§670. Review of oversight activities and funding; report

1.  Review.  Representatives of the Office of the Public Advocate, the Department of Public Safety, the radiation control program of the department and the Department of Environmental Protection; an independent expert in radiological and nuclear engineering selected by the radiation control program in the department; and a licensee operating an interim spent fuel storage facility in this State, referred to in this section as "the licensee," shall meet on a regular basis and no fewer than 4 times per calendar year:

A. To review activities being undertaken by the licensee, the radiation control program in the department, the Department of Public Safety and other agencies of State Government, including, but not limited to, the department and the Department of Environmental Protection, with respect to ensuring:

(1) The protection of public health and safety at the site of the interim spent fuel storage facility; and

(2) Timely contract performance by the United States Department of Energy regarding the removal of spent nuclear fuel from the site;   [PL 2007, c. 539, Pt. KK, §8 (NEW).]

B. To identify necessary activities to be undertaken by the parties in paragraph A for the next calendar year to ensure the protection of public health and safety at the site of the interim spent fuel storage facility and timely contract performance by the United States Department of Energy regarding the removal of spent nuclear fuel from the site; and   [PL 2007, c. 539, Pt. KK, §8 (NEW).]

C. To develop recommendations regarding funding requirements to carry out the activities identified in paragraph B.   [PL 2007, c. 539, Pt. KK, §8 (NEW).]

[PL 2007, c. 539, Pt. KK, §8 (NEW).]

2.  Report.  Based on the activities conducted under subsection 1, the radiation control program in the department, in consultation with the Office of the Public Advocate, the Department of Public Safety, the Department of Environmental Protection, the independent expert in radiological and nuclear engineering selected under subsection 1 and the licensee, referred to in this subsection as "the consulting parties," shall prepare and submit an annual report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over utilities and energy matters no later than February 15th of each year. The report must provide a summary of the review conducted pursuant to subsection 1 and include specific recommendations regarding funding requirements for the next calendar year pursuant to subsection 1, paragraph C. If the radiation control program in the department and the consulting parties are unable to agree on recommendations regarding funding requirements, the consulting parties shall submit their individual recommendations in writing to the radiation control program in the department and the department shall include the individual recommendations of the consulting parties in the report. The radiation control program in the department, with input from the consulting parties, shall determine the format of the report. To assist in the preparation of the report, the Department of Public Safety, the Office of the Public Advocate and the Department of Environmental Protection shall submit to the Department of Health and Human Services no later than December 15th of each year an annual accounting of expenditures of funds from the Interim Spent Fuel Storage Facility Oversight Fund established pursuant to section 668.

[PL 2007, c. 539, Pt. KK, §8 (NEW).]

3.  Authority for legislation; annual fee.  The joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over utilities and energy matters shall review the report submitted under subsection 2, including, but not limited to, the recommendations regarding funding requirements. On the basis of its review, the committee may submit legislation to amend the level of the annual fee required of the licensee under section 669.

[PL 2007, c. 539, Pt. KK, §8 (NEW).]

SECTION HISTORY

PL 2007, c. 539, Pt. KK, §8 (NEW).