This bill updates nuclear energy regulations to make it easier to recycle spent nuclear fuel without separating plutonium. This matters because it could lead to better use of nuclear resources and safer waste management.
The following analysis is based on draft bill text that was made available by the House of Representatives and may differ from the bill text as introduced. Nuclear REFUEL (Recycling Efficient Fuels Utilizing Expedited Licensing) Act This bill directs the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to license future recycling facilities that reprocess certain spent nuclear fuel (i. e., radioactive waste) under regulations for special nuclear material rather than regulations for production and utilization facilities. The bill applies to domestic facilities that reprocess spent nuclear fuel in a manner that does not isolate plutonium. Generally, such recycling facilities reprocess spent nuclear fuel into materials that may be reused as nuclear fuel for electricity. While there are no commercial reprocessing facilities currently operating in the United States, the bill specifies which regulatory framework the NRC must use when issuing licenses to future facilities by excluding such facilities from the statutory definition of production facility. The licensing process under regulations for special nuclear material has fewer steps than the licensing process under regulations for production and utilization facilities.
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