---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 13524"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "13524"
heading: "Costs related to decommissioning and storage and disposal of nuclear waste"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/13524"
units:
  - "Chapter 134 — Energy Policy"
  - "Subchapter XI — Policy and Administrative Provisions"
---

# §13524. Costs related to decommissioning and storage and disposal of nuclear waste

- (a) **Award of contracts—**
  - (1) **Prime contractors—** In awarding contracts to perform nuclear hot cell services, the [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2), in evaluating bids for such contracts, shall exclude from consideration costs related to the decommissioning of nuclear facilities or the storage and [disposal](/usc/42/2021b.md?p=7) of nuclear waste, if—
    - (A) one or more of the parties bidding to perform such services is a [United States](/usc/42/13506.md?p=3) company that is subject to such costs; and
    - (B) one or more of the parties bidding to perform such services is a foreign company that is not subject to comparable costs.
  - (2) **Subcontractors—** Any person awarded a contract subject to the restrictions described in [paragraph (1)](#a-1) who subcontracts with a person to perform the services described in such paragraph shall be subject to the same restrictions in evaluating bids among potential subcontractors, as the [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2) was subject to in evaluating bids among prime contractors.
- (b) **Issuance of regulations—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2) shall issue regulations not later than 90 days after October 24, 1992, to carry out the requirements of [subsection (a)](#a).
- (c) **Definitions—** As used in this section—
  - (1) the term “costs related to decommissioning of nuclear facilities” means any cost associated with the compliance with regulatory requirements governing the decommissioning of nuclear facilities licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory [Commission](/usc/42/13491.md?p=b-2);
  - (2) the term “costs related to storage and [disposal](/usc/42/2021b.md?p=7) of nuclear waste” means any costs, whether required by regulation or incurred as a matter of prudent business practice, associated with the storage or [disposal](/usc/42/2021b.md?p=7) of nuclear waste;
  - (3) the term “nuclear hot cell services” means services related to the examination of, or performance of various operations on, nuclear fuel rods, control assemblies, or other components that are emitting large quantities of ionizing radiation; and
  - (4) the term “nuclear waste” means any radioactive waste material subject to regulation by the Nuclear Regulatory [Commission](/usc/42/13491.md?p=b-2) or the Department of Energy.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 102–486, title XXIII, § 2305, Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 3094.)