---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 10224"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "10224"
heading: "Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/10224"
units:
  - "Chapter 108 — Nuclear Waste Policy"
  - "Subchapter III — Other Provisions Relating to Radioactive Waste"
---

# §10224. Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management

- (a) **Establishment—** There hereby is established within the [Department](/usc/42/10101.md?p=8) of Energy an [Office](/usc/42/10101.md?p=17) of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management. The [Office](/usc/42/10101.md?p=17) shall be headed by a [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5), who shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, and who shall be compensated at the rate payable for level IV of the Executive Schedule under [section 5315 of title 5](/usc/5/5315.md).
- (b) **Functions of Director—** The [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the [Office](/usc/42/10101.md?p=17) shall be responsible for carrying out the functions of the [Secretary](/usc/42/10101.md?p=20) under this chapter, subject to the general supervision of the [Secretary](/usc/42/10101.md?p=20). The [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the [Office](/usc/42/10101.md?p=17) shall be directly responsible to the [Secretary](/usc/42/10101.md?p=20).
- (c) **Annual report to Congress—** The [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the [Office](/usc/42/10101.md?p=17) shall annually prepare and submit to the Congress a comprehensive report on the activities and expenditures of the [Office](/usc/42/10101.md?p=17).
- (d) **Audit by GAO—** If requested by either House of the Congress (or any committee thereof) or if considered necessary by the Comptroller General, the Government Accountability [Office](/usc/42/10101.md?p=17) shall conduct an audit of the [Office](/usc/42/10101.md?p=17), in accord with such regulations as the Comptroller General may prescribe. The Comptroller General shall have access to such books, records, accounts, and other materials of the [Office](/usc/42/10101.md?p=17) as the Comptroller General determines to be necessary for the preparation of such audit. The Comptroller General shall submit a report on the results of each audit conducted under this section.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 97–425, title III, § 304, Jan. 7, 1983, 96 Stat. 2261; Pub. L. 104–66, title I, § 1052(l), Dec. 21, 1995, 109 Stat. 719; Pub. L. 108–271, § 8(b), July 7, 2004, 118 Stat. 814.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2004—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 108–271 substituted “Government Accountability Office” for “General Accounting Office”.

1995—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 104–66 amended heading and text of subsec. (d) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “The Comptroller General of the United States shall annually make an audit of the Office, in accordance with such regulations as the Comptroller General may prescribe. The Comptroller General shall have access to such books, records, accounts, and other materials of the Office as the Comptroller General determines to be necessary for the preparation of such audit. The Comptroller General shall submit to the Congress a report on the results of each audit conducted under this section.”

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Termination of Reporting Requirements

For termination, effective May 15, 2000, of provisions in subsec. (c) of this section relating to annual submittal of report to Congress, see section 3003 of Pub. L. 104–66, as amended, set out as a note under section 1113 of Title 31, Money and Finance, and the 13th item on page 91 of House Document No. 103–7.