Treasurer's Office Wires Largest Single Payment to Date

The State of Nebraska joined a compact in 1983 regarding the disposal of radioactive waste. Louisiana, Arkansas, Kansas and Oklahoma were also members of the compact – called the Central Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste (LLRW) Compact. The following timeline shows the sequence of events following the joining of the compact:

• 1987 - Nebraska is chosen to host the waste site
• 1989 - Boyd, Nuckolls & Nemaha counties are all listed as possible sites. Butte (Boyd County) is chosen for the site.
• 1990 – The site’s license application is submitted.
• 1998 – Nebraska denies license, citing environmental concerns and a high water table. Lawsuit is filed by waste generators, and the Compact joins in the litigation.
• 2002 – Federal District Court orders Nebraska to pay $151 million for blocking construction of the site.
• 2004 – Nebraska agrees to drop the appeal and pay $141 million to settle the lawsuit.
• August 1, 2005 – Nebraska pays $145,811,367.17 (including interest accrued) in two wire transfers to the compact’s account.

• Nebraska is no longer a member of the compact.
• This was the largest single payment the State has made to date. Large wire transfers are done on a rather consistent basis, but it compromises several payments, and intrabank or interbank transfers.
• The wire call was made under the watchful eyes of the State Treasurer, the Deputy Treasurer, the State Accounting Administrator, an Assistant Attorney General, the Associated Press, the Lincoln Journal Star, and the Omaha World Herald.