Northwest Interstate Compact on Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management (NWIC)
Correlates to WY §9-6-206 to 210
Joined in 1992, Wyoming is one of eight party states within this compact, which includes: Alaska; Hawaii; Idaho; Montana; Oregon; Utah; Washington; and Wyoming.
According to the National Center for Interstate Compacts:
The party states recognize that low-level radioactive wastes are generated by essential activities and services that benefit the citizens of the states. It is further recognized that the protection of the health and safety of the citizens of the party states and the most economical management of low-level radioactive wastes can be accomplished through cooperation of the states in minimizing the amount of handling and transportation required to dispose of such wastes and through the cooperation of the states in providing facilities that serve the region. It is the policy of the party states to undertake the necessary cooperation to protect the health and safety of the citizens of the party states and to provide for the most economical management of low-level radioactive wastes on a continuing basis. It is the purpose of this compact to provide the means for such a cooperative effort among the party states so that the protection of the citizens of the states and the maintenance of the viability of the states’ economies will be enhanced while sharing the responsibilities of radioactive low-level waste management.
According to WY § 9-6-207 Appointment of compact committee member:
The governor shall appoint one (1) member and an alternate to serve as the Wyoming representative on the committee for the Northwest Interstate Compact on Low-Level Waste Management [§ 9-6-206]. The member and alternate shall serve at the pleasure of the governor and shall receive no compensation, but shall be reimbursed for expenses in the same manner and amount as a state employee to be paid from funds available from the governor’s office or from the compact.
According to their website the representative appointed by WY Governor Gordon to the NWIC is Brandi O’Brien who is the Uranium Recovery Program Manager within the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality. The NWIC does not note who the WY alternate might be.
According to the Feb 2025 Report on Waste Burial Charges Changes in Decommissioning Waste Disposal Costs at Low-Level Waste Burial Facilities Final Report published by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC):
Page iii: The currently operating low-level waste (LLW) disposal facilities that are licensed by the NRC or Agreement States are located in 1) Texas, 2) South Carolina, 3) Washington, and 4) Utah.
Page 9: The Richland, Washington facility only accepts LLW from the Northwest and Rocky Mountain Compacts. The Northwest Compact is comprised of the States of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, and Hawaii. The Rocky Mountain Compact is comprised of the States of Colorado, Nevada, and New Mexico.
Dec 20, 2025 Update:
On December 19, 2025 members of the Northwest Interstate Compact on Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management approved a proposal from EnergySolutions to import 1.3 million cubic yards from Ontario, Canada power plants to its facility in Clive, Utah – roughly 60 miles west of Salt Lake City. Read more here.
Documents associated with the Northwest Interstate Compact on Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management:
1986 Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Public Law 99-240, U.S. Congress
2006 NWIC Resolution for Third Amendment to Compact
2008 NWIC Clarification of Resolution for Third Amendment to Compact
2025, Dec 19 NWIC Committee Member Meeting Packet
WY State Statutes on Nuclear Cooperation and Radioactive Waste Disposal (9-6-101 to 9-6-210)