies on repository site characterization activities specified in paragraphs (4) and (5) of section 302(d) of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 unless the Secretary enters into a written, binding agreement—with the governor of the host state, each affected unit of local government, any contiguous local government through which spent nuclear fuel or high-level radioactive waste will be transported, and each affected Indian tribe—that may be amended or revoked only by mutual consent. (The Nuclear Waste Fund, established under section 302(c) of that Act, is financed by fees paid by nuclear utilities—1.0 mil per kilowatt-hour of electricity generated on or after April 7, 1983, plus a one-time fee per kilogram of heavy metal for pre-1983 fuel—to cover waste acceptance, transportation, and disposal costs.)