16.115 Fees.

(1) The department shall establish by rule a schedule of annual fees to be paid by nuclear power plant operators and shall collect the fees until a regional facility operated under s. 16.11 begins accepting waste for disposal. The fees shall be based on the number of nuclear reactors at each plant and shall cover 75 percent of the state's costs enumerated in sub. (3) incurred prior to the acceptance of waste at the facility.

(2) The department shall establish by rule a schedule of annual fees to be paid by generators, as defined under s. 16.11 (2) (j), who use a compact facility, as defined in s. 16.11 (2) (d), or a noncompact facility made available by an agreement entered into under s. 16.11 (3) (h) 6. for disposal, and, beginning with the operation of the facility, the department shall collect the fees. The fees shall be based on the volume and hazard of waste generated and shall cover the costs enumerated under sub. (3) which are incurred before and after the acceptance of waste for disposal at the facility. Any nuclear power plant operator who has paid a fee under sub. (1) shall receive credit on the fees required of the operator under this subsection at a rate determined by the department so that, over the first 5 years of the collection of fees under this subsection, the power plant operator receives total credits equal to the fees paid under sub. (1). In addition to covering the costs enumerated under sub. (3), the fees established under this subsection for the first 5 years after the acceptance of waste for disposal at the facility shall be sufficient to repay the loan from the general fund made under s. 20.505 (1) (b), and the secretary shall lapse moneys from the appropriation under s. 20.505 (1) (g) to the general fund for that purpose over the 5-year period.

(3) The fees established under subs. (1) and (2) shall cover all of the following costs:

(a) The costs of state agencies in assisting the midwest interstate low-level radioactive waste commission member representing this state.

(b) The actual and necessary expenses of the commissioner in the performance of his or her duties.

(d) The costs of membership in and costs associated with the midwest interstate low-level radioactive waste compact.

History: 1983 a. 393, 543; 1995 a. 115; 2005 a. 253.