Rep. Mike Levin Secures $55 Million to Advance Management of Spent Nuclear Fuel
Rep. Levin Hosts Roundtable to Announce New Funding
Del Mar, CA – Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49) announced that he secured $55 million for the Department of Energy (DOE) to take the next steps for the safe removal and management of the nation’s spent nuclear fuel. Rep. Levin secured the funding through the Fiscal Year 2024 government funding package passed in March, adding to the over $93 million he has previously helped secure for this work. This brings the total funding he has secured for managing spent nuclear fuel to over $148 million.
“As the Representative for the area in and around the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, I know how important it is to find a solution for our nation’s spent nuclear fuel. That’s why I’ve made this issue a top priority since joining Congress,” said Rep. Levin. “This funding brings us one step closer to getting the spent fuel out of San Onofre and to a safe home. I’m proud to have secured the funding to help restart DOE’s process to find a location for our spent fuel, and I will continue fighting for the resources we need until the job is finished.”
This funding will allow DOE to advance its consent-based siting process by engaging with a wide range of communities to learn more about spent nuclear fuel, consent-based siting, and the role an interim storage facility could play in the long-term planning and vision for communities.
Funding Rep. Levin secured has already enabled DOE to:
- Issue a request for information to identify industry partners interested in contributing to the development of federal consolidated interim storage facilities. DOE also sought information from parties interested in providing engineering, design, project management, integration, and other services needed to build and manage consolidated interim storage facilities.
- Develop the Atlas railcar, a special railcar built to transport spent nuclear fuel from power plants to a storage facility and permanent repository.
- Approve Critical Decision-0 for the federal consolidated interim storage facility. This decision is an important first step DOE uses to manage capital asset projects and determines a mission need for the agency.
###