This section restricts radioactive waste and NORM waste disposal in Louisiana, bans salt domes as disposal sites, and sets approval and notification rules for testing and related actions.
§2117. Radioactive waste disposal; prohibition of disposal of radioactive wastes in salt domes; salt dome usage A. The secretary shall promulgate and adopt rules and regulations governing the disposal of radioactive wastes and NORM waste in Louisiana except for radioactive waste resulting from military weapons or high-level waste resulting from nuclear-generated electricity. All commercial disposal operations of high-level or low-level radioactive wastes as defined in R.S. 30:2103 on land not owned by the state or the federal government, and all disposals of radioactive waste or NORM waste as defined in R.S. 30:2103 not in compliance with the rules and regulations adopted by the secretary pursuant to the provisions of this Chapter are prohibited. B. Notwithstanding any law, order, or regulation to the contrary, no salt dome within the jurisdiction of the state of Louisiana shall be utilized as a temporary or permanent disposal site for radioactive waste or other radioactive material of any nature by any person. C. Whoever violates any provision of this Section, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of one thousand dollars for each day upon which the violation occurred or by imprisonment not to exceed six months, or both, and shall be ordered by the court to immediately remove the radioactive waste or other radioactive material from the salt dome. D. Except as provided in Subsection F of this Section, on and after January 1, 1980, no tests designed to determine the suitability of salt domes or other geologic structures in Louisiana for disposal of radioactive wastes shall be authorized, approved, undertaken, or continued by any person, firm, corporation, or public body unless the local government of the parish or parishes in which such tests would occur, the House Committee on Natural Resources and Environment and the Senate Committee on Environmental Quality of the Louisiana Legislature, and the secretary have first all given their written approval for such tests. E. Results of all prior studies conducted to determine the feasibility of using Louisiana salt domes or other geologic structures within the state for disposal of radioactive wastes shall be made available to the House Committee on Natural Resources and Environment and the Senate Committee on Environmental Quality. F. The United States Department of Energy, without complying with Subsection D, hereof, may conduct testing of the Vacherie and Rayburn salt domes pursuant to the February 27, 1978 agreement between the state of Louisiana and the Department of Energy, subject to the stipulation that the federal government will not construct any nuclear waste repository in Louisiana, if the state objects. In the event the United States government nullifies or abrogates the February 27, 1978 agreement through executive or congressional action, however, the provisions of Subsection D of this Section shall apply to all tests by the United States, or its agents, designed to determine the suitability of salt domes or other geologic structures for disposal of radioactive wastes. G. The department, the House Committee on Natural Resources and Environment, and the Senate Committee on Environmental Quality shall be notified in writing of any negotiations, agreements, or contracts for the use or purchase of Louisiana salt domes or other geologic structures for any purpose, other than the Strategic Petroleum Reserve Program, by the United States government, and the governor of the state of Louisiana or his designee is hereby authorized to exercise on behalf of the state of Louisiana the right of veto of storage of nuclear waste in this state, by taking appropriate executive action, including initiation of judicial action against the United States to enforce such veto right of the state of Louisiana, and to take any other action he may deem appropriate and necessary to preserve and protect the rights of the state of Louisiana under the February 27, 1978, agreement with the United States Department of Energy. Acts 1979, No. 449, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1980. Amended by Acts 1982, No. 794, §1; Acts 1983, No. 97, §1, eff. Feb. 1, 1984; Acts 1991, No. 21, §1, eff. June 14, 1991; Acts 1996, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 36, §1, eff. May 7, 1996; Acts 1999, No. 1374, §1, eff. July 12, 1999; Acts 2008, No. 580, §2; Acts 2010, No. 861, §13.