Us Code § 10173a - Content of agreements
Full text of Us Code United States Code § 10173a — Content of agreements, with citation guidance and answers to common questions.
§ 10173a. Content of agreements
(a) In general
(1) In addition to the benefits to which a State, an affected unit of local government or Indian tribe is entitled under this subchapter, the Secretary shall make payments to a State or Indian tribe that is a party to a benefits agreement under section 10173 of this title in accordance with the following schedule:
| Event | MRS | Repository |
|---|---|---|
| (A) Annual payments prior to first spent fuel receipt | 5 | 10 |
| (B) Upon first spent fuel receipt | 10 | 20 |
| (C) Annual payments after first spent fuel receipt until closure of the facility | 10 | 20 |
(2) For purposes of this section, the term—
(A) "MRS" means a monitored retrievable storage facility,
(B) "spent fuel" means high-level radioactive waste or spent nuclear fuel, and
(C) "first spent fuel receipt" does not include receipt of spent fuel or high-level radioactive waste for purposes of testing or operational demonstration.
(3) Annual payments prior to first spent fuel receipt under paragraph (1)(A) shall be made on the date of execution of the benefits agreement and thereafter on the anniversary date of such execution. Annual payments after the first spent fuel receipt until closure of the facility under paragraph (1)(C) shall be made on the anniversary date of such first spent fuel receipt.
(4) If the first spent fuel payment under paragraph (1)(B) is made within six months after the last annual payment prior to the receipt of spent fuel under paragraph (1)(A), such first spent fuel payment under paragraph (1)(B) shall be reduced by an amount equal to one-twelfth of such annual payment under paragraph (1)(A) for each full month less than six that has not elapsed since the last annual payment under paragraph (1)(A).
(5) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), (2), or (3), no payment under this section may be made before January 1, 1989, and any payment due under this subchapter before January 1, 1989, shall be made on or after such date.
(6) Except as provided in paragraph (7), the Secretary may not restrict the purposes for which the payments under this section may be used.
(7)(A) Any State receiving a payment under this section shall transfer an amount equal to not less than one-third of the amount of such payment to affected units of local government of such State.
(B) A plan for this transfer and appropriate allocation of such portion among such governments shall be included in the benefits agreement under section 10173 of this title covering such payments.
(C) In the event of a dispute concerning such plan, the Secretary shall resolve such dispute, consistent with this chapter and applicable State law.
(b) Contents
A benefits agreement under section 10173 of this title shall provide that—
(1) a Review Panel be established in accordance with section 10173b of this title;
(2) the State or Indian tribe that is party to such agreement waive its rights under this subchapter to disapprove the recommendation of a site for a repository;
(3) the parties to the agreement shall share with one another information relevant to the licensing process for the repository or monitored retrievable storage facility, as it becomes available;
(4) the State or Indian tribe that is party to such agreement participate in the design of the repository or monitored retrievable storage facility and in the preparation of documents required under law or regulation governing the effects of the facility on the public health and safety; and
(5) the State or Indian tribe waive its rights, if any, to impact assistance under sections 10136(c)(1)(B)(ii), 10136(c)(2), 10138(b)(2)(A)(ii), and 10138(b)(3) of this title.
(c) Payments by Secretary
The Secretary shall make payments to the States or affected Indian tribes under a benefits agreement under this section from the Waste Fund. The signature of the Secretary on a valid benefits agreement under section 10173 of this title shall constitute a commitment by the United States to make payments in accordance with such agreement.
(Pub. L. 97–425, title I, §171, as added Pub. L. 100–202, §101(d) [title III, §300], Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1329–104, 1329–121; Pub. L. 100–203, title V, §5031, Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1330–237.)
Editorial Notes
Codification
Pub. L. 100–202 and Pub. L. 100–203 added identical sections.
About This Section
42 U.S.C. § 10173a is part of Title 42 of the United States Code. The United States Code is the official codification of federal statutes maintained by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives. Congress amends the Code through new public laws, which are eventually incorporated into the relevant title.
This section may be cited in legal writing as 42 U.S.C. § 10173a. For the most current official text, including any recent amendments, use the official source links below. Do not rely on this page as the sole authority for legal citation or litigation.
How to Read This Statute
Statutes are organized by title, chapter, section, and subsection. Pay attention to words like "shall," "may," "and," and "or," because they determine whether a requirement is mandatory or permissive and whether multiple conditions must all be met. Historical notes and amendments often appear at the end of a section.
Using This Page
This page is intended for research and educational use. Lawyers, students, journalists, and compliance professionals can use it as a starting point, but should always verify the current text through an official government source before relying on it for legal advice, filings, or compliance decisions.