Rep. Mike Levin Reintroduces Bipartisan Bill to Require Inspectors at Decommissioned Nuclear Power Plants
Bill Reintroduced on Fifth Anniversary of Canister Incident at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station
Washington, D.C.- Today, on the fifth anniversary of the 2018 near-canister drop at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS), Reps. Mike Levin (CA-49) and Rep. Mike Lawler (NY-17) reintroduced the bipartisan Increasing Nuclear Safety Protocols for Extended Canister Transfers (INSPECT) Act, H.R. 5115. The bill would require the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to keep a resident inspector at decommissioning nuclear power plants, like SONGS and Indian Point Energy Center in New York, until all spent fuel is transferred from its spent fuel pools to canisters. It builds on past efforts to learn from failures and improve safety practices at decommissioning power plants across the country.
“Since my first day in elected office, one of my top priorities has been to safely remove the spent nuclear fuel from SONGS. It cannot remain there long term,” said Rep. Levin. “At the same time, we must continue to prioritize the safe management of spent fuel at sites like SONGS, and this bipartisan bill would do so by requiring NRC inspectors to remain on-site during the spent fuel transfer process at decommissioning power plants. We cannot risk another canister incident. As we work to implement full-time NRC inspectors, I will continue to focus on moving the nuclear waste away from our region and garnering bipartisan support in Congress for policies to make this happen.”
“Nuclear energy is undeniably a valuable resource that contributes significantly to global energy needs and climate change mitigation. However, when nuclear power plants are decommissioned, there must be transparency and accountability both to restore trust in the value of this energy source and assure the public that safety and environmental considerations remain paramount,” said Rep. Lawler. “That’s why I’m proud to join my colleague Rep. Mike Levin in introducing the bipartisan INSPECT Act, which will assign a resident inspector to each nuclear power plant that has permanently closed and is being decommissioned. This will enable communities and stakeholders to stay informed about the decommissioning progress, potential challenges, and any environmental impacts, enabling collaborative efforts to ensure the safe closure of facilities and the continued pursuit of clean and efficient energy solutions.”
This bill builds on the recommendations made by the SONGS Task Force Rep. Levin convened in January 2019. In 2019, Rep. Levin called on then-NRC Chairwoman Kristine Svinicki to implement a full-time inspector at SONGS following the announcement of two violations resulting from the 2018 incident. Rep. Levin continued to press Svinicki to implement a resident inspector throughout the transfer process at SONGS, and secured an amendment to an appropriations bill that would prevent the NRC from removing inspectors from nuclear power plants while spent nuclear fuel is being transferred.
Rep. Levin has also advocated for federal action and resources to remove the nuclear waste from SONGS. Rep. Levin led the effort to secure $20 million in the Fiscal Year 2021 government funding legislation to restart DOE’s consent-based siting process. He helped secure an additional $20 million in Fiscal Year 2022 for the DOE to continue work on consent-based siting, and recently secured an additional $53 million in Fiscal Year 2023 to bolster this process.
In June 2023, Rep. Levin hosted Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm at SONGSto announce that the DOE was awarding $25.7 million Rep. Levin helped secure to provide resources to Tribes, states, and communities interested in learning more about consent-based siting, management of spent nuclear fuel, and interim storage facility siting considerations. During the Secretary’s return visit, Rep. Levin also discussed his bipartisan legislation, the Spent Nuclear Prioritization Act, to prioritize the removal of nuclear waste from high-risk commercial nuclear power plants like SONGS.
Rep. Levin previously hosted Secretary Granholm at SONGSin April 2022, when the Secretary announced steps in the consent-based siting process, including a willingness for the federal government to financially compensate communities willing to host spent nuclear fuel.
Rep. Levin also formed a bipartisan Congressional Spent Nuclear Fuel Solutions Caucus to address the challenges associated with stranded commercial spent fuel across the country.