Section 125-G:18 Review of Site Selection; Recommendation.
I. If the federal Department of Energy selects a site in the state for construction of a repository for the long-term or temporary storage or permanent disposal of high-level radioactive waste, the office shall review the adequacy of the selected site and of the repository plan prepared by the federal Department of Energy pursuant to RSA 125-G:16, II(m). The review shall include a full scientific review of the adequacy of the selected site and the repository plan. The office shall solicit written comments on the selected site and the repository plan from the council and the committee. The office may utilize recognized experts in conducting its scientific review. The office shall conduct at least one public hearing in the affected county on the repository plan and shall make available to the public arguments and evidence for and against the repository plan. The office shall provide 30 days' notice of the date and location of the public hearing. The office shall solicit comments from appropriate state agencies, local units of government, and interested citizen groups on the adequacy of the selected site and the repository plan. The office shall make these comments available to the public.
II. After completing the review, the office shall submit a recommendation, complete with supporting reasons for the recommendation, to the speaker of the house of representatives, the senate president, and the governor on the issue of the site and repository plan selected by the federal Department of Energy. The governor, after review of the recommendation and findings of the office, may confer with the office, council, committee, representatives of state agencies, institutions of higher learning, or representatives of the affected county or locality. The governor, thereafter, shall recommend appropriate legislation to the legislature relating to the establishment of a long-term or temporary storage or permanent disposal facility for high-level radioactive waste. There shall be no further activity by the Department of Energy related to the long-term or temporary storage or permanent disposal of high-level radioactive waste in the state while legislation proposed by the governor or the legislature relative to such topic is being considered by the legislature.
Source. 1986, 176:1, eff. July 27, 1986.