S 0986 General Bill, By Leventis and Cork

Similar(H 4348)
 A Bill to amend the Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, by adding Section
 48-48-125 so as to enact the Nuclear Waste Disposal Competitive Bidding Act
 and to require a lessee of the state-owned low-level radioactive waste
 disposal site to be selected through a competitive bidding procurement
 process, and to require the Director of the State Budget and Control Board to
 renegotiate the lease agreement with the current lessee of the site so as to
 conform to this procurement process.

   12/04/95  Senate Prefiled
   12/04/95  Senate Referred to Committee on Medical Affairs
   01/09/96  Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-81
   01/09/96  Senate Referred to Committee on Medical Affairs SJ-81

A BILL

TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 48-48-125 SO AS TO ENACT THE NUCLEAR WASTE DISPOSAL COMPETITIVE BIDDING ACT AND TO REQUIRE A LESSEE OF THE STATE-OWNED LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL SITE TO BE SELECTED THROUGH A COMPETITIVE BIDDING PROCUREMENT PROCESS, AND TO REQUIRE THE DIRECTOR OF THE STATE BUDGET AND CONTROL BOARD TO RENEGOTIATE THE LEASE AGREEMENT WITH THE CURRENT LESSEE OF THE SITE SO AS TO CONFORM TO THIS PROCUREMENT PROCESS.

Whereas, the authority to operate the state-owned low-level radioactive waste disposal site at Barnwell was granted to a private operator without benefit of a competitive process for procurement of services; and

Whereas, prices charged by the operator for disposal at the low-level radioactive waste disposal site at Barnwell are passed along to all electric rate payers in South Carolina; and

Whereas, prices charged by the operator for disposal at the low-level radioactive waste disposal site at Barnwell are significantly in excess of prices charged for disposal at a much smaller low-level waste disposal facility in the State of Washington; and

Whereas, a representative of the operator of a low-level radioactive waste disposal facility located on federally-owned property in South Carolina has stated that his corporation could operate the Barnwell low-level radioactive waste disposal facility at a fraction of the cost charged by the current operators of the Barnwell low-level radioactive waste disposal facility. Now, therefore,

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. This act may be cited as the `Nuclear Waste Disposal Competitive Bidding Act'.

SECTION 2. The 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 48-48-125. A lessee of the low-level radioactive waste site must be selected through a competitive bidding procurement process conducted by the State Budget and Control Board in which bidders shall submit the proposed rent amount to be paid to the State and the proposed rates to be charged to customers of the facility."

SECTION 3. The Executive Director of the State Budget and Control Board shall renegotiate the lease agreement with the lessee, on this act's effective date, of the state-owned low-level radioactive waste site so as to allow the State to put the lease out for bids through the competitive procurement process required by Section 48-48-125 of the 1976 Code as contained in Section 2 of this act.

SECTION 4. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.