Nuclear Waste Policy Act [NWPA] Law and Legal Definition
The Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 is a federal law that supports the use of deep geologic repositories for the safe storage and disposal of radioactive waste.
The NWPA establishes procedures to evaluate and select sites for geologic repositories and for the interaction of state and federal governments. It the NWPA allots the Department of Energy (DOE) the responsibility to site, build, and operate a deep geologic repository for the disposal of high-level waste and spent nuclear fuel. It also directs the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to license DOE to operate a repository only if it meets Environment Protection Agency's standards and all other relevant requirements.
