---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 6201"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "6201"
heading: "Safety measures for waste tanks at Hanford Nuclear Reservation"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/6201"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part VI — Elements of Department of Defense and Other Matters"
  - "Subpart B — Atomic Energy Defense"
  - "Chapter 604 — Defense Environmental Cleanup Matters"
  - "Subchapter III — Hanford Reservation, Washington"
---

# §6201. Safety measures for waste tanks at Hanford Nuclear Reservation

- (a) **Identification and Monitoring of Tanks.—** Not later than February 3, 1991, the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Energy shall identify which single-shelled or double-shelled high-level nuclear waste tanks at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, Richland, Washington, may have a serious potential for [release](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) of high-level waste due to uncontrolled increases in temperature or pressure. After completing such identification, the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) shall determine whether continuous monitoring is being carried out to detect a [release](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) or excessive temperature or pressure at each tank so identified. If such monitoring is not being carried out, as soon as practicable the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) shall install such monitoring, but only if a type of monitoring that does not itself increase the danger of a [release](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) can be installed.
- (b) **Action Plans.—** Not later than March 5, 1991, the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Energy shall develop action plans to respond to excessive temperature or pressure or a [release](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) from any tank identified under [subsection (a)](#a).
- (c) **Prohibition.—** Beginning March 5, 1991, no additional high-level nuclear waste (except for small amounts removed and returned to a tank for analysis) may be added to a tank identified under [subsection (a)](#a) unless the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) determines that no safer alternative than adding such waste to the tank currently exists or that the tank does not pose a serious potential for [release](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) of high-level nuclear waste.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 119–60, div. C, title XXXI, § 3111(a), Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 1399.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 6201 was renumbered section 8281 of this title.

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in section 2621 of Title 50, War and National Defense, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 119–60, § 3111(b)(1).