Spent Fuel Storage Cask Regulation

Current understanding

To be populated as evidence accumulates.

Evidence log

• 2026-07-14 — Nuclear REFUEL (Recycling Efficient Fuels Utilizing Expedited Licensing) Act: cross-connection with nuclear-fuel-recycling-licensing: Expedited reprocessing licensing could reduce the volume of spent fuel requiring long-term dry cask storage, linking fuel-cycle policy to downstream storage regulation. (novelty: 3)
• 2026-08-26 — List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: TN Americas, LLC Standardized NUHOMS® Horizontal Modular Storage System for Irradiated Nuclear Fuel, Certificate of Compliance No. 1004, Renewed Amendment No. 19: NRC proposed Renewed Amendment No. 19 to TN Americas’ Standardized NUHOMS® Horizontal Modular Storage System CoC No. 1004, adding a lighter, easier-to-fabricate 61BTH basket design along with editorial cleanups to the certificate. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-09-03 — List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: Holtec International HI-STORM Flood/Wind System, Certificate of Compliance No. 1032, Amendment No. 10: NRC confirmed Amendment No. 10 to Holtec’s HI-STORM Flood/Wind System CoC No. 1032 is approved and takes effect October 6, 2026, finalizing the earlier proposed rule. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-07-23 — List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: Holtec International HI-STORM Flood/Wind System, Certificate of Compliance No. 1032, Amendment No. 10: 2026 — HI-STORM FW CoC 1032 Amendment No. 10 (citation removed): NRC proposed rule would add Amendment No. 10 to Holtec’s HI-STORM FW System CoC No. 1032, incorporating an extended cask configuration, higher heat-load site-specific loading patterns, a radiological fuel-qualification methodology, reduced cooling-time requirements, and refined missile-impact analysis. (novelty: 2) (novelty: 2)
• 2025-12-01 — Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026: S.3293 (FY2026 Energy and Water Appropriations) would fund DOE nuclear waste disposal and NNSA activities that underwrite the federal side of spent fuel storage and cask oversight. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-06-23 — Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2027: HR9022 (FY2027 Energy and Water Appropriations) provides NRC funding that underwrites cask certificate-of-compliance review and inspection work. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-06-24 — Modernizing Materials Licensing: cross-connection with nrc-materials-licensing-modernization: Updated storage rules for advanced nuclear fuels intersect with cask regulation for spent fuel — both concern NRC storage authorization pathways. (novelty: 3)
• 2025-06-12 — Nuclear REFUEL (Recycling Efficient Fuels Utilizing Expedited Licensing) Act: HR3978 (Nuclear REFUEL Act, June 2025) would expedite licensing for spent-fuel recycling, potentially altering long-run demand for dry cask storage if reprocessing pathways expand. (novelty: 3)

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