To require the Secretary of Energy to obtain the consent of affected State and local governments before making an expenditure from the Nuclear Waste Fund for a nuclear waste repository, and for other purposes.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMs. Titus (for herself, Mr. Horsford, and Ms. Lee of …
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Nuclear Waste Informed Consent Act requires the Department of Energy to obtain written permission from state and local governments before spending federal money on nuclear waste repository development. The bill specifically targets funding for site characterization and construction activities at potential nuclear waste disposal sites. Under current law, the federal government can proceed with repository development using the Nuclear Waste Fund without explicit consent from affected communities.
Who Benefits and How
State governments in areas being considered for nuclear waste repositories benefit by gaining veto power over federal repository projects. Local governments, including cities and counties where nuclear waste would be stored or transported, gain the right to block projects they oppose by withholding consent. Indian tribes whose lands or nearby areas would be affected by a repository gain equal standing to state and local governments in approving or rejecting repository proposals. These consent requirements effectively give each of these government entities the power to stop federal nuclear waste repository projects in their jurisdictions.
Who Bears the Burden and How
The Department of Energy faces new procedural hurdles that could significantly delay or prevent the development of a permanent nuclear waste repository. Nuclear power plant operators continue to face uncertainty about long-term waste disposal, as the consent requirement makes it more difficult to site a repository. The federal government loses its ability to unilaterally designate repository sites, potentially leaving nuclear waste stored at reactor sites indefinitely.
Key Provisions
- Prohibits the Secretary of Energy from spending Nuclear Waste Fund money on repository site characterization and construction without consent agreements
- Requires written consent from the governor of any state where a repository is proposed
- Requires consent from all affected local governments in the repository area
- Requires consent from local governments through which nuclear waste will be transported to the repository
- Requires consent from all affected Indian tribes
- Mandates that all consent agreements be in writing, signed by all parties, and only changeable or cancellable by mutual agreement
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Requires the Secretary of Energy to obtain written consent from state governors, local governments, and affected Indian tribes before spending Nuclear Waste Fund money on nuclear waste repository activities
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Establish local consent requirement for nuclear waste repository siting to prevent federal imposition on unwilling communities"
Likely Beneficiaries
- State governments (gain veto power over repository siting)
- Local governments (gain veto power over repository siting)
- Tribal governments (gain veto power over repository siting)
- Anti-nuclear waste repository advocacy groups
- Communities opposed to Yucca Mountain or similar projects
Likely Burden Bearers
- Department of Energy (faces new procedural hurdles)
- Nuclear power industry (continued uncertainty about waste disposal)
- Pro-nuclear energy advocates
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_governor"
- → Governor of the State in which the repository is proposed
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Energy
- "affected_indian_tribe"
- → Indian tribe as defined in Nuclear Waste Policy Act
- "affected_unit_of_local_government"
- → Local government unit as defined in Nuclear Waste Policy Act
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
The terms affected Indian tribe, affected unit of local government, high-level radioactive waste, repository, Secretary, spent nuclear fuel, and unit of general local government have the meanings given in section 2 of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (42 U.S.C. 10101)
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology