Section 657.20 - DefinitionsThe following words and terms, when used in this chapter, shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
(1) The term "Commission," where used in this subchapter, means the Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact Commission established by the Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact.(2) The term "Compact" refers to the agreement between the State of Texas and the State of Vermont to which Congress consented in Public Law 105-236, enacted September 20, 1998. The text of the Compact can be found in Texas Health and Safety Code, § 403.006 and Vermont Statutes Annotated Title 10, §7069.(3) The terms "Compact Facility" and "Facility" mean any site, location, structure, or property located in and provided by the host state for the purpose of disposal of low-level radioactive waste for which the party states are responsible.(4) "Compact waste" means low-level radioactive waste that:(A) is originally generated onsite in a host state or a party state; or(B) is not generated in a host state or a party state but has been approved for importation into this state by the Commission under §3.05 of the Compact.(5) "Contingency event" is one that causes a disruption of the normal operation of the Compact Waste Facility.(6) The word "days" shall mean calendar days unless the rule in which it is used specifies otherwise.(7) "Disposal" means the permanent isolation of low-level radioactive waste pursuant to requirements established by the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the United States Environmental Protection Agency under applicable laws, or by the host state.(8) "Exigent event" means a sudden, unexpected occurrence, requiring interim or immediate action to prevent, minimize, or mitigate, risk of loss of life, damage to property, or disruption of essential public services, or other circumstances as the Commission finds require interim or immediate action by the Commission.(9) The term "generate," when used in relation to low-level radioactive waste, means to produce low-level radioactive waste.(10) The term "generator" means a person who produces or processes low-level radioactive waste in the course of its activities, excluding persons who arrange for the collection, transportation, management, treatment, storage, or disposal of waste generated outside the party states, unless approved by the Commission. For purposes of this subchapter, the identity of a "generator" shall be determined in accordance with the following:(A) For low-level radioactive waste acquired on or after April 27, 2012, and that is not of international origin:(i) if a licensed manufacturer of sealed sources or devices chooses to accept from a customer a sealed source or device that it (or an entity that it acquired) manufactured, the manufacturer may declare that it is the generator when that source or device is disposed;(ii) if a licensed manufacturer of sealed sources or devices accepts from a customer a sealed source or device manufactured by another entity, the customer will be considered the generator of the source or device when it is disposed;(iii) if a licensed initial distributor of radioactive sealed sources or devices chooses to accept from a customer a sealed source or device that it distributed, the initial distributor may declare that it is the generator of that source or device when it is disposed;(iv) if a licensed initial distributor of radioactive sealed sources or devices chooses to accept from a customer a sealed source or device that the distributor did not distribute, the customer will be considered the generator of the source or device when it is disposed;(v) if a licensed distributor other than the initial distributor of the radioactive sealed sources or devices chooses to accept from a customer a sealed source or device, the customer will be considered the generator of that source or device when it is disposed;(vi) if a licensed waste broker or waste processor chooses to accept radioactive materials from any customer, the customer will be considered the generator of those materials when they are disposed; and(vii) when a licensed decontamination service provider provides decontamination services to any customer, the customer will be considered the generator of any waste generated by the provision of the decontamination service.(B) A waste broker, waste processor, initial distributor, other distributor, decontamination service provider, or licensed manufacturer of sealed sources or devices who received radioactive materials from a customer before April 27, 2012 may complete TCEQ Form 20225 as the generator of that waste if it provides adequate documentation that the waste is not of international origin. Such waste may only be disposed of in the Compact Facility as party-state (in-compact) waste if the entity acting as the generator of the waste provides adequate documentation that the waste is from Texas or Vermont. If the entity acting as the generator of the waste cannot adequately document that the waste is from Texas or Vermont, the waste will be treated as non-party-state (out-of-compact) waste and will require import authorization in accordance with § 675.23 of this title (relating to Importation of Waste from a Non-Party Generator for Disposal). To provide the documentation described in this subparagraph, the entity acting as the generator of the waste may rely on various records, including, but not limited to, source/device leak tests, source/device inventories, transfer/receipt records, transportation manifests, purchasing records, or other records determined by the Commission to be suitable as documentation regarding the origin of the waste.(C) If the customer of a waste broker, waste processor, initial distributor, other distributor, decontamination service provider, or licensed manufacturer of sealed sources or devices is considered the generator of waste under subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, the waste may not be disposed of in the Compact Facility unless the customer is a public, private or governmental entity located in the United States or a territory of the United States. The waste will be considered party-state waste (in-compact) only if the customer is located in Texas or Vermont; if the customer is located in any other state or territory of the United States, the waste will be considered non-party state waste (out-of-compact).(D) If a licensed user, initial distributor, or manufacturer of sealed sources or devices is a generator of waste, that waste may be disposed of in the Compact Facility only if the generator is a public, private or governmental entity located in the United States.(11) "Host county" means a county in the host state in which a disposal facility is located or is being developed.(12) "Host state" means a party state in which a Compact Facility is located or is being developed. The state of Texas is the host state under the Compact.(13) "Low-level radioactive waste" has the same meaning as that term is defined in Section 2(9) of the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act, as amended by the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1985 (42 United States Code, § 2021b(9)), or in the host state statute so long as the waste is not incompatible with disposal at the Compact Facility.(14) "Management" means collection, consolidation, storage, packaging, or treatment.(15) "Non-party compact waste" means low-level radioactive waste imported from a state other than a party state as authorized by §3.05(6) of the Compact.(16) "Operator" means a person who operates a disposal facility.(17) "Party state" means any state that has become a party in accordance with Article VII of the Compact. Texas and Vermont are the party states to the Compact.(18) "Party-state waste" means low-level radioactive waste generated in a party state.(19) "Person" means an individual, corporation, partnership, or other legal entity, whether public or private.(20) A "small quantity generator" is a generator of low-level radioactive waste that generates no more than 200 cubic feet or no more than 100 curies of such waste per year, and does not include nuclear power generation facilities, electric utilities, or the United States Department of Defense.(21) The acronym "TCEQ" means the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and any successor entity.(22) A "transporter" is a person who transports low-level radioactive waste.(23) "Waste of international origin" means low-level radioactive waste that originates outside of the United States or a territory of the United States, including waste subsequently stored or processed in the United States.31 Tex. Admin. Code § 657.20
Adopted by Texas Register, Volume 40, Number 36, September 4, 2015, TexReg 5793, eff. 9/9/2015; Amended by Texas Register, Volume 44, Number 38, September 20, 2019, TexReg 5406, eff. 9/23/2019; Amended by Texas Register, Volume 47, Number 51, December 23, 2022, TexReg 8734, eff. 12/26/2022