42 U.S.C. § 10245

(a) Site characterization Upon enactment of legislation to implement an agreement to site a repository negotiated under section 10243(a) of this title , the Secretary shall conduct appropriate site characterization activities for the site that is the subject of such agreement subject to the conditions and terms of such agreement. Any such site characterization activities shall be conducted in accordance with section 10133 of this title , except that references in such section to the Yucca Mountain site and the State of Nevada shall be deemed to refer to the site that is the subject of the agreement and the State or Indian tribe entering into the agreement. (b) Licensing (1) Upon the completion of site characterization activities carried out under subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission an application for construction authorization for a repository at such site. (2) The Nuclear Regulatory Commission shall consider an application for a construction authorization for a repository or monitored retrievable storage facility in accordance with the laws applicable to such applications, except that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission shall issue a final decision approving or disapproving the issuance of a construction authorization not later than 3 years after the date of the submission of such application.