Rhode Island General Laws Title 23. Health and Safety § 23-19.9-3. Rights and obligations of party states

(a) Pursuant to the procedure established in § 23-19.9-6, there shall be provided within the region one or more regional facilities which, together with any other facilities that may be made available to the region, will provide sufficient capacity to accept all low-level waste generated within the region, which are delivered to these facilities for management.

(b) Each party state shall have the right to have all low-level waste generated within its borders managed at a regional facility or at a facility made available to the regions through agreements entered into by the commission pursuant to paragraph (j)(4) of § 23-19.9-5;  provided, however, that a generator shall have the right of access to all of these facilities for so long as it adheres to applicable host state and federal laws and regulations, the provisions of this compact and any requirements adopted pursuant to it.

(c) Each party state shall have the legal capability to host a regional facility in a timely manner and to ensure the proper operation, temporary closure, closure, post-closure observation and maintenance, and institutional control of any regional facility within its borders.

(d) To the extent not prohibited by federal law, each party state shall require shipments of low-level waste generated within, or passing through, its borders to conform to federal packaging and transportation regulations and applicable host state regulations.  Upon notification by a party state or a federal agency that a generator, shipper or carrier is in violation of federal or state management regulations, the party state in which the violation occurred shall take appropriate actions to ensure that these violations are not repeated.  Each party state acknowledges that the shipment to a host state of low-level waste packaged or transported in violation of applicable laws and regulations can result in the imposition of sanctions by the host state.  These sanctions may include, but are not limited to, suspension or revocation of the violator's right of access to the regional facility.

(e) Each party state may impose reasonable fees upon generators, shippers or carriers pursuant to the provision of § 23-19.9-10(a).

(f) Each party state shall encourage and assist generators within its borders to reduce the sources and volumes of low-level waste requiring disposal to the extent consistent with protection of public health, safety and the environment.

(g) Each party state shall provide to the Commission and host state any intrastate data and information necessary for the implementation of the Commission's or host state's responsibilities, and shall establish the capability to obtain any intrastate data and information.

(h) Each party state has the right to rely on the good faith performance by every other party state of the obligations created by this compact.

(i) The rights granted to the party states by this compact are additional to the rights enjoyed by sovereign states.