Sponsors (3)
The bill trades avoiding costly, disruptive interim actions and enabling orderly DOE operations by allowing continued use of the Cheney cell against the risk of prolonged exposure, delayed remediation, and potential higher future cleanup liabilities for taxpayers.
Local governments and the Department of Energy (DOE) can continue planned disposal operations without an arbitrary calendar deadline, allowing more orderly site management and better regulatory compliance.
Taxpayers and local governments are less likely to incur the costs of emergency relocations, interim disposal solutions, or a premature search for a new disposal site while the Cheney cell is used until capacity is reached.
Rural communities near the Cheney cell can have contaminated material managed in place until the cell reaches capacity, reducing the need for rushed relocations or emergency handling.
Residents near the Cheney cell may face prolonged exposure risks if disposal operations continue longer than originally planned.
Extending operation of the cell could delay final site closure and long-term remediation, prolonging environmental uncertainty and potential impacts for nearby communities.
Continuing operations without a firm calendar limit may increase future liability or cleanup costs for taxpayers if capacity projections prove inaccurate.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Removes a Sept. 30, 2031 calendar cutoff so the Cheney disposal cell may receive Monticello, UT radioactive materials until the cell reaches its designed capacity.
Introduced March 5, 2026 by John Wright Hickenlooper · Last progress March 5, 2026
Removes the fixed calendar cutoff that would have ended federal authority on September 30, 2031, to operate the Cheney disposal cell in Mesa County, Colorado. After this change, the site may continue to receive and dispose of residual radioactive and byproduct materials from Monticello, Utah, until the disposal cell is filled to its designed capacity.