Though the West Valley Demonstration Project operates in accordance with many laws and regulations, the following include our key, site-specific legal drivers:



WVDP Act
The West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) Act (Public Law 96-368), signed into law on October 1, 1980, establishes the West Valley Demonstration Project, to demonstrate technologies for solidifying liquid high-level radioactive waste.



DOE and NYSERDA Cooperative Agreement
As required by the WVDP Act, DOE entered into a Cooperative Agreement with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) on October 1, 1980, (amended September 18, 1981).  The Cooperative Agreement Between DOE and NYSERDA established the cooperative framework for implementation of the Project.



DOE and NRC Memorandum of Understanding
The DOE and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding on September 22, 1981, as required by the WVDP Act.  The DOE/NRC Memorandum of Understanding established arrangements for informal review and consultation by the Commission with respect to the Project.



RCRA 3008(h) Administrative Order on Consent
The RCRA 3008(h) Administrative Order on Consent is a four party agreement among the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC).  It requires DOE to address potential corrective measures for Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)-regulated waste management units on the Project premises.



Stipulation of Compromise Settlement
The Stipulation of Compromise Settlement was established in May of 1987 between the Coalition on West Valley Nuclear Waste and Radioactive Waste Campaign and the Department of Energy.  The purpose of this agreement was to settle claims against DOE regarding potential on-site low-level waste disposal.  As part of this stipulation, DOE agreed to, among other things, evaluate potential on-site low-level waste disposal as part of a comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement.



Seneca Nation of Indians Cooperative Agreement
The Seneca Nation of Indians Cooperative Agreement was signed in 1996 to foster government to government relationships between the Seneca Nation of Indians and the Department of Energy.  Activities conducted in accordance with the Cooperative Agreement continue to promote an understanding of environmental and human health issues and sustains the cultural resources of the Seneca Nation of Indians.



Seneca Nation of Indians Memorandum of Agreement on High-Level Waste Shipment

In 2017, the U.S. Department of Energy and the Seneca Nation of Indians updated the Memorandum of Agreement for the shipment of West Valley waste across Seneca Nation lands.  The Memorandum of Agreement provides for the safe and secure transportation of such material through coordination with the Seneca Nation of Indians. 

 



DOE and NYSERDA Supplemental Agreement to the Cooperative Agreement
Supplemental agreement to the cooperative agreement between the United States Department Of Energy and the New York Energy Research Development Authority setting forth special provisions for the preparation of a joint environmental impact statement on West Valley Demonstration Project Completion and closure of the Western New York Nuclear Service Center.