I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 6268 

To enable timely licensing reviews for nuclear reactor facilities at brownfield 

sites and retired fossil fuel sites, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 7, 2023 

Mr. GUTHRIE (for himself and Mr. TONKO) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To enable timely licensing reviews for nuclear reactor facilities at brownfield sites and retired fossil fuel sites, and 

for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Nuclear for Brownfield 

5 Site Preparation Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. REGULATORY ISSUES FOR NUCLEAR FACILITIES AT 

7 BROWNFIELD SITES AND RETIRED FOSSIL 

8 FUEL SITES. 

9 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 


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1 (1) BROWNFIELD SITE.—The term ‘‘brownfield 

2 site’’ has the meaning given the term in section 101 

3 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, 

4 Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 

5 9601). 

6 (2) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’ 

7 means the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 

8 (3) COVERED SITE.—The term ‘‘covered site’’ 

9 means a brownfield site, a retired fossil fuel site, or 

10 a site that is both a retired fossil fuel site and a 

11 brownfield site. 

12 (4) PRODUCTION FACILITY.—The term ‘‘pro13 duction facility’’ has the meaning given the term in 

14 section 11 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 

15 U.S.C. 2014). 

16 (5) RETIRED FOSSIL FUEL SITE.—The term 

17 ‘‘retired fossil fuel site’’ means the site of 1 or more 

18 fossil fuel electric generation facilities that are re19 tired or scheduled to retire, including multiunit fa20 cilities that are partially shut down. 

21 (6) UTILIZATION FACILITY.—The term ‘‘utiliza22 tion facility’’ has the meaning given the term in sec23 tion 11 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 

24 U.S.C. 2014). 

25 (b) IDENTIFICATION OF REGULATORY ISSUES.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 

2 the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission 

3 shall evaluate the extent to which modification of 

4 regulations, guidance, or policy is needed to enable 

5 timely licensing reviews for, and to support the over6 sight of, production facilities or utilization facilities 

7 at covered sites. 

8 (2) REQUIREMENT.—In carrying out paragraph 

9 (1), the Commission shall consider how licensing re10 views for production facilities or utilization facilities 

11 at covered sites may be expedited by— 

12 (A) siting and operating a production facil13 ity or a utilization facility at or near existing 

14 site infrastructure to support the reuse of such 

15 infrastructure, including— 

16 (i) electric switchyard components and 

17 transmission infrastructure; 

18 (ii) heat-sink components; 

19 (iii) steam cycle components; 

20 (iv) roads; 

21 (v) railroad access; and 

22 (vi) water availability; 

23 (B) using early site permits; 


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1 (C) using plant parameter envelopes or 

2 similar standardized site parameters on a por3 tion of a larger site; and 

4 (D) using a standardized application for 

5 similar sites. 

6 (3) REPORT.—Not later than 14 months after 

7 the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission 

8 shall submit to the appropriate committees of Con9 gress a report describing any regulations, guidance, 

10 and policies evaluated under paragraph (1). 

11 (c) LICENSING.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years after 

13 the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission 

14 shall, based on the evaluation under subsection (b)— 

15 (A) develop and implement strategies to 

16 enable timely licensing reviews for, and to sup17 port the oversight of, production facilities or 

18 utilization facilities at covered sites; and 

19 (B) initiate a rulemaking to enable timely 

20 licensing reviews for, and to support the over21 sight of, production facilities or utilization fa22 cilities at covered sites. 

23 (2) REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out para24 graph (1), consistent with the mission of the ComVerDate Sep 11 2014 05:48 Nov 16, 2023 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6268.IH H6268

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1 mission, the Commission shall consider matters re2 lating to— 

3 (A) the use of existing site infrastructure; 

4 (B) existing emergency preparedness orga5 nizations and planning; 

6 (C) the availability of historical site-spe7 cific environmental data; 

8 (D) previously completed environmental re9 views required by the National Environmental 

10 Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); 

11 (E) activities associated with the potential 

12 decommissioning of facilities or decontamina13 tion and remediation at covered sites; and 

14 (F) community engagement and historical 

15 experience with energy production. 

16 (d) REPORT.—Not later than 3 years after the date 

17 of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall submit to 

18 the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House 

19 of Representatives and the Committee on Environment 

20 and Public Works of the Senate a report describing the 

21 actions taken by the Commission under subsection (c)(1). 

Æ 


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