II 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3680 

To amend the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to provide for thorium fuel 

cycle nuclear power generation. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

OCTOBER 2 (legislative day, SEPTEMBER 17), 2008 

Mr. HATCH (for himself and Mr. REID) introduced the following bill; which 

was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural 

Resources 

A BILL 

To amend the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to provide for 

thorium fuel cycle nuclear power generation. 

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 ‘‘Thorium Energy Inde5 pendence and Security Act of 2008’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds that— 

8 (1) the United States and foreign countries will 

9 require massive and increasing quantities of energy 


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1 during the 20-year period beginning on the date of 

2 enactment of this Act to support economic growth; 

3 (2) nuclear power provides energy without gen4 erating unacceptable quantities of greenhouse gas5 ses; 

6 (3) the generation of nuclear power in the 

7 United States and many foreign countries has been 

8 discouraged by concerns regarding— 

9 (A) the proliferation of weapons-useable 

10 material; and 

11 (B) the proper disposal of spent nuclear 

12 fuel; 

13 (4) nuclear power plants operating on an ad14 vanced thorium fuel cycle to generate nuclear en15 ergy— 

16 (A) could potentially produce fewer weap17 ons-useable materials than uranium-fueled 

18 plants; and 

19 (B) would produce less long-term waste as 

20 compared to other nuclear power plants; 

21 (5)(A) thorium is more abundant than ura22 nium; and 

23 (B) the United States possesses significant do24 mestic quantities of thorium to ensure energy inde25 pendence; 


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1 (6)(A) thorium fuel cycle technology was origi2 nally developed in the United States; and 

3 (B) cutting-edge research relating to thorium 

4 fuel cycle technology continues to be carried out by 

5 entities in the United States; and 

6 (7) it is in the national security and foreign pol7 icy interest of the United States that foreign coun8 tries seeking to establish or expand generation and 

9 use of nuclear power should be provided— 

10 (A) access to advanced thorium fuel cycle 

11 technology; and 

12 (B) incentives to reduce the risk of nuclear 

13 proliferation. 

14 SEC. 3. THORIUM FUEL CYCLE NUCLEAR POWER GENERA15 TION. 

16 Chapter 19 of title I of the Atomic Energy Act of 

17 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2015 et seq.) is amended by inserting 

18 after section 244 the following: 

19 ‘‘SEC. 251. THORIUM FUEL CYCLE NUCLEAR POWER GEN20 ERATION. 

21 ‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

22 ‘‘(1) CHAIRMAN.—The term ‘Chairman’ means 

23 the Chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commis24 sion. 


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1 ‘‘(2) OFFICE.—The term ‘Office’ means an of2 fice established under subsection (b)(1). 

3 ‘‘(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘Secretary’ means 

4 the Secretary of Energy. 

5 ‘‘(b) OFFICES FOR REGULATION OF THORIUM FUEL

6 CYCLE NUCLEAR POWER GENERATION.— 

7 ‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary, in con8 sultation with the Chairman, shall establish, and 

9 provide funds to, an office for the regulation of tho10 rium fuel cycle nuclear power generation in each 

11 of— 

12 ‘‘(A) the Office of Nuclear Energy, Science 

13 and Technology of the Department of Energy; 

14 and 

15 ‘‘(B) the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 

16 ‘‘(2) REGULATIONS.—Not later than December 

17 31, 2012, the Chairman, in cooperation with the 

18 heads of the Offices, shall promulgate regulations 

19 for facilities and materials used in thorium fuel cycle 

20 nuclear power generation. 

21 ‘‘(3) DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS.—The heads 

22 of the Offices, in cooperation with the head of the 

23 Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, shall carry 

24 out demonstration projects for thorium fuel cycle 


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1 nuclear power generation at the Idaho National En2 gineering Laboratory. 

3 ‘‘(4) INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS AND IN4 CENTIVES.—The heads of the Offices shall provide 

5 recommendations to the Secretary with respect to 

6 methods of— 

7 ‘‘(A) strengthening international partner8 ships to advance nuclear nonproliferation 

9 through the design and deployment of thorium 

10 fuel cycle nuclear power generation; and 

11 ‘‘(B) providing incentives to nuclear reac12 tor operators in the United States and foreign 

13 countries to use proliferation-resistant, low14 waste thorium fuels in lieu of other fuels. 

15 ‘‘(c) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 

16 of enactment of the Thorium Energy Independence and 

17 Security Act of 2008, and annually thereafter, the Sec18 retary shall submit to Congress a report describing, with 

19 respect to the preceding calendar year— 

20 ‘‘(1) progress made in implementing this sec21 tion; and 

22 ‘‘(2) activities carried out by the Offices pursu23 ant to this section. 

24 ‘‘(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

25 are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry 


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1 out this section $250,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 

2 2009 through 2013.’’. 

Æ 


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