Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Land Withdrawal Act

Summary

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Land Withdrawal Act - Withdraws from all forms of entry, appropriation, and disposal under the general land laws and from location and patent under the mining laws the public lands in Eddy County, New Mexico, which surround the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant project (WIPP) and transfers jurisdiction and control of the withdrawn lands to the Department of Energy (DOE). Describes the lands to be withdrawn. Revokes specified public land orders made inconsistent by this Act. Makes the Secretary of Energy responsible for the management of WIPP and the withdrawn lands. Requires the Secretary to develop a management plan for the use of the withdrawn lands until WIPP has been decommissioned, requiring any use for activities not associated with WIPP to be subject to conditions and restrictions that may be necessary to permit the conduct of WIPP activities. Requires the management plan to permit domestic livestock grazing, hunting and trapping, maintenance of wildlife habitat, the disposal of salt tailings remaining on the surface, and mining, subject to prescribed guidelines. Authorizes the Secretary to close to the public any part of such withdrawn lands if required for public health and safety. Directs the Secretary to submit the management plan to appropriate congressional committees and the State of New Mexico. Directs the Secretary, in consultation with specified officials and agencies, to develop and update a performance assessment plan that includes experiments needed to assess compliance with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards for disposal of transuranic waste and other experiments which the Secretary considers necessary. Authorizes the Secretary to place transuranic waste in WIPP during the performance assessment phase and to begin permanent disposal of transuranic waste after such phase is completed if he determines, after an EPA review, that WIPP complies with relevant environmental standards and has submitted to the Congress plans for decommissioning WIPP and managing such withdrawn lands afterwards. Directs the EPA Administrator to issue final standards for disposal of transuranic wastes within two years after the enactment of this Act. Requires the Secretary to demonstrate compliance with such standards notwithstanding any court order requiring repromulgation or reissuance of the standards or any injunction preventing their enforcement, unless the court order or injunction relates to health and safety aspects of the standards directly applicable to WIPP. Requires the Secretary to demonstrate compliance with disposal standards in effect on November 18, 1985, if the EPA Administrator fails to issue standards for disposal of transuranic wastes. Subjects WIPP to EPA management and storage standards applicable to transuranic waste. Bans high-level radioactive waste from being placed in WIPP by DOE. Requires the Secretary to continue to encourage WIPP related business and employment opportunities within the State of New Mexico. Provides for payments to the State of New Mexico to assist in the mitigation of the impacts on the State and on local governments resulting from WIPP. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary to submit to the State of New Mexico, the Secretary of the Interior, the EPA Administrator, and appropriate congressional committees within five years after enactment of this Act a plan for decommissioning WIPP. Directs the Secretary to develop within such period a plan for the management and use of the withdrawn lands following the WIPP decommission.

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Timeline

1. 8 May 1991

   Introduced

   Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

   Source: IntroReferral

2. 8 May 1991

   Introduced

   Introduced in Senate

   Source: IntroReferral

3. 9 May 1991

   Referred

   Referred to Subcommittee on Public Lands, National Parks.

   Source: Committee

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

• Introduced in Senate · — · Download file

Documents

2 official files

• Introduced in Senate (text)

  Introduced in Senate · EN

  ViewDownloadOpen at official source

• Introduced in Senate

  summary · EN · 8 May 1991

  Open at official source

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Sponsors

• Sen. Johnston, J. Bennett [D-LA] · D · Sponsor
• · sseg00 · Standing

Related records

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