# § 10168. Construction authorization
**(a)** **Environmental impact statement**
**(1)** Once the selection of a site is effective under section 10166 of this title, the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) shall apply with respect to construction of a monitored retrievable storage facility, except that any environmental impact statement prepared with respect to such facility shall not be required to consider the need for such facility or any alternative to the design criteria for such facility set forth in section 10161(b)(1) of this title.
**(2)** Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the consideration of alternative facility designs consistent with the criteria described in section 10161(b)(1) of this title in any environmental impact statement, or in any licensing procedure of the Commission, with respect to any monitored retrievable storage facility authorized under section 10162(b) of this title.
**(b)** **Application for construction license** section 10166 of this title
Once the selection of a site for a monitored retrievable storage facility is effective under , the Secretary may submit an application to the Commission for a license to construct such a facility as part of an integrated nuclear waste management system and in accordance with the provisions of this section and applicable agreements under this chapter affecting such facility.
**(c)** **Licensing** section 10162(b) of this titlesection 5842(3) of this titlesection 10161(b)(1) of this title
Any monitored retrievable storage facility authorized pursuant to shall be subject to licensing under . In reviewing the application filed by the Secretary for licensing of such facility, the Commission may not consider the need for such facility or any alternative to the design criteria for such facility set forth in .
**(d)** **Licensing conditions** Any license issued by the Commission for a monitored retrievable storage facility under this section shall provide that—
**1** construction of such facility may not begin until the Commission has issued a license for the construction of a repository under section 10135(d) [^1]Section 10135(d) of this title of this title;
So in original.
does not relate to Commission issuance of license.
**(2)** construction of such facility or acceptance of spent nuclear fuel or high-level radioactive waste shall be prohibited during such time as the repository license is revoked by the Commission or construction of the repository ceases;
**(3)** the quantity of spent nuclear fuel or high-level radioactive waste at the site of such facility at any one time may not exceed 10,000 metric tons of heavy metal until a repository under this chapter first accepts spent nuclear fuel or solidified high-level radioactive waste; and
**(4)** the quantity of spent nuclear fuel or high-level radioactive waste at the site of such facility at any one time may not exceed 15,000 metric tons of heavy metal.
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**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 97–425, title I, § 148, as added Pub. L. 100–202, § 101(d) [title III, § 300], Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1329–104, 1329–121; Pub. L. 100–203, title V, § 5021, Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1330–235.)
## Editorial Notes
### References in Text
The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, referred to in subsec. (a)(1), is , , , which is classified generally to chapter 55 (§ 4321 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under and Tables.
### Codification
and added identical sections.