420 ILCS 20

420 ILCS 20
in effect

420 ILCS 20/1 This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Illinois Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Act"

(420 ILCS 20/1) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 241-1) Sec. 1. This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Illinois Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Act". (Source: P.A. 83-991.)

420 ILCS 20/2

(420 ILCS 20/2) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 241-2) Sec. 2. (a) The General Assembly finds: (1) that low-level radioactive wastes are produced in this State with even greater volumes to be produced in the future; (2) that such radioactive wastes pose a significant risk to the public health, safety and welfare of the people of Illinois; and (3) that it is the obligation of the State of Illinois to its citizens to provide for the safe management of the low-level radioactive wastes produced within its borders. (b) The Agency has attained federal agreement state status and thereby has assumed regulatory authority over low-level radioactive waste from the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission under Section 274b of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2014). It is the purpose of this Act to establish a comprehensive program for the storage, treatment, and disposal of low-level radioactive wastes in Illinois. It is the intent of the General Assembly that the program provide for the management of these wastes in the safest manner possible and in a manner that creates the least risk to human health and the environment of Illinois and that the program encourage to the fullest extent possible the use of environmentally sound waste management practices alternative to land disposal including waste recycling, compaction, incineration and other methods to reduce the amount of wastes produced, and to ensure public participation in all phases of the development of this radioactive waste management program. (Source: P.A. 103-569, eff. 6-1-24.)

420 ILCS 20/3 Definitions

(420 ILCS 20/3) Sec. 3. Definitions. As used in this Act: "Agency" or "IEMA-OHS" means the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security, or its successor agency. "Broker" means any person who takes possession of low-level waste for purposes of consolidation and shipment. "Compact" means the Central Midwest Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Compact. "Decommissioning" means the measures taken at the end of a facility's operating life to assure the continued protection of the public from any residual radioactivity or other potential hazards present at a facility. "Director" means the Director of the Agency. "Disposal" means the isolation of waste from the biosphere in a permanent facility designed for that purpose. "Facility" means a parcel of land or site, together with structures, equipment and improvements on or appurtenant to the land or site, which is used or is being developed for the treatment, storage or disposal of low-level radioactive waste. "Facility" does not include lands, sites, structures, or equipment used by a generator in the generation of low-level radioactive wastes. "Generator" means any person who produces or possesses low-level radioactive waste in the course of or incident to manufacturing, power generation, processing, medical diagnosis and treatment, research, education, or other activity. "Hazardous waste" means a waste, or combination of wastes, which because of its quantity, concentration, or physical, chemical, or infectious characteristics may cause or significantly contribute to an increase in mortality or an increase in serious, irreversible, or incapacitating reversible, illness; or pose a substantial present or potential hazard to human health or the environment when improperly treated, stored, transported, or disposed of, or otherwise managed, and which has been identified, by characteristics or listing, as hazardous under Section 3001 of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976, P.L. 94-580 or under regulations of the Pollution Control Board. "High-level radioactive waste" means: (1) the highly radioactive material resulting from the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel including liquid waste produced directly in reprocessing and any solid material derived from the liquid waste that contains fission products in sufficient concentrations; and (2) the highly radioactive material that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has determined to be high-level radioactive waste requiring permanent isolation. "Low-level radioactive waste" or "waste" means radioactive waste not classified as (1) high-level radioactive waste, (2) transuranic waste, (3) spent nuclear fuel, or (4) byproduct material as defined in Sections 11e(2), 11e(3), and 11e(4) of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2014). This definition shall apply notwithstanding any declaration by the federal government, a state, or any regulatory agency that any radioactive material is exempt from any regulatory control. "Mixed waste" means waste that is both "hazardous waste" and "low-level radioactive waste" as defined in this Act. "Nuclear facilities" means nuclear power plants, facilities housing nuclear test and research reactors, facilities for the chemical conversion of uranium, and facilities for the storage of spent nuclear fuel or high-level radioactive waste. "Nuclear power plant" or "nuclear steam-generating facility" means a thermal power plant in which the energy (heat) released by the fissioning of nuclear fuel is used to boil water to produce steam. "Nuclear power reactor" means an apparatus, other than an atomic weapon, designed or used to sustain nuclear fission in a self-supporting chain reaction. "Person" means an individual, corporation, business enterprise, or other legal entity either public or private and any legal successor, representative, agent, or agency of that individual, corporation, business enterprise, or legal entity. "Post-closure care" means the continued monitoring of the regional disposal facility after closure for the purposes of detecting a need for maintenance, ensuring environmental safety, and determining compliance with applicable licensure and regulatory requirements, and includes undertaking any remedial actions necessary to protect public health and the environment from radioactive releases from the facility. "Regional disposal facility" or "disposal facility" means the facility established by the State of Illinois under this Act for disposal away from the point of generation of waste generated in the region of the Compact. "Release" means any spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, discharging, injecting, escaping, leaching, dumping, or disposing into the environment of low-level radioactive waste. "Remedial action" means those actions taken in the event of a release or threatened release of low-level radioactive waste into the environment to prevent or minimize the release of the waste so that it does not migrate to cause substantial danger to present or future public health or welfare or the environment. The term includes, but is not limited to, actions at the location of the release such as storage, confinement, perimeter protection using dikes, trenches or ditches, clay cover, neutralization, cleanup of released low-level radioactive wastes, recycling or reuse, dredging or excavations, repair or replacement of leaking containers, collection of leachate and runoff, onsite treatment or incineration, provision of alternative water supplies, and any monitoring reasonably required to assure that these actions protect human health and the environment. "Scientific Surveys" means, collectively, the Illinois State Geological Survey and the Illinois State Water Survey of the University of Illinois. "Shallow land burial" means a land disposal facility in which radioactive waste is disposed of in or within the upper 30 meters of the earth's surface. However, this definition shall not include an enclosed, engineered, structurally re-enforced and solidified bunker that extends below the earth's surface. "Storage" means the temporary holding of waste for treatment or disposal for a period determined by Agency regulations. "Treatment" means any method, technique, or process, including storage for radioactive decay, designed to change the physical, chemical, or biological characteristics or composition of any waste in order to render the waste safer for transport, storage, or disposal, amenable to recovery, convertible to another usable material, or reduced in volume. "Waste management" means the storage, transportation, treatment, or disposal of waste. "Water treatment residuals" means biosolids, sludge, filter media, anthracite, scales, or other solids, either alone or as a component of liquid mixtures or solutions, that are technologically enhanced in combined radium concentration (radium-226, radium-228 or associated progeny) as a result of the treatment of water or sewage containing naturally occurring radium from groundwater. (Source: P.A. 103-306, eff. 7-28-23; 103-569, eff. 6-1-24; 104-148, eff. 1-1-26; 104-417, eff. 8-15-25; 104-458, eff. 6-1-26; 104-852, eff. 8-21-26.)

420 ILCS 20/4

(420 ILCS 20/4) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 241-4) Sec. 4. Generator and broker registration. (a)(1) Except as provided in subsection (b), all generators of any amount of low-level radioactive waste in Illinois shall register with the Agency within 60 days of the commencement of generating any low-level radioactive wastes. The registration shall be in a format prescribed by the Agency and shall contain all of the following: the name, address, and officers of the generator; information on the types of wastes produced or possessed; and any other information required by the Agency. (2) All registered generators of any amount of low-level radioactive waste in Illinois shall file an annual report with the Agency. The annual report shall contain information on the types and quantities of low-level wastes produced in the previous year and expected to be produced in the future; the methods used to manage these wastes; the technological feasibility, economic reasonableness, and environmental soundness of alternative treatment, storage and disposal methods; and any other information required by the Agency. (3) All brokers of any amount of low-level radioactive waste in Illinois shall register with the Agency within 60 days after the commencement of taking possession of any low-level radioactive waste. The registration shall be in a format prescribed by the Agency and shall contain the name, address, and officers of the broker and any other information required by the Agency. (4) All registered brokers of any amount of low-level radioactive waste in Illinois shall file an annual report with the Agency. The annual report shall contain information on the types and quantities of low-level radioactive wastes received and shipped, identification of the generators from whom such wastes were received, and the destination of shipments of such wastes. (5) All registration forms and annual reports required to be filed with the Agency may be made available to the public for inspection and copying pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act. (b) Generators who meet one of the following provisions are exempt from the registration requirements in paragraph (1) of subsection (a): (1) A generator who stores waste containing or composed of radioactive material with a physical half-life of less than 120 days for decay-in-storage before disposal as normal waste or recycling without regard to its radioactivity provided a minimum of 10 half-lives have elapsed. This does not exempt the generator from any other State or federal requirements; or (2) A generator of water treatment residuals that have a combined radium concentration of less than or equal to 200 picocuries per gram and who has registered pursuant to the Agency's regulatory program for water treatment residuals. (Source: P.A. 104-148, eff. 1-1-26.)

420 ILCS 20/5

(420 ILCS 20/5) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 241-5) Sec. 5. Requirements for disposal facility contractors; operating agreements. (a) The Agency shall promulgate rules and regulations establishing standards applicable to the selection of a contractor or contractors for the design, development, construction, and operation of a low-level radioactive waste disposal facility away from the point of generation necessary to protect human health and the environment. The regulations shall establish, but need not be limited to, the following: (1) The number of contractors to design, develop, and operate a low-level radioactive waste disposal facility; (2) Requirements and standards relating to the financial integrity of the firm; (3) Requirements and standards relating to the experience and performance history of the firm in the design, development, construction and operation of low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities; and (4) Requirements and standards for the qualifications of the employees of the firm. The Agency shall hold at least one public hearing before promulgating the regulations. (b) The Agency may enter into one or more operating agreements with a qualified operator of the regional disposal facility, which agreement may contain such provisions with respect to the construction, operation, closure, and post-closure maintenance of the regional disposal facility by the operator as the Agency shall determine, including, without limitation, (i) provisions leasing, or providing for the lease of, the site to the operator and authorizing the operator to construct, own and operate the facility and to transfer the facility to the Agency following closure and any additional years of post-closure maintenance that the Agency shall determine; (ii) provisions granting exclusive rights to the operator with respect to the disposal of low-level radioactive waste in this State during the term of the operating agreement; (iii) provisions authorizing the operator to impose fees upon all persons using the facility as provided in this Act and providing for the Agency to audit the charges of the operator under the operating agreement; and (iv) provisions relating to the obligations of the operator and the Agency in the event of any closure of the facility or any termination of the operating agreement. (Source: P.A. 95-777, eff. 8-4-08.)

420 ILCS 20/6

(420 ILCS 20/6) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 241-6) Sec. 6. Requirements for disposal facility. (a) The Agency shall as it deems necessary to protect human health and the environment, promulgate rules and regulations establishing standards applicable to the regional disposal facility. The rules and regulations shall reflect the best available management technologies which are economically reasonable, technologically feasible and environmentally sound for the disposal of the wastes and shall establish, but need not be limited to the establishment of: (1) requirements and performance standards for the design, construction, operation, maintenance and monitoring of the low-level radioactive waste disposal facility; (2) requirements and standards for the keeping of records and the reporting and retaining of data collected by the contractor selected to operate the disposal facility; (3) requirements and standards for the technical qualifications of the personnel of the contractor selected to develop and operate the disposal facility; (4) requirements and standards for establishing the financial responsibility of the contractor selected to operate the disposal facility; (5) requirements and standards for the emergency closure of the disposal facility; and (6) requirements and standards for the closure, decommissioning and post-closure care, monitoring, maintenance and use of the disposal facility. (b) The regulations shall include provisions requiring that the contractor selected to operate the disposal facility post a performance bond with the Agency or show evidence of liability insurance or other means of establishing financial responsibility in an amount sufficient to adequately provide for any necessary remedial actions or liabilities that might be incurred by the operation of the disposal facility during the operating period and during a reasonable period of post-closure care. (c) The regulations adopted for the requirements and performance standards of a disposal facility shall not provide for the shallow land burial of low-level radioactive wastes. (d) The Agency shall hold at least one public hearing before adopting rules under this Section. (e) All rules adopted under this Section shall be at least as stringent as those promulgated by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2014) and any other applicable federal laws. (f) The State of Illinois shall have no liability to any person or entity by reason of a failure, delay, or cessation in the operation of the disposal facility. (Source: P.A. 95-777, eff. 8-4-08.)

420 ILCS 20/7

(420 ILCS 20/7) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 241-7) Sec. 7. Requirements for waste treatment. The Agency shall promulgate rules and regulations establishing standards applicable to the treatment of low-level radioactive wastes disposed of in any facility in Illinois necessary to protect human health and the environment. Such rules and regulations shall reflect the best available treatment technologies that are economically reasonable, technologically feasible and environmentally sound for reducing the quantity and radioactive quality of such wastes prior to land burial and shall establish, but need not be limited to, requirements respecting: (1) the form in which low-level radioactive wastes may be disposed; (2) the use of treatment technologies for recycling, compacting, solidifying or otherwise treating low-level radioactive wastes prior to disposal; and (3) the use of technologies for the treatment of such wastes to minimize the radioactive characteristics of the waste disposed of or to reduce the tendency of the waste to migrate in geologic and hydrologic formations. The Agency shall hold at least one public hearing prior to promulgating such regulations. (Source: P.A. 95-777, eff. 8-4-08.)

420 ILCS 20/8

(420 ILCS 20/8) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 241-8) Sec. 8. Requirements for waste facility licensing. (a) No person shall operate any facility for the storage, treatment, or disposal of low-level radioactive wastes away from the point of generation in Illinois without a license granted by the Agency. (b) Each application for a license under this Section shall contain such information as may be required by the Agency, including, but not limited to, information respecting: (1) estimates of the quantities and types of wastes to be stored, treated or disposed of at the facility; (2) the design specifications and proposed operating procedures of the facility necessary to assure compliance with the rules adopted under Sections 6 and 7; (3) financial and personnel information necessary to assure the integrity and qualifications of the contractor selected to operate the facility; (4) a closure plan to ensure the proper closure, decommissioning, and post-closure care of the disposal facility; and (5) a contingency plan to establish the procedures to be followed in the event of unanticipated radioactive releases. (c) The Director may issue a license for the construction and operation of a facility authorized by this Act, provided the applicant for the license has complied with applicable provisions of this Act and regulations of the Agency. No license issued by the Director shall authorize the disposal of mixed waste at any regional disposal facility. In the event that an applicant or licensee proposes modifications to a facility, or in the event that the Director determines that modifications are necessary to conform to the requirements of this Act, the Director may issue any license modifications necessary to protect human health and the environment and may specify the time allowed to complete the modifications. (d) Upon a determination by the Director of substantial noncompliance with any license granted under this Act or upon a determination that an emergency exists posing a significant hazard to public health and the environment, the Director may revoke a license issued under this Act. Before revoking any license, the Director shall serve notice upon the alleged violator setting forth the Sections of this Act, or the rules adopted under this Act, that are alleged to have been violated. The Director shall hold at least one public hearing not later than 30 days following the notice. (e) No person shall operate and the Director shall not issue any license under this Section to operate any disposal facility for the shallow land burial of low-level radioactive wastes in Illinois. (f) (Blank). (g) Notwithstanding subsection (d) of Section 10.3 of this Act, a license issued by the Agency to operate any regional disposal facility shall be revoked as a matter of law to the extent that the license authorizes disposal if: (1) the facility accepts for disposal byproduct material as defined in Section 11e(2) of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2014), high-level radioactive waste or mixed waste, and (2) (A) if the facility is located more than 1 1/2 miles from the boundary of a municipality and the county in which the facility is located passes an ordinance ordering the license revoked, or (B) if the facility is located within a municipality or within 1 1/2 miles of the boundary of a municipality and that municipality passes an ordinance ordering the license revoked. (Source: P.A. 95-777, eff. 8-4-08.)

420 ILCS 20/9

(420 ILCS 20/9) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 241-9) Sec. 9. Requirements for waste transporters. (a) No person shall transport any low-level radioactive waste to a storage, treatment or disposal facility in Illinois licensed under Section 8 without a permit granted by the Agency. (b) No person shall transport any low-level radioactive waste to a storage, treatment or disposal facility licensed under Section 8 without a manifest document. The Agency shall develop the form for such manifests and shall promulgate rules and regulations establishing a system of tracking wastes from their point of generation to storage, treatment, and ultimate disposal. (c) Each application for a permit under this Section shall contain any information as may be required under regulations promulgated by the Agency, including, but not limited to, information respecting: (1) The estimated quantities and types of wastes to be transported to a facility located in Illinois; (2) The procedures and methods used to monitor and inspect the shipments to ensure that leakage or spills do not occur; (3) The timetables according to which the wastes are to be shipped. (4) The qualifications and training of personnel handling low-level radioactive waste; and (5) The use of interim storage and transshipment facilities. (d) The Director may issue a permit to any applicant who has met and whom he believes will comply with the requirements of the Illinois Hazardous Materials Transportation Act and any other applicable State or federal laws or regulations. In the event that an applicant or permittee proposes modifications of a permit, or in the event that the Director determines that modifications are necessary to conform with the requirements of the Act, the Director may issue any permit modifications necessary to protect human health and the environment and may specify the time allowed to complete the modifications. (e) The Agency shall inspect each shipment of low-level radioactive wastes received at the regional disposal facility for compliance with the packaging, placarding and other requirements established by rules and regulations promulgated by the Illinois Department of Transportation under the Illinois Hazardous Materials Transportation Act and any other applicable State or federal regulations. The Agency shall notify the Attorney General of any apparent violations for possible prosecution under Sections 11 and 12 of that Act. (Source: P.A. 95-777, eff. 8-4-08.)

420 ILCS 20/10

(420 ILCS 20/10) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 241-10) Sec. 10. Disposal facility contractor selection. Upon adopting the regulations establishing requirements for waste disposal facilities provided for in Section 6, the Agency shall solicit proposals for the selection of one or more contractors to site, design, develop, construct, operate, close, provide post-closure care for, and decommission the disposal facility. Not later than 6 months after the solicitation of proposals, the Director shall select the applicant who has submitted the proposal that best conforms to the requirements of this Act and to the rules adopted under this Act. (Source: P.A. 95-777, eff. 8-4-08.)

420 ILCS 20/10.2

(420 ILCS 20/10.2) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 241-10.2) Sec. 10.2. Selection of site for characterization. (a) (Blank). (b) (Blank). (c) (Blank). (c-3) (Blank). (c-5) The Agency may adopt rules establishing a site selection process for a regional disposal facility. In developing rules, the Agency shall, at a minimum, consider the following: (1) A comprehensive and open process under which the land for sites recommended and proposed by the contractor under subsection (e) of this Section shall be volunteered lands as provided in this Section. Land may be volunteered for the regional disposal facility jointly by landowners and (i) the municipality in which the land is located, (ii) every municipality with 1 1/2 miles of the land if the land is not within a municipality, or (iii) the county or counties in which the land is located if the land is not within a municipality and not within 1 1/2 miles of a municipality. (2) Utilization of State screening and volunteer site evaluation reports prepared by the Scientific Surveys for the purpose of determining whether proposed sites appear likely to satisfy the site selection criteria. (3) Coordination of the site selection process with the projected annual and total volume of low-level radioactive waste to be disposed at the regional disposal facility. The site selection process established under this subsection shall require the contractor selected by the Agency pursuant to Sections 5 and 10 of this Act to propose one site to the Agency for approval. (d) The contractor selected by the Agency under Sections 5 and 10 of this Act shall conduct evaluations, including possible intrusive field investigations, of the sites and locations identified under the site selection process established under subsection (c-5) of this Section. (e) Upon completion of the site evaluations, the contractor selected by the Agency shall identify one site of at least 640 acres that appears promising for development of the regional disposal facility in compliance. The contractor may conduct any other evaluation of the site identified under this subsection that the contractor deems appropriate. Upon completion of the evaluations under this subsection, the contractor shall prepare and submit to the Agency a report on the evaluation of the identified site, including a recommendation as to whether the identified site should be further considered for selection as a site for the regional disposal facility. A site so recommended for further consideration is hereinafter referred to as a "proposed site". (f) (Blank). (g) The Agency may require a contractor to submit a further report pursuant to subsection (e) of this Section proposing another site from the locations identified under the site selection process established pursuant to subsection (c-5) of this Section as likely to satisfy the criteria. The new proposed site shall be the subject of a public meeting under this subsection. The contractor selected by the Agency shall propose additional sites until the Agency has approved a proposed site recommended by a contractor. In the event that the Agency does not approve any of the proposed sites recommended by the contractor under this subsection, the Agency shall prepare a study containing, at a minimum, the Agency's recommendations regarding the viability of the site selection process established pursuant to this Act. The Agency shall provide copies of the study to the Governor, the President and Minority Leader of the Senate, and the Speaker and Minority Leader of the House. The Agency shall also publish a notice of availability of the study in the State newspaper and make copies of the report available without charge to the public. (h) (Blank). (i) Upon the Agency's approval, the contractor shall proceed with the characterization and licensure of the proposed site under Section 10.3 of this Act. (Source: P.A. 100-146, eff. 1-1-18.)

420 ILCS 20/10.3

(420 ILCS 20/10.3) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 241-10.3) Sec. 10.3. Site characterization; license application; adjudicatory hearing; exclusivity. (a) If the contractor chosen under Sections 5 and 10, following characterization, determines that the proposed site is appropriate for the development of a regional disposal facility, the contractor shall submit to the Agency an application for a license to construct and operate the facility at the selected site. (b) If the contractor determines, following or at any time during characterization of a site, that the proposed site is not appropriate for the development of a regional disposal facility, the Agency may require the contractor to propose an additional site from the locations identified under the site selection process established under subsection (c-5) of Section 10.2. The new proposed site shall be the subject of public notice, distribution, and public meeting conducted by the Agency under the procedures set forth in subsections (f) and (g) of Section 10.2 of this Act. The contractor selected by the Agency shall propose additional sites and the Agency shall conduct additional public meetings until the contractor has determined, following characterization, that the site is appropriate for the development of the regional disposal facility. Upon the selection of a proposed site under this subsection, the contractor shall submit to the Agency an application for a license to construct and operate a regional disposal facility at the selected site. (c) The Agency shall review the license application filed pursuant to Section 8 and subsections (a) and (b) of this Section in accordance with its rules and the agreement between the State of Illinois and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission under Section 274 of the Atomic Energy Act. If the Agency determines that the license should be issued, the Agency shall publish in the State newspaper a notice of intent to issue the license. Objections to issuance of the license may be filed within 90 days of publication of the notice. Upon receipt of objections, the Director shall appoint a hearing officer who shall conduct an adjudicatory hearing on the objections. The burden of proof at the hearing shall be on the person filing the objections. Upon completion of the hearing, the hearing officer shall recommend to the Director whether the license should be issued. The decision of the Director to issue or deny the license may be appealed under Section 18. (d) The procedures, criteria, terms, and conditions set forth in this Act, and in the rules adopted under this Act, for the treatment, storage, and disposal of low-level radioactive waste and for the siting, licensure, design, construction, maintenance, operation, closure, decommissioning, and post-closure care of the regional disposal facility shall be the exclusive procedures, criteria, terms, and conditions for those matters. (Source: P.A. 100-146, eff. 1-1-18.)

420 ILCS 20/11 Report by the Agency

(420 ILCS 20/11) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 241-11) Sec. 11. Report by the Agency. (a) (Blank). (b) (Blank). (c) At any time necessary, as determined by the Director, to ensure proper planning and policy responses relating to the continued availability of facilities for the storage and disposal of low-level radioactive wastes, the Agency shall deliver to the Governor, the President and Minority Leader of the Senate, and the Speaker and Minority Leader of the House a report that shall include, at a minimum, an analysis of the impacts of restrictions on disposal of low-level radioactive waste at commercial disposal facilities outside the State of Illinois and the Agency's analysis of, and recommendations regarding, the feasibility of a centralized interim storage facility for low-level radioactive waste generated within the region of the Compact and the nature and extent, if any, of the generator's or any other entity's responsibility for or title to the waste to be stored at a centralized interim storage facility after the waste has been delivered to that facility. (Source: P.A. 95-777, eff. 8-4-08.)

420 ILCS 20/12.1

(420 ILCS 20/12.1) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 241-12.1) Sec. 12.1. Grants; community agreements. (a) The Director may make grants to the county or counties containing a site proposed under subsection (d) of Section 10.2 and may make grants to any municipality containing or within 1.5 miles of a proposed site. The grants may be used for any lawful purposes, including technical reviews of the proposed site and participation in public meetings held during the site selection process. (b) The Director may make grants to the county or counties containing a site to be characterized under Section 10.3 and may make a grant to any municipality containing or within 1.5 miles of any such site. The grants may be used for any lawful purposes, including review of site characterization work, participation in an adjudicatory hearing under subsection (c) of Section 10.3, and negotiation of an agreement under subsection (c) of this Section. (c) The Director may enter into one or more community agreements with the county or counties containing a site for which a license application has been submitted under Section 10.3. The Director may also enter into one or more community agreements with any municipality containing or within 1.5 miles of a site for which a license application has been submitted under Section 10.3. An agreement under this subsection may include, but need not be limited to, matters of technical and socioeconomic concern regarding the development, operation, closure, and post-closure care of the disposal facility to be constructed at the site. (Source: P.A. 100-146, eff. 1-1-18.)

420 ILCS 20/13

(420 ILCS 20/13) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 241-13) Sec. 13. Waste fees. (a) The Agency shall collect a fee from each generator of low-level radioactive wastes in this State, except for units of local government. Except as provided in subsection (b), the amount of the fee shall be $100 or the following amount, whichever is greater: (1) $3 per cubic foot of waste stored for shipment; and (2) $3 per cubic foot of waste shipped for storage, treatment, or disposal, provided that no fees have been collected previously for storage of the waste. All fees collected under this subsection shall be collected annually or as determined by the Agency and shall be deposited into the fund provided in Section 14 of this Act. (b) The owner of any nuclear power reactor that has a license issued by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for any portion of a State fiscal year shall pay an annual fee in accordance with subsection (a) or $30,000 per nuclear power reactor, whichever is less. The fee shall be paid by July 1 of each State fiscal year. All moneys collected under this subsection shall be deposited pursuant to Section 14 and expended, subject to appropriation, for the purposes provided in Section 14. If the balance in the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Facility Operation Fund falls below $500,000, at the end of any fiscal year, the Agency is authorized to assess by rule an additional annual fee to be paid by the owners of nuclear power reactors for which licenses have been issued by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The additional annual fee shall be payable on the date or dates specified by rule and shall not exceed $30,000 per nuclear power reactor per year. (c) (Blank). (d) (Blank). (e) (Blank). (f) Any operating agreement entered into under subsection (b) of Section 5 of this Act between the Agency and any disposal facility contractor shall, subject to the provisions of this Act, authorize the contractor to impose upon and collect from persons using the disposal facility fees designed and set at levels reasonably calculated to produce sufficient revenues (1) to pay all costs and expenses properly incurred or accrued in connection with, and properly allocated to, performance of the contractor's obligations under the operating agreement, and (2) to provide reasonable and appropriate compensation or profit to the contractor under the operating agreement. For purposes of this subsection (f), the term "costs and expenses" may include, without limitation, (i) direct and indirect costs and expenses for labor, services, equipment, materials, insurance and other risk management costs, interest and other financing charges, and taxes or fees in lieu of taxes; (ii) payments to or required by the United States, the State of Illinois or any agency or department thereof, the Central Midwest Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Compact, and subject to the provisions of this Act, any unit of local government; (iii) amortization of capitalized costs with respect to the disposal facility and its development, including any capitalized reserves; and (iv) payments with respect to reserves, accounts, escrows or trust funds required by law or otherwise provided for under the operating agreement. (g) (Blank). (h) (Blank). (i) (Blank). (j) (Blank). (j-5) Prior to commencement of facility operations, the Agency shall adopt rules providing for the establishment and collection of fees and charges with respect to the use of the disposal facility as provided in subsection (f) of this Section. (k) The regional disposal facility shall be subject to ad valorem real estate taxes lawfully imposed by units of local government and school districts with jurisdiction over the facility. No other local government tax, surtax, fee or other charge on activities at the regional disposal facility shall be allowed except as authorized by the Agency. (l) The Agency shall have the power, in the event that acceptance of waste for disposal at the regional disposal facility is suspended, delayed or interrupted, to impose emergency fees on the generators of low-level radioactive waste. Generators shall pay emergency fees within 30 days of receipt of notice of the emergency fees. The Agency shall deposit all of the receipts of any fees collected under this subsection into the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Facility Operation Fund. Emergency fees may be used to mitigate the impacts of the suspension or interruption of acceptance of waste for disposal. The requirements for rulemaking in the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act shall not apply to the imposition of emergency fees under this subsection. (m) The Agency shall adopt any rules and regulations as may be necessary to implement this Section. (Source: P.A. 103-569, eff. 6-1-24; 104-458, eff. 6-1-26.)

420 ILCS 20/14

(420 ILCS 20/14) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 241-14) (Text of Section before amendment by P.A. 104-695) Sec. 14. Waste management funds. (a) There is hereby created in the State Treasury a special fund to be known as the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Facility Operation Fund. All monies within the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Facility Operation Fund shall be invested by the State Treasurer in accordance with established investment practices. Interest earned by such investment shall be returned to the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Facility Operation Fund. The Agency shall deposit all receipts from the fees required under Section 13 in the State Treasury to the credit of this Fund. Subject to appropriation, the Agency is authorized to expend all moneys in the Fund in amounts it deems necessary for: (1) hiring personnel and any other operating and contingent expenses necessary for the proper administration of this Act; (2) contracting with any firm for the purpose of carrying out the purposes of this Act; (3) grants to the Central Midwest Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Commission; (4) hiring personnel, contracting with any person, and meeting any other expenses incurred by the Agency in fulfilling its responsibilities under the Radioactive Waste Compact Enforcement Act; (5) activities under Sections 10, 10.2 and 10.3; (6) payment of fees in lieu of taxes to a local government having within its boundaries a regional disposal facility; (7) payment of grants to counties or municipalities under Section 12.1; (8) fulfillment of obligations under a community agreement under Section 12.1; (9) decommissioning and other procedures required for the proper closure of a regional disposal facility; (10) monitoring, inspecting, and other procedures required for the proper closure, decommissioning, and post-closure care of a regional disposal facility; (11) taking any remedial actions necessary to protect human health and the environment from releases or threatened releases of wastes from a regional disposal facility; (12) the purchase of facility and third-party liability insurance necessary during the institutional control period of a regional disposal facility; (13) mitigating the impacts of the suspension or interruption of the acceptance of waste for disposal; and (14) compensating any person suffering any damages or losses to a person or property caused by a release from the regional disposal facility as provided for in Section 15. In spending monies pursuant to such appropriations, the Agency shall to the extent practicable avoid duplicating expenditures made by any firm pursuant to a contract awarded under this Section. (b) There is hereby created in the State Treasury a special fund to be known as the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Facility Closure, Post-Closure Care and Compensation Fund. All monies within the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Facility Closure, Post-Closure Care and Compensation Fund shall be invested by the State Treasurer in accordance with established investment practices. Interest earned by such investment shall be returned to the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Facility Closure, Post-Closure Care and Compensation Fund. All deposits into this Fund shall be held by the State Treasurer separate and apart from all public money or funds of this State. On or before March 1 of each year through March 1, 2025, the Agency shall deliver to the Governor, the President and Minority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker and Minority Leader of the House, and each of the generators that have contributed during the preceding State fiscal year to the Fund a financial statement, certified and verified by the Director, which details all receipts and expenditures from the Fund during the preceding State fiscal year. The financial statements shall identify all sources of income to the Fund and all recipients of expenditures from the Fund, shall specify the amounts of all the income and expenditures, and shall indicate the amounts of all the income and expenditures, and shall indicate the purpose for all expenditures. On July 1, 2025, or as soon thereafter as practical, the State Comptroller shall direct and the State Treasurer shall transfer the remaining balance from the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Facility Closure, Post-Closure Care and Compensation Fund into the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Facility Operation Fund. Upon completion of the transfer, the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Facility Closure, Post-Closure Care and Compensation Fund is dissolved, and any future deposits due to that Fund and any outstanding obligations or liabilities of that Fund shall pass to the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Facility Operation Fund. (c) (Blank). (d) The Agency may accept for any of its purposes and functions any donations, grants of money, equipment, supplies, materials, and services from any state or the United States, or from any institution, person, firm or corporation. Any donation or grant of money shall be deposited into the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Facility Operation Fund. (Source: P.A. 104-2, eff. 6-16-25; 104-458, eff. 6-1-26.) (Text of Section after amendment by P.A. 104-695) Sec. 14. Waste management funds. (a) There is hereby created in the State treasury a special fund to be known as the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Facility Operation Fund. All monies within the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Facility Operation Fund shall be invested by the State Treasurer in accordance with established investment practices. Interest earned by such investment shall be returned to the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Facility Operation Fund. The Agency shall deposit all receipts from the fees required under Section 13 in the State treasury to the credit of this Fund. Subject to appropriation, the Agency is authorized to expend all moneys in the Fund in amounts it deems necessary for: (1) hiring personnel and any other operating and contingent expenses necessary for the proper administration of this Act; (2) contracting with any firm for the purpose of carrying out the purposes of this Act; (3) grants to the Central Midwest Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Commission; (4) hiring personnel, contracting with any person, and meeting any other expenses incurred by the Agency in fulfilling its responsibilities under the Radioactive Waste Compact Enforcement Act; (5) activities under Sections 10, 10.2 and 10.3; (6) payment of fees in lieu of taxes to a local government having within its boundaries a regional disposal facility; (7) payment of grants to counties or municipalities under Section 12.1; (8) fulfillment of obligations under a community agreement under Section 12.1; (9) decommissioning and other procedures required for the proper closure of a regional disposal facility; (10) monitoring, inspecting, and other procedures required for the proper closure, decommissioning, and post-closure care of a regional disposal facility; (11) taking any remedial actions necessary to protect human health and the environment from releases or threatened releases of wastes from a regional disposal facility; (12) the purchase of facility and third-party liability insurance necessary during the institutional control period of a regional disposal facility; (13) mitigating the impacts of the suspension or interruption of the acceptance of waste for disposal; and (14) compensating any person suffering any damages or losses to a person or property caused by a release from the regional disposal facility as provided for in Section 15. In spending monies pursuant to such appropriations, the Agency shall to the extent practicable avoid duplicating expenditures made by any firm pursuant to a contract awarded under this Section. (b) (Blank). (c) (Blank). (d) The Agency may accept for any of its purposes and functions any donations, grants of money, equipment, supplies, materials, and services from any state or the United States, or from any institution, person, firm or corporation. Any donation or grant of money shall be deposited into the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Facility Operation Fund. (Source: P.A. 104-2, eff. 6-16-25; 104-458, eff. 6-1-26; 104-695, eff. 1-1-27.)

420 ILCS 20/15 Compensation

(420 ILCS 20/15) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 241-15) Sec. 15. Compensation. (a) Any person may apply to the Agency pursuant to this Section for compensation of a loss caused by the release, in Illinois, of radioactivity from the regional disposal facility. The Agency shall prescribe appropriate forms and procedures for claims filed pursuant to this Section, which shall include, as a minimum, the following: (1) Provisions requiring the claimant to make a sworn verification of the claim to the best of his or her knowledge. (2) A full description, supported by appropriate evidence from government agencies, of the release of the radioactivity claimed to be the cause of the physical injury, illness, loss of income or property damage. (3) If making a claim based upon physical injury or illness, certification of the medical history of the claimant for the 5 years preceding the date of the claim, along with certification of the alleged physical injury or illness, and expenses for the physical injury or illness, made by hospitals, physicians or other qualified medical authorities. (4) If making a claim for lost income, information on the claimant's income as reported on his or her federal income tax return or other document for the preceding 3 years in order to compute lost wages or income. (b) The Agency shall hold at least one hearing, if requested by the claimant, within 60 days of submission of a claim to the Agency. The Director shall render a decision on a claim within 30 days of the hearing unless all of the parties to the claim agree in writing to an extension of time. All decisions rendered by the Director shall be in writing, with notification to all appropriate parties. The decision shall be considered a final administrative decision for the purposes of judicial review. (c) The following losses shall be compensable under this Section, provided that the Agency has found that the claimant has established, by the weight of the evidence, that the losses were proximately caused by the designated release and are not otherwise compensable under law: (1) One hundred percent of uninsured, out-of-pocket medical expenses, for up to 3 years from the onset of treatment; (2) Eighty percent of any uninsured, actual lost wages, or business income in lieu of wages, caused by injury to the claimant or the claimant's property, not to exceed $15,000 per year for 3 years; (3) Eighty percent of any losses or damages to real or personal property; and (4) One hundred percent of costs of any remedial actions on such property necessary to protect human health and the environment. (d) No claim may be presented to the Agency under this Section later than 5 years from the date of discovery of the damage or loss. (e) Compensation for any damage or loss under this Section shall preclude indemnification or reimbursement from any other source for the identical damage or loss, and indemnification or reimbursement from any other source shall preclude compensation under this Section. (f) The Agency shall adopt, and revise when appropriate, rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this Section, including methods that provide for establishing that a claimant has exercised reasonable diligence in satisfying the conditions of the application requirements, for specifying the proof necessary to establish a damage or loss compensable under this Section and for establishing the administrative procedures to be followed in reviewing claims. (g) Claims approved by the Director shall be paid from the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Facility Operation Fund, except that claims shall not be paid in excess of the amount available in the Fund. In the case of insufficient amounts in the Fund to satisfy claims against the Fund, the General Assembly may appropriate monies to the Fund in amounts it deems necessary to pay the claims. (Source: P.A. 104-2, eff. 6-16-25; 104-458, eff. 6-1-26.)

420 ILCS 20/17 Penalties

(420 ILCS 20/17) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 241-17) Sec. 17. Penalties. (a) Any person operating any facility in violation of Section 8 shall be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $100,000 per day of violation. (b) Any person failing to pay the fees provided for in Section 13 shall be liable to a civil penalty not to exceed 4 times the amount of the fees not paid. (c) At the request of the Agency, the civil penalties shall be recovered in an action brought by the Attorney General on behalf of the State in the circuit court in which the violation occurred. All amounts collected from fines under this Section shall be deposited into the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Facility Development and Operation Fund. (Source: P.A. 104-2, eff. 6-16-25.)

420 ILCS 20/18

(420 ILCS 20/18) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 241-18) Sec. 18. Judicial review. Any person affected by a final order or determination of the Agency under this Act may obtain judicial review, by filing a petition for review within 90 days after the entry of the order or other final action complained of. The review proceeding shall be conducted in accordance with the Administrative Review Law, except that the proceeding shall originate in the appellate court rather than in the circuit court. (Source: P.A. 96-328, eff. 8-11-09.)

420 ILCS 20/19 Agreement State Status

(420 ILCS 20/19) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 241-19) Sec. 19. Agreement State Status. The Governor, on behalf of this State, is authorized to enter into agreements with the federal government providing for discontinuance of certain of the federal government's responsibilities with respect to low level waste disposal. In accordance with P.L. 86-373, Section 274b of the Atomic Energy Act, and the Notice, published in the Federal Register, Vol. 46, No. 15, January 23, 1981, (7540-7546) "Criteria for Guidance of States and NRC in Discontinuance of NRC Regulatory Authority and Assumption thereof by States through Agreement", the Governor is hereby authorized to enter into Full or Limited Agreement State Status for Low Level Waste Disposal with the federal government for regulatory authority over radioactive byproduct, source and special nuclear material as defined in Section 11e(1) and Section 11e(2) of the Atomic Energy Act. (Source: P.A. 90-655, eff. 7-30-98.)

420 ILCS 20/20 Appointment of Compact Commissioners

(420 ILCS 20/20) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 241-20) Sec. 20. Appointment of Compact Commissioners. The Illinois voting and nonvoting Commissioners of the Central Midwest Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Commission shall be appointed by the Governor and subject to confirmation by the Senate. Each Commissioner shall hold office for a term of 2 years, expiring the third Monday in January of each odd-numbered year, and until his successor is appointed and qualified. (Source: P.A. 87-1166.)

420 ILCS 20/21 Shared Liability

(420 ILCS 20/21) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 241-21) Sec. 21. Shared Liability. Any state which enacts the Central Midwest Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Compact and has as its resident a generator shall be liable for the cost of post-closure care in excess of funds available from the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Facility Development and Operation Fund or from any liability insurance or other means of establishing financial responsibility in an amount sufficient to provide for any necessary corrective actions or liabilities arising during the period of post-closure care. The extent of such liability shall not be in excess of the prorated share of the volume of waste placed in the facility by the generators of each state which has enacted the Central Midwest Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Compact. However, this Section shall not apply to a party state with a total volume of waste recorded on low-level radioactive waste manifests for any year that is less than 10 percent of the total volume recorded on such manifests for the region during the same year. (Source: P.A. 104-2, eff. 6-16-25.)

420 ILCS 20/21.1

(420 ILCS 20/21.1) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 241-21.1) Sec. 21.1. (a) For the purpose of conducting subsurface surveys and other studies under this Act, officers and employees of the Agency and officers and employees of any person under contract or subcontract with the Agency shall have the power to enter upon the lands or waters of any person upon written notice to the known owners and occupants, if any. (b) In addition to the powers under subsection (a), and without limitation to those powers, the Agency and any person under contract or subcontract with the Agency shall also have the power to enter contracts and agreements which allow entry upon the lands or waters of any person for the purpose of conducting subsurface surveys and other studies under this Act. (c) The Agency shall be responsible for any actual damages occasioned by the entry upon the lands or waters of any person under this Section. (Source: P.A. 95-777, eff. 8-4-08.)

420 ILCS 20/21.5

(420 ILCS 20/21.5) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 241-21.5) Sec. 21.5. Agreement by Central Midwest Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Commission for the right to use facilities outside the region for waste generated within the region; specific approval. In accordance with paragraph 1) of subsection i) of Article III of the Central Midwest Radioactive Waste Compact Act, the "Contract for Access to the Southeast Compact Commission's Regional Facility in Barnwell County, South Carolina" and the "Policy for the Import of LLRW to the Regional Facility for the period January 1, 1993-June 30, 1994" entered into by the Central Midwest Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Commission and filed with the Index Department of the Office of the Illinois Secretary of State as Document No. 92-NSA-1 are specifically approved. (Source: P.A. 87-1244.)
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs.aspFetched: 10/17/2026

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