Sponsors (2)
The bill removes Yucca Mountain as a permanent repository and requires reclamation and a rapid study of reuse options — trading reduced local radioactive and environmental risk for increased national uncertainty about long-term spent fuel storage, likely higher costs and legal complexity for states and utilities, and some federal administrative burdens.
Residents near Yucca Mountain, including Tribal communities, will avoid having a permanent nuclear waste repository placed in their area, reducing the risk of long-term local radioactive exposure.
The Department of Energy must reclaim and mitigate the Yucca Mountain characterization site, which can reduce local contamination and restore damaged lands.
Ending the Yucca licensing process avoids further federal spending on licensing and on constructing a long-term repository at that site, lowering future federal expenditures.
Removing Yucca Mountain as an option leaves no clear national repository path, likely prolonging on-site and interim storage at reactor sites and raising long-term national radioactive management concerns.
States, utilities, and nuclear workers will likely face increased costs and logistical burdens from extended dry cask or at-reactor storage without a permanent repository.
Repealing prior statutory approvals and changing the long-disputed federal plan could prompt legal and administrative disputes over spent fuel management and liability.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Terminates Yucca Mountain repository development, requires DOE site reclamation, and directs a 180‑day OMB study on alternative, job‑creating uses.
Official title: To terminate the Yucca Mountain licensing proceeding and require the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to submit to Congress a study on the economic viability and job-creating benefits of alternative uses of the Yucca Mountain site, and for other purposes.
Introduced August 24, 2026 by Susie Lee · Last progress August 24, 2026
Prohibits Yucca Mountain from being developed as a federal high‑level nuclear waste repository by withdrawing the Department of Energy’s construction application, terminating the Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing proceeding, and repealing related statutory approvals. It requires the Energy Secretary to reclaim the site and mitigate environmental harms and directs the Office of Management and Budget to publish a study within 180 days on alternative, job‑creating uses for the site (for example, defense facilities, renewable energy, or research).