Sponsors (2)
The bill blocks private interim storage and centralizes spent fuel storage at federal sites, protecting some localities from private facilities but increasing the risk of prolonged on‑site storage, higher costs, and legal uncertainty unless federal repositories are developed promptly.
All spent nuclear fuel storage is limited to federally owned repositories or reactor sites, centralizing oversight and potentially improving regulatory consistency and federal accountability.
Communities near proposed private consolidated interim storage sites avoid having spent nuclear fuel or high‑level waste stored locally, reducing perceived local safety risks and local opposition.
Voiding existing private away‑from‑reactor licenses prevents near‑term operation of facilities that some judges and communities have found legally or politically controversial.
Confining long‑term storage and disposal to federally owned repositories could delay relocation if Congress or DOE do not timely develop repositories, prolonging on‑site storage risks for reactor sites.
Voiding existing NRC licenses creates legal and financial uncertainty for licensees and could trigger litigation or claims against the federal government.
Utilities and owners of spent fuel lose the option to move waste to private consolidated interim storage, potentially increasing on‑site storage duration and costs for utilities and, ultimately, taxpayers.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Bars the NRC from licensing privately owned offsite consolidated interim storage for spent nuclear fuel and voids any conflicting licenses; limits storage licensing to reactor sites or federally owned facilities.
Official title: To prohibit the Nuclear Regulatory Commission from issuing certain licenses for the storage of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste, and for other purposes.
Introduced December 11, 2025 by Troy E. Nehls · Last progress December 11, 2025
Prohibits the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) from issuing licenses for privately owned, away‑from‑reactor consolidated interim storage facilities or other non‑federal offsite facilities for spent nuclear fuel or high‑level radioactive waste, and voids any such licenses already issued on enactment. After enactment the NRC may only license interim storage at the reactor site where the waste was generated or at federally owned interim storage facilities, and may only license long‑term storage or permanent disposal at federally owned repositories under existing law.