Radioactive Waste Disposal Program
The South Carolina Budget and Control Board’s, Energy Office Radioactive Waste Disposal Program administers the following responsibilities for the Barnwell disposal site:
Chem-Nuclear, LLC, a subsidiary of EnergySolutions, Inc., operates the disposal site under a lease with the Board. The Department of Health and Regulatory Control licenses and regulates the site and oversees the safety of disposal operations. The South Carolina Public Service Commission approves compensation for the disposal site operator to cover its costs of operating the site.
The Barnwell site is the only state-owned facility currently available to most of the nation for disposal of commercially generated low-level radioactive waste. After June 30, 2008, the site will only accept waste from organizations located in South Carolina, Connecticut, and New Jersey – the three states that make up the Atlantic Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Compact.
In accordance with state and federal guidelines, South Carolina accepts and assumes responsibility for ongoing monitoring, maintenance and custodial care of the site after it is closed.
Responsibilities of the Budget and Control Board Disposal Program