Nuclear Waste Administration Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-854
Sponsor: Sen. Alexander, Lamar [R-TN]
Introduced: 2015-03-24 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Administrative remedies
Appropriations
Congressional oversight
Department of Energy
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Environmental regulatory procedures
Executive agency funding and structure
Federal officials
Federal-Indian relations
Government buildings, facilities, and property
Government liability
Government studies and investigations
Government trust funds
Intergovernmental relations
Judicial review and appeals
Licensing and registrations
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
Nuclear power
Nuclear weapons
Public contracts and procurement
Public participation and lobbying
Radioactive wastes and releases
State and local government operations
Transportation programs funding
Transportation safety and security
User charges and fees

Summary:
action_date: 2015-03-24
text: 

Nuclear Waste Administration Act of 2015

 
 Establishes as an independent agency in the executive branch: (1) the Nuclear Waste Administration (NWA) to provide for the permanent disposal of nuclear waste, including the siting, construction, and operation of additional repositories, a test and evaluation facility, and additional storage facilities; and (2) the Nuclear Waste Oversight Board. 
 
Transfers to the NWA Administrator specified functions of the Secretary of Energy.
 
Prescribes guidelines for nuclear waste facilities and for the identification and suitability of candidate sites. 
 
Directs the Administrator to (1) establish a Storage Facility Program to provide interim storage for spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste, and (2) request proposals for cooperative agreements for a pilot program for the storage of priority waste.
 
Requires the Administrator, prior to selecting a storage facility site, to enter into a consent agreement to host the facility with: (1) an authorized official of the state in which the site is proposed to be located; (2) each affected unit of general local government or Indian tribe; and (3) submit to Congress a program plan, a list of proposed storage facility sites, and cost estimates for licensing, constructing, and operating each storage facility.
 
Requires the Secretary to issue guidelines, evaluate potential sites, as well as select sites for repositories.
 
Subjects construction and operation of a storage facility or repository to: (1) applicable standards for the protection of the general environment from offsite releases of radioactive material, and (2) the licensing and regulatory jurisdiction of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
 
Requires the Secretary to arrange for the Administrator to dispose of defense wastes in a repository developed under this Act. Authorizes the Secretary to arrange for the Administrator to store defense wastes in storage facilities developed under this Act pending disposal in a repository.
 
Confers upon the Administrator responsibility for transporting nuclear waste under this Act.
 
Establishes in the Treasury the Nuclear Waste Administration Working Capital Fund.
 
 Amends the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 to reflect the amendments made by this Act.
 
Terminates those authorities of the Secretary regarding siting, construction, and operation of repositories, storage facilities, or test and evaluation facilities which were not transferred to the Administrator under this Act.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-03-24
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2015-03-24
text: Introduced in Senate