[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5623 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5623

 To provide for prioritization of transportation of nuclear waste from 
 utilities to a permanent repository on the basis of renewable energy 
                                  use.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 10, 2002

  Mr. Luther introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide for prioritization of transportation of nuclear waste from 
 utilities to a permanent repository on the basis of renewable energy 
                                  use.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. AMENDMENT.

    Section 180 of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (42 U.S.C. 
10175) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(d)(1) The Secretary shall establish a priority listing among 
utilities, for the transportation of high-level radioactive waste and 
spent nuclear fuel from such utilities to a permanent repository 
established under subtitle A.
    ``(2) The highest priority under paragraph (1) shall be assigned to 
utilities that derive the highest percentage of energy produced or sold 
from renewable energy resources.
    ``(3) The Secretary shall establish the listing under this 
subsection not later than 1 year before the projected date of the first 
transportation of high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel 
to the permanent repository.
    ``(4) The Secretary shall, to the greatest extent practicable, 
coordinate the transportation of high-level radioactive waste and spent 
nuclear fuel from sources other than utilities for which priorities are 
established under paragraph (1) with transportation from such 
utilities, with the goal of minimizing the number of shipments by 
combining shipments whenever possible.
    ``(5) For purposes of this subsection:
            ``(A) Biomass.--The term `biomass' means any solid, 
        nonhazardous, cellulosic waste material which is segregated 
        from other waste materials and which is derived from--
                    ``(i) any of the following forest-related 
                resources: mill residues, precommercial thinnings, 
                slash, and brush, but not including old-growth timber 
                (other than old-growth timber which has been permitted 
                or contracted for removal by any appropriate Federal 
                authority through the National Environmental Policy Act 
                of 1969 or by any appropriate State authority);
                    ``(ii) solid wood waste materials, including waste 
                pallets, crates, dunnage, manufacturing and 
                construction wood wastes (other than pressure-treated, 
                chemically-treated, or painted wood wastes), and 
                landscape or right-of-way tree trimmings, but not 
                including municipal solid waste (garbage), gas derived 
                from the biodegradation of solid waste, or paper that 
                is commonly recycled; or
                    ``(iii) agriculture sources, including orchard tree 
                crops, vineyard, grain, legumes, sugar, and other crop 
                by-products or residues.
            ``(B) Generation offset.--The term `generation offset' 
        means reduced electricity usage metered at a site where a 
        customer consumes energy from a renewable energy technology.
            ``(C) Incremental hydropower.--The term `incremental 
        hydropower' means additional generation that is achieved from 
        increased efficiency or additions of capacity after the date of 
        enactment of this subsection at a hydroelectric dam that was 
        placed in service before that date.
            ``(D) Renewable energy resource.--The term `renewable 
        energy resource' means solar, wind, ocean, or geothermal 
        energy, biomass, landfill gas, a generation offset, or 
        incremental hydropower.''.
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