SUBTITLE II.

ACTIVITIES ADMINISTERED BY OTHER ENTITIES.

Chapter 11. Forest Resources and the Department of Forestry.

Forest Wardens and Fires.

Article 6. Forest Wardens and Fires.

§ 10.1-1149. Southeastern Interstate Forest Fire Protection Compact.

Chapter 63 of the 1956 Acts of Assembly authorizing the Governor to execute a compact to promote effective prevention and control of forest fires in the Southeastern region of the United States, is incorporated in this Code by this reference.

(1956, c. 63, § 27-5.2 ; 1988, c. 891.)

§ 10.1-1150. Middle Atlantic Interstate Forest Fire Protection Compact.

Chapter 6 of the 1966 Acts of Assembly authorizing the Governor to execute a compact to promote effective prevention and control of forest fires in the Middle Atlantic region of the United States, is incorporated in this Code by this reference.

(1966, c. 6, § 27-5.4 ; 1988, c. 891.)

Michie's Jurisprudence. - For related discussion, see 8B M.J. Fires, § 14.

Chapter 15. Southeast Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Compact.

Sec.

§ 10.1-1500. Compact entered into and enacted into law.

The Commonwealth of Virginia hereby enters into and enacts into law the Southeast Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Compact to become a party to the compact with the parties and upon the conditions named therein, which compact shall be in the form which follows and which as initially enacted in this section is as agreed to September 10, 1982. ARTICLE I. POLICY AND PURPOSE

There is hereby created the Southeast Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Compact. The party states recognize and declare that each state is responsible for providing for the availability of capacity either within or outside the state for disposal of low-level radioactive waste generated within its borders, except for waste generated as a result of defense activities of the federal government or federal research and development activities. They also recognize that the management of low-level radioactive waste is handled most efficiently on a regional basis. The party states further recognize that the Congress of the United States, by enacting the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act (P.L. 96-573), has provided for and encouraged the development of low-level radioactive waste compacts as a tool for disposal of such wastes. The party states recognize that the safe and efficient management of low-level radioactive waste generated within the region requires that sufficient capacity to dispose of such waste be properly provided.

It is the policy of the party states to: enter into a regional low-level radioactive waste management compact for the purpose of providing the instrument and framework for a cooperative effort, provide sufficient facilities for the proper management of low-level radioactive waste generated in the region, promote the health and safety of the region, limit the number of facilities required to effectively and efficiently manage low-level radioactive waste generated in the region, encourage the reduction of the amounts of low-level waste generated in the region, distribute the costs, benefits and obligations of successful low-level radioactive waste management equitably among the party states, and ensure the ecological management of low-level radioactive wastes.

Implicit in the Congressional consent to this compact is the expectation by the Congress and the party states that the appropriate federal agencies will actively assist the Compact Commission and the individual party states to this compact by:

  1. Expeditious enforcement of federal rules, regulations and laws; and
  2. Imposing sanctions against those found to be in violation of federal rules, regulations and laws; and
  3. Timely inspections of their licensees to determine their capability to adhere to such rules, regulations and laws; and
  4. Timely provision of technical assistance to this compact in carrying out their obligations under the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act as amended.

ARTICLE II. DEFINITIONS

As used in this compact, unless the context clearly requires a different construction:

  1. "Commission" or "Compact Commission" means the Southeast Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Commission.
  2. "Facility" means a parcel of land, together with the structures, equipment and improvements thereon or appurtenant thereto, which is used or is being developed for the treatment, storage or disposal of low-level radioactive waste.
  3. "Generator" means any person who produces or possesses low-level radioactive waste in the course of or as an incident to manufacturing, power generation, processing, medical diagnosis and treatment, research, or other industrial or commercial activity. This does not include persons who provide a service to generators by arranging for the collection, transportation, storage or disposal of wastes with respect to such waste generated outside the region.
  4. "High-level waste" means irradiated reactor fuel, liquid wastes from reprocessing irradiated reactor fuel and solids into which such liquid wastes have been converted, and other high-level radioactive waste as defined by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
  5. "Host state" means any state in which a regional facility is situated or is being developed.
  6. "Low-level radioactive waste" or "waste" means radioactive waste not classified as high-level radioactive waste, transuranic waste, spent nuclear fuel or by-product material as defined in section 11 e. (2) of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, or as may be further defined by federal law or regulation.
  7. "Party state" means any state which is a signatory party to this compact.
  8. "Person" means any individual, corporation, business enterprise or other legal entity (either public or private).
  9. "Region" means the collective party states.
  10. "Regional facility" means (1) a facility as defined in this article which has been designated, authorized, accepted or approved by the Commission to receive waste or (2) the disposal facility in Barnwell County, South Carolina, owned by the State of South Carolina and as licensed for the burial of low-level radioactive waste on July 1, 1982, but in no event shall this disposal facility serve as a regional facility beyond December 31, 1992.
  11. "State" means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands or any other territorial possession of the United States.
  12. "Transuranic wastes" means waste material containing transuranic elements with contamination levels as determined by the regulations of (1) the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission or (2) any host state, if it is an agreement under section 274 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954.
  13. "Waste management" means the storage, treatment or disposal of waste.

ARTICLE III. RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS

The rights granted to the party states by this compact are additional to the rights enjoyed by sovereign states, and nothing in this compact shall be construed to infringe upon, limit or abridge those rights.

  1. Subject to any license issued by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission or a host state each party state shall have the right to have all wastes generated within its borders stored, treated, or disposed of, as applicable at regional facilities, and additionally shall have the right of access to facilities made available to the region through agreements entered into by the Commission pursuant to Article IV e. 9. The right of access by a generator within a party state to any regional facility is limited by its adherence to applicable state and federal law and regulation.
  2. If no operating regional facility is located within the borders of a party state and the waste generated within its borders must therefore be stored, treated, or disposed of at a regional facility in another party state, the party state without such facilities may be required by the host state or states to establish a mechanism which provides compensation for access to the regional facility according to terms and conditions established by the host state(s) and approved by a two-thirds vote of the Commission.
  3. Each party state shall establish the capability to regulate, license and ensure the maintenance and extended care of any facility within its borders. Host states are responsible for the availability, the subsequent post closure observation and maintenance, and the extended institutional control of their regional facilities, in accordance with the provisions of Article V, section b.
  4. Each party state shall establish the capability to enforce any applicable federal or state laws and regulations pertaining to the packaging and transportation of waste generated within or passing through its borders.
  5. Each party state shall provide to the Commission on an annual basis, any data and information necessary to the implementation of the Commission's responsibilities. Each party state shall establish the capability to obtain any data and information necessary to meet its obligation herein defined.
  6. Each party state shall, to the extent authorized by federal law, require generators within its borders to use the best available waste management technologies and practices to minimize the volumes of wastes requiring disposal.

ARTICLE IV. THE COMMISSION

  1. There is hereby created the Southeast Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Commission ("the Commission" or "Compact Commission"). The Commission shall consist of two voting members from each party state to be appointed according to the laws of each state. The appointing authorities of each state must notify the Commission in writing of the identity of its members and any alternates. An alternate may act on behalf of the member only in the member's absence.
  2. Each Commission member shall be entitled to one vote. No action of the Commission shall be binding unless a majority of the total membership cast their vote in the affirmative, or unless a greater than majority vote is specifically required by any other provision of this compact.
  3. The Commission shall elect from among its members a presiding officer. The Commission shall adopt and publish, in convenient form, by-laws which are consistent with this compact.
  4. The Commission shall meet at least once a year and shall also meet upon the call of the presiding officer, by petition of a majority of the party states, or upon the call of a host state. All meetings of the Commission shall be open to the public.
  5. The Commission has the following duties and powers:
    1. To receive and approve the application of a non-party state to become an eligible state in accordance with Article VII b.; and
    2. To receive and approve the application of an eligible state to become a party state in accordance with Article VII c.; and
    3. To submit an annual report and other communications to the governors and to the presiding officer of each body of the legislature of the party states regarding the activities of the Commission; and
    4. To develop and use procedures for determining, consistent with considerations for public health and safety, the type and number of regional facilities which are presently necessary and which are projected to be necessary to manage waste generated within the region; and
    5. To provide the party states with reference guidelines for establishing the criteria and procedures for evaluating alternative locations for emergency or permanent regional facilities; and
    6. To develop and adopt within one year after the Commission is constituted as provided for in Article VII, section d., procedures and criteria for identifying a party state as a host state for a regional facility as determined pursuant to the requirements of this article. In accordance with these procedures and criteria, the Commission shall identify a host state for the development of a second regional disposal facility within three years after the Commission is constituted as provided for in Article VII, section d. and shall seek to ensure that such facility is licensed and ready to operate as soon as required but in no event later than 1991.

      In developing criteria, the Commission must consider the following: the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of the party states; the existence of regional facilities within each party state; the minimization of waste transportation; the volumes and types of wastes generated within each party state; and the environmental, economic and ecological impacts on the air, land, and water resources of the party states.

      The Commission shall conduct such hearings; require such reports, studies, evidence and testimony; and do what is required by its approved procedures in order to identify a party state as a host state for a needed facility; and

    7. In accordance with the procedures and criteria developed pursuant to section e. 6. of this article, to designate, by a two-thirds vote, a host state for the establishment of a needed regional facility. The Commission shall not exercise this authority unless the party states have failed to voluntarily pursue the development of such facility. The Commission shall have the authority to revoke the membership of a party state that willfully creates barriers to the siting of a needed regional facility; and
    8. To require of and obtain from party states, eligible states seeking to become party states, and non-party states seeking to become eligible states, data and information necessary to the implementation of Commission responsibilities; and
    9. Notwithstanding any other provision of this compact, to enter into agreements with any person, state, or similar regional body or group of states for the importation of waste into the region and for the right of access to facilities outside the region for waste generated within the region. Such authorization to import requires a two-thirds majority vote of the Commission, including an affirmative vote of both representatives of the host state in which any affected regional facility is located. This shall be done only after an assessment of the affected facilities' capability to handle such wastes; and
    10. To act or appear on behalf of any party state or states, only upon written request of both members of the Commission for such state or states, as an intervenor or party in interest before Congress, state legislatures, any court of law, or federal, state or local agency, board or commission which has jurisdiction over the management of wastes.

      The authority to act, intervene or otherwise appear shall be exercised by the Commission only after approval by a majority vote of the Commission.

    11. To revoke the membership of a party state in accordance with Article VII f.

      f. The Commission may establish such advisory committees as it deems necessary for the purpose of advising the Commission on any and all matters pertaining to the management of low-level radioactive waste.

      g. The Commission may appoint or contract for and compensate such limited staff necessary to carry out its duties and functions. The staff shall serve at the Commission's pleasure irrespective of the civil service, personnel or other merit laws of any of the party states or the federal government and shall be compensated from funds of the Commission. In selecting any staff, the Commission shall assure that the staff has adequate experience and formal training to carry out such functions as may be assigned to it by the Commission. If the Commission has a headquarters it shall be in a party state.

      h. Funding for the Commission shall be provided as follows:

      1. Each eligible state, upon becoming a party state, shall pay $25,000 to the Commission which shall be used for costs of the Commission's services.

      2. Each state hosting a regional disposal facility shall annually levy special fees or surcharges on all users of such facility, based upon the volume of wastes disposed of at such facilities, the total of which:

      1. Shall be sufficient to cover the annual budget of the Commission; and
      2. Shall represent the financial commitments of all party states to the Commission; and
      3. Shall be paid to the Commission, provided, however, that each host state collecting such fees or surcharges may retain a portion of the collection sufficient to cover its administrative costs of collection, and that the remainder be sufficient only to cover the approved annual budgets of the Commission.

        3. The Commission shall set and approve its first annual budget as soon as practicable after its initial meeting. Host states for disposal facilities shall begin imposition of the special fees and surcharges provided for in this section as soon as practicable after becoming party states, and shall remit to the Commission funds resulting from collection of such special fees and surcharges within sixty days of their receipt.

        1. The Commission shall keep accurate accounts of all receipts and disbursements and independent certified public accountant shall annually audit all receipts and disbursements of Commission funds, and submit an audit report to the Commission. Such audit report shall be made a part of the annual report of the Commission required by Article IV e. 3.

          j. The Commission may accept for any of its purposes and functions any and all donations, grants of money, equipment, supplies, materials and services (conditional or otherwise) from any state or the United States or any subdivision or agency thereof, or interstate agency, or from any institution, person, firm or corporation, and may receive, utilize and dispose of the same. The nature, amount and condition, if any, attendant upon any donation or grant accepted pursuant to this paragraph together with the identity of the donor, grantor or lender, shall be detailed in the annual report of the Commission.

          k. The Commission shall not be responsible for any costs associated with (1) the creation of any facility, (2) the operation of any facility, (3) the stabilization and closure of any facility, (4) the post-closure observation, and maintenance of any facility, or (5) the extended institutional control, after post-closure observation and maintenance of any facility.

          l. As of January 1, 1986, the management of wastes at regional facilities is restricted to wastes generated within the region, and to wastes generated within non-party states when authorized by the Commission pursuant to the provisions of this Compact. After January 1, 1986, the Commission may prohibit the exportation of waste from the region for the purposes of management.

          m. 1. The Commission herein established is a legal entity separate and distinct from the party states, capable of acting in its own behalf, and shall be so liable for its actions. Liabilities of the Commission shall not be deemed liabilities of the party states. Members of the Commission shall not be personally liable for action taken by them in their official capacity.

          Except as specifically provided in this compact, nothing in this compact shall be construed to alter the incidence of liability of any kind for any act, omission, course of conduct, or on account of any causal or other relationships. Generators, transporters of wastes, owners and operators of sites shall be liable for their acts, omissions, conduct, or relationships in accordance with all laws relating thereto.

ARTICLE V. DEVELOPMENT AND OPERATION OF FACILITIES

  1. Any party state which becomes a host state in which a regional facility is operated, shall not be designated by the Compact Commission as a host state for an additional regional facility until each party state has fulfilled its obligation, as determined by the Commission, to have a regional facility operated within its borders.
  2. A host state desiring to close a regional facility located within its borders may do so only after notifying the Commission in writing of its intention to do so and the reasons therefore. Such notification shall be given to the Commission at least four years prior to the intended date of closure. Notwithstanding the four year notice requirement herein provided, a host state is not prevented from closing its facility or establishing conditions of use and operations as necessary for the protection of the health and safety of its citizens. A host state may terminate or limit access to its regional facility if it determines Congress has materially altered the conditions of this compact.
  3. Each party state designated as a host state for a regional facility shall take appropriate steps to ensure that an application for a license to construct and operate a facility of the designated type is filed with and issued by the appropriate authority.
  4. No party state shall have any form of arbitrary prohibition on the treatment, storage or disposal of low-level radioactive waste within its border.
  5. No party state shall be required to operate a regional facility for longer than a twenty-year period or to dispose of more than 32,000,000 cubic feet of low-level radioactive waste, whichever first occurs.

ARTICLE VI. OTHER LAWS AND REGULATIONS

  1. Nothing in this compact shall be construed to:
    1. Abrogate or limit the applicability of any act of Congress or diminish or otherwise impair the jurisdiction of any federal agency expressly conferred thereon by the Congress;
    2. Abrogate or limit the regulatory responsibility and authority of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission or of an agreement state under section 274 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 in which a regional facility is located;
    3. Make inapplicable to any person or circumstance any other law of a party state which is not inconsistent with this compact;
    4. Make unlawful the continued development and operation of any facility already licensed for development or operation on the date this compact becomes effective, except that any such facility shall comply with Article III, Article IV and Article V and shall be subject to any action lawfully taken pursuant thereto;
    5. Prohibit any storage or treatment of waste by the generator on its own premises;
    6. Affect any judicial or administrative proceeding pending on the effective date of this compact;
    7. Alter the relations between, and the respective internal responsibilities of, the government of a party state and its subdivisions;
    8. Affect the generation, treatment, storage or disposal of waste generated by the atomic energy defense activities of the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy or federal research and development activities as defined in P.L. 96-573;
    9. Affect the rights and powers of any party state and its political subdivisions to regulate and license any facility within its borders or to affect the rights and powers of any party state and its political subdivisions to tax or impose fees on the waste managed at any facility within its borders.

      b. No party state shall pass any law or adopt any regulation which is inconsistent with this compact. To do so may jeopardize the membership status of the party state.

      c. Upon formation of the compact, no law or regulation of a party state or of any subdivision or instrumentality thereof may be applied so as to restrict or make more inconvenient access to any regional facility by the generators of another party state than for the generators of the state where the facility is situated.

      d. Restrictions of waste management of regional facilities pursuant to Article IV l. shall be enforceable as a matter of state law.

      1. This compact may be terminated only by the affirmative action of the Congress or by the rescission of all laws enacting the compact in each party state.

ARTICLE VII. ELIGIBLE PARTIES, WITHDRAWAL, REVOCATION, ENTRY INTO FORCE, TERMINATION

ARTICLE VIII. PENALTIES

  1. Each party state, consistently with its own law, shall prescribe and enforce penalties against any person not an official of another state for violation of any provision of this compact.
  2. Each party state acknowledges that the receipt by a host state of waste packaged or transported in violation of applicable laws and regulations can result in imposition of sanctions by the host state which may include suspension or revocation of the violator's right of access to the facility in the host state.

ARTICLE IX. SEVERABILITY AND CONSTRUCTION

The provisions of this compact shall be severable and if any phrase, clause, sentence or provision of this compact is declared by a court of competent jurisdiction to be contrary to the Constitution of any participating state or of the United States or the applicability thereof to any government, agency, person or circumstance is held invalid, the validity of the remainder of this compact and the applicability thereof to any other government, agency, person or circumstances shall not be affected thereby. If any provision of this compact shall be held contrary to the constitution of any state participating therein, the compact shall remain in full force and effect as to the state affected as to all severable matters. The provisions of this compact shall be liberally construed to give effect to the purposes thereof.

(1983, c. 213, § 32.1-238.6:1 ; 1988, cc. 390, 891.)

Compact cross references. - As to provisions of other member states, see:

Alabama: Code of Ala. § 22-32-1 et seq.

Florida: Fla. Stat. § 404.30.

Georgia: O.C.G.A. §§ 12-8-120 - 12-8-123.

Mississippi: Miss. Code Ann. §§ 57-47-1 - 57-47-9.

Tennessee: Tenn. Code Ann. § 68-202-701 et seq.

Editor's note. - As enacted, Article IV above contains a subdivision m. 1., but no m. 2.

Law review. - For note, "The Role of Localities in the Transportation and Disposal of Nuclear Wastes," see 18 U. Rich. L. Rev. 655 (1984).

North Carolina:.

Delay in establishing a low-level radioactive waste disposal facility as prescribed by the Compact Commission exposes a member state to severe sanctions from its compact partners. Richmond County v. North Carolina Low-Level Radioactive Waste Mgt. Auth., 335 N.C. 77, 436 S.E.2d 113 (1993). Final decision pending in Alabama v. North Carolina, 540 U.S. 1014, 124 S. Ct. 597, 157 L. Ed. 2d 427 (2003).

§ 10.1-1501. Commissioners and alternates.

The Governor shall appoint two Commissioners and two alternates pursuant to Article IV, paragraph a. of the Compact, subject to confirmation by the General Assembly, to serve at his pleasure. The appointees shall be individuals qualified and experienced in the field of low-level radioactive waste generation, treatment, storage, transportation and disposal.

(1982, c. 518, § 32.1-238.7; 1988, c. 891.)

§ 10.1-1502. Expenses of Commissioners and alternates.

The Commissioners and alternates shall be reimbursed out of moneys appropriated for such purposes all sums which they necessarily expend in the discharge of their duties as members of the Southeast Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Commission.

(1982, c. 518, § 32.1-238.8; 1988, c. 891.)

§ 10.1-1503. Cooperation of state and local agencies.

All agencies, departments and officers of the Commonwealth and its political subdivisions are hereby authorized and directed to cooperate with the Commission in the furtherance of activities pursuant to the Compact.

(1982, c. 518, § 32.1-238.9; 1988, c. 891.)

§ 10.1-1504. Board to enforce Compact; penalty.

The Virginia Waste Management Board is authorized to enforce the provisions of this chapter. Any person not an official of another party state to the Compact who violates any provision of this chapter shall be subject to a civil penalty of not more than $25,000 per day for each violation.

(1991, c. 83.)

Chapter 69. Appalachian Region Interstate Compact.

Sec.

§ 15.2-6900. Compact created.

The Appalachian Region Interstate Compact (the Compact) is hereby created and entered into with all other jurisdictions legally joining therein in the form substantially as follows:

Article I.

Short Title.

This act shall be known and may be cited as the Appalachian Region Interstate Compact.

Article II.

Compact Established.

Pursuant to Article I, Section 10 of the Constitution of the United States, the signatories hereby provide a mechanism for the creation of one or more authorities for the purpose of developing one or more facilities to enhance the regional economy that shall constitute instrumentalities of the signatories.

For purposes of this chapter, "Appalachian Region" means the areas included in "region" as defined in § 15.2-6400 and § 403 of the Appalachian Regional Development Act of 1965, as amended (40 U.S.C. § 14102(a)(1)).

Article III.

Agreement.

The Commonwealth of Virginia may enter into agreement with one or more signatory states and, upon adoption of this compact, agree as follows:

  1. To study, develop, and promote a plan for the design, construction, financing, and operation of interstate facilities of strategic interest to the signatory states;
  2. To coordinate efforts to establish a common legal framework in all the signatory states to authorize and facilitate design, construction, financing, and operation of such facilities either as publicly operated facilities or through other structures authorized by law;
  3. To advocate for federal and other public and private funding to support the establishment of interstate facilities of interest to all signatory states;
  4. To make available to such interstate facilities funding and resources that are or may be appropriated and allocated for that purpose; and
  5. To do all things necessary or convenient to facilitate and coordinate the economic and workforce development plans and programs of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the other signatory states, to the extent such plans and programs are not inconsistent with federal law and the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia or other signatory states.

Article IV.

Compact Commission Established; Membership;

Chairman; Meetings; and Report.

Each signatory state to the Compact shall establish a compact commission. In Virginia, the Appalachian Region Interstate Compact Commission (the Commission) shall be established as a regional instrumentality and agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia and the signatory states. The compact commissions of the signatory states shall be empowered to carry out the purposes of their respective Compacts.

The Appalachian Region Interstate Compact Commission shall consist of six members from the other signatory states to be appointed pursuant to the laws of the signatory states, and six members of the Virginia delegation to the Commission to be appointed as follows: two members to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, and four members to be appointed by the Speaker of the House. Members of the Virginia delegation to the Compact Commission shall serve terms coincident with their terms of office if an elected state or local representative, and may be reappointed. The chairman of the Commission shall be elected by the members of the Commission from among its membership. The chairman shall serve for a term of two years, and the chairmanship shall rotate among the signatory states.

The Commission shall meet not less than twice annually; however, the Commission shall not meet more than once consecutively in the same state.

Article V.

Powers and Duties of the Commission.

The Commission is vested with the powers of a body corporate, including the power to sue and be sued in its own name, plead and be impleaded, and adopt and use a common seal and alter the same as may be deemed expedient. In addition to the powers set forth elsewhere in this chapter, the Commission may:

  1. Adopt bylaws, rules and regulations to carry out the provisions of this chapter;
  2. Employ, either as regular employees or as independent contractors, consultants, engineers, architects, accountants, attorneys, financial experts, construction experts and personnel, superintendents, managers and other professional personnel, personnel, and agents as may be necessary in the judgment of the Commission, and fix their compensation;
  3. Determine the locations of, develop, establish, construct, erect, repair, remodel, add to, extend, improve, equip, operate, regulate, and maintain facilities to the extent necessary or convenient to accomplish the purposes of the Compact;
  4. Acquire, own, hold, lease, use, sell, encumber, transfer, or dispose of, in its own name, any real or personal property or interests therein;
  5. Invest and reinvest funds of the Commission;
  6. Enter into contracts of any kind, and execute all instruments necessary or convenient with respect to its carrying out the powers in this chapter to accomplish the purposes of the Compact;
  7. Expend such funds as may be available to it for the purpose of developing facilities, including but not limited to (i) purchasing real estate; (ii) grading sites; (iii) improving, replacing, and extending water, sewer, natural gas, electrical, and other utility lines; (iv) constructing, rehabilitating, and expanding buildings; (v) constructing parking facilities; (vi) constructing access roads, streets, and rail lines; (vii) purchasing or leasing machinery and tools; and (viii) making any other improvements deemed necessary by the Commission to meet its objectives;
  8. Fix and revise from time to time and charge and collect rates, rents, fees, or other charges for the use of facilities or for services rendered in connection with the facilities in accordance with applicable state and federal laws and as approved by the Commission;
  9. Borrow money from any source for any valid purpose, including working capital for its operations, reserve funds, or interest; mortgage, pledge, or otherwise encumber the property or funds of the Commission; and contract with or engage the services of any person in connection with any financing, including financial institutions, issuers of letters of credit, or insurers;
  10. Issue bonds the principal and interest on which are payable exclusively from the revenues and receipts of a specific facility in accordance with applicable laws;
  11. Accept funds and property from the Commonwealth and other signatory jurisdictions, persons, counties, cities, and towns and use the same for any of the purposes for which the Commission is created;
  12. Apply for and accept grants or loans of money or other property from any federal agency for any of the purposes authorized in this chapter and expend or use the same in accordance with the directions and requirements attached thereto or imposed thereon by any such federal agency;
  13. Make loans or grants to, and enter into cooperative arrangements with, any person, partnership, association, corporation, business or governmental entity in furtherance of the purposes of this chapter, for the purposes of promoting economic and workforce development, provided that such loans or grants shall be made only from revenues of the Commission that have not been pledged or assigned for the payment of any of the Commission's bonds, and to enter into such contracts, instruments, and agreements as may be expedient to provide for such loans, and any security therefor. The word "revenues" as used in this subdivision includes grants, loans, funds and property, as set out in subdivisions 11 and 12;
  14. Enter into agreements with political subdivisions of the Commonwealth for joint or cooperative action in accordance with § 15.2-1300 ;
  15. Exercise any additional powers granted to it by subsequent legislation; and
  16. Do all things necessary or convenient to carry out the purposes of this chapter.

Article VI.

Funding and Compensation.

The Commission may utilize for its operation and expenses (i) funds that may be generated by borrowing, gifts and grants, (ii) funds appropriated to it for such purposes by the General Assembly of Virginia and the legislatures of the other signatory states, (iii) federal funds, and (iv) revenues collected for the use of any facility approved by the Commission.

Members of the Virginia delegation to the Commission shall not receive compensation but shall be reimbursed for reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties to the Commission as provided in § 2.2-2825 . All such expenses shall be paid from existing appropriations, gifts, grants, federal funds, or other revenues collected for the use of any facility approved by the Commission. Members of the Commission representing other signatory states shall receive compensation and reimbursement of expenses incurred in the performance of their duties to the Commission in accordance with the applicable laws of the respective signatory states.

(2007, cc. 941, 947.)

Compact cross references. - As to provisions of other member states, see:

West Virginia: W.Va. Code § 7-24-1.

Editor's note. - Acts 2007, cc. 941 and 947, cl. 2, provides: "That the provisions of this act shall become effective upon the enactment of the Appalachian Region Interstate Compact authorized in Chapter 69 ( § 15.2-6900 ) of Title 15.2 of the Code of Virginia by the Commonwealth of Virginia and at least one other state in accordance with its terms and federal law." W.Va. Code § 7-24-1, comprising the Appalachian Region Interstate Compact, took effect June 8, 2007. Thus, this section has been given effect at the direction of the Virginia Code Commission.