(a) For the purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
(1) “Generate” means to produce or cause the production of, or to engage in an activity which otherwise results in the creation or increase in the volume of, low-level radioactive waste.
(2) (A) “Generator” means any person who, by his or her actions, or by the actions of his or her agent, employee, or independent contractor, generates low-level radioactive waste in the state.
(B) For purposes of this section, a person who provides for or arranges for the collection, transportation, treatment, storage, or disposal of low-level radioactive waste generated by others is a generator only to the extent that his or her actions, or the actions of his or her agent, employee, or independent contractor, generate low-level radioactive waste.
(3) “Person” means an individual, partnership, corporation, or other legal entity, including any state, interstate, federal, or municipal governmental entity.
(4) “Waste” means material that is not in use and is no longer useful.
(5) “Generator category” includes, but is not limited to, any of the following:
(A) Nuclear powerplants.
(B) Reactor vendors or designers.
(C) Government.
(D) Medicine.
(E) Academia.
(F) Aerospace.
(G) Military.
(H) Research.
(I) Industrial gauges.
(J) Manufacturing.
(6) “Low-level radioactive waste” or “LLRW” has the same meaning as defined in Article 2 of the Southwestern Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact, as set forth in Section 115255.
(7) “Class” means the class of low-level radioactive waste. “Class A”, “class B”, and “class C” waste are those classes defined in Section 61.55 of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(8) “Licensed LLRW disposal facility” means any of the three disposal facilities located at Barnwell, South Carolina; Clive, Utah; or Richland, Washington, that exist on January 1, 2003.
(b) The department shall, for the protection of public health and safety maintain a file of each manifest from each generator of LLRW that is sent to a disposal facility or to a facility subject to the Southwestern Low-level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact, as set forth in Article 17 (commencing with Section 115250).
(c) The department shall, for the protection of public health and safety, maintain a file of all LLRW transferred for disposal to a licensed LLRW disposal facility during the reporting period, either directly or through a broker or agent, that shall meet all of the following conditions:
(1) Specify the category of generator, class, quantity by activity, and volume of LLRW, including an estimate of the peak and average quantities in storage, along with the identity of the generator, and the chemical and physical characteristics of that waste, including its half-life, properties, or constituents, and radionuclides present at, or above, the minimum labeling requirements, with their respective concentrations and amounts of radioactivity.
(2) Be updated annually, at minimum, to ensure an accurate and timely depiction of radioactive waste in the state.
(3) Include all of the following information in the file:
(A) The total volume, volume by class, and activity by radionuclide and class.
(B) The types and specifications of individual containers used and the number of each type transferred for disposal.
(C) The maximum surface radiation exposure level on any single container of LLRW transferred, the number of disposal containers that exceed 200 mR/hour, and the volume, class, and activity by radionuclide.
(D) The identification of each licensed LLRW disposal facility to which LLRW was transferred, either directly or through a broker or agent, and the volume and activity by class of LLRW transferred by each broker to each licensed LLRW disposal facility.
(E) The identification of all brokers or agents to which LLRW was transferred and the volume and activity by class of the generator’s LLRW transferred by each broker or agent to each licensed LLRW disposal facility.
(F) The weight of source material by its type. For purposes of this paragraph, “type” includes, but is not limited to, natural uranium, depleted uranium, or thorium.
(G) The total number of grams of special nuclear material by radionuclide, and the maximum number of grams of special nuclear material in any single shipment by radionuclide.
(H) As complete a description as practicable of the principal chemical and physical form of the LLRW by volume and radionuclide, including the identification of any known hazardous properties, other than its radioactive property.
(I) For solidified or sorbed liquids, the nature of the liquid, the solidifying or sorbing agent used, and the final volume.
(J) For LLRW containing more than 0.1 percent by weight chelating agents, the identification of the chelating agent, the volume and weight of the LLRW and the weight percentage of chelating agent.
(K) For LLRW that was treated, either by the generator or its agent or independent contractor, in preparation for transfer to a licensed LLRW disposal facility described in paragraph (8) of subdivision (a) for the purpose of reducing its volume or activity by any method including reduction by storage for decay, or for the purpose of changing its physical or chemical characteristics in a manner other than by solidification or sorption of liquids, the file shall include a description of the treatment process.
(L) The volume, volume by class, and activity by radionuclide and class of that LLRW, if any, that the generator is holding at the end of the annual reporting period because the generator knows or has reason to believe that LLRW will not be accepted for disposal at any of the licensed LLRW disposal facilities. The file shall include a description of this LLRW.
(d) The department shall maintain a file on each generator’s LLRW stored, including specific radionuclides, total volume, volume by class, total activity, and activity by radionuclide and class of LLRW stored for decay and stored for later transfer, including the periods of time for both types of storage.
(e) (1) The department shall prepare an annual report, including a set of tables summarizing data collected from the activities and maintenance of files specified in subdivisions (c) and (d) to the department. These annual data tables shall contain information that summarizes and categorizes, by category, and if applicable, subcategory, of generator and location by county and identity of generator, the nature, characteristics and the total volume, volume by class, total activity and activity by radionuclide and class of LLRW generated, disposed of, treated, transferred, stored for later transfer, and stored for decay during each calendar year.
(2) The department shall note, in the set of tables prepared pursuant to paragraph (1), any generator for which data are lacking.
(f) The department shall make the information described in subdivisions (c) and (d) available to the public in a format that aggregates the information by county. The department shall not make public the identity and location of any site where LLRW is stored or used. The department may combine information from multiple counties if necessary to protect public security. Notwithstanding any other provision of law the department shall not make the report prepared pursuant to subdivision (e) available to the public, and the report is not subject to the California Public Records Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 6250) of Division 6 of Title 1 of the Government Code).
(g) The department may make the information described in subdivisions (c) and (d) available upon request to any Member of the Legislature. No Member of the Legislature may disclose the identity or location of any site where LLRW is stored or used to any member of the general public.
(h) To meet the requirements of this section, each generator shall submit to the department the information included in Forms 540, 541, and 542, and any successor forms, of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, for each LLRW shipment. In addition, for purposes of subparagraph (L) of paragraph (4) of subdivision (c) and subdivision (d), each generator shall annually complete and submit to the department the information included on Forms 540, 541, and 542, and any successor forms, of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that describe the LLRW stored and shipped by the generator.
(Amended by Stats. 2003, Ch. 62, Sec. 193. Effective January 1, 2004.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018