Spent Fuel Prioritization Act of 2022
Key claim: This bill would require the Department of Energy to prioritize taking possession of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste from decommissioned reactors located in areas with high earthquake hazards, dense populations, or significant national security risks.
Abstract
(HR6685 · 117th Congress) Spent Fuel Prioritization Act of 2022 This bill requires the Department of Energy to prioritize the acceptance of high-level radioactive waste or spent nuclear fuel from decommissioned or decommissioning nuclear power reactors located in areas (1) with large populations, (2) with high earthquake hazards, and (3) where the continued storage of high-level radioactive waste or spent nuclear fuel poses a significant national security concern. Latest action (2022-02-10): Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy.
Why this matters
The proposal would make seismic hazards, population density, and national security risks criteria for deciding which decommissioned reactor sites receive priority for federal waste acceptance, potentially changing where on-site storage burdens persist longest. It did not advance beyond committee referral, so it established no new acceptance priority or waste-removal schedule.