Uncle Sam Offers Nuclear Campuses to States Amid Safety Rule Rollbacks

United States - Ekhbary News Agency

Uncle Sam Offers Nuclear Campuses to States Amid Safety Rule Rollbacks

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is extending an invitation to states across the nation to host "Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses," a strategic initiative aimed at revitalizing the atomic power sector. This ambitious proposal arrives at a critical juncture, shadowed by reports suggesting the agency has significantly relaxed safety regulations governing the operation of nuclear facilities. The initiative seeks to foster a robust domestic nuclear industry, but critics are raising alarms about the potential trade-off between expansion and safety.

On Wednesday, the DOE formally issued a Request for Information (RFI), soliciting responses from states interested in establishing these campuses. These facilities are envisioned as hubs for a "full-cycle nuclear ecosystem." In practical terms, this implies that host states would be expected to provide comprehensive infrastructure for the entire nuclear fuel chain. This includes advanced capabilities for atomic waste reprocessing and disposal, alongside facilities for fuel fabrication and enrichment. Furthermore, these campuses may serve as sites for new nuclear reactors and co-located data centers, potentially powered by these reactors, reflecting a growing demand for reliable, high-capacity energy sources.

This push for domestic nuclear capacity aligns with broader governmental objectives. Last week, news outlet Politico reported on discussions within the Trump administration regarding plans to allocate "billions, if not hundreds of billions" of dollars toward developing a domestic nuclear fuel cycle program. The stated goal is to underpin a rapid expansion of nuclear reactor construction. While the DOE had previously denied such specific plans, this RFI suggests a concrete step towards exploring such a future.

States have been given a deadline of April 1 to express their interest in hosting these potential Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses. They are also encouraged to provide feedback on the specific incentives and support mechanisms they would require to undertake such a venture. In return, the DOE is seeking insights into approaches that prioritize private sector capital and state-level funding, with federal support intended to be time-limited. A crucial element of the DOE's request includes "robust financial assurances" to shield federal taxpayers from potentially "open-ended liabilities," essentially ensuring that the government is not left footing the bill in the event of significant failures or unforeseen costs.

This initiative builds upon previous efforts to accelerate advanced nuclear technology. Last year, the DOE identified ten companies it would collaborate with to test and fast-track advanced atomic reactor projects. These efforts are being conducted outside the traditional scope of the agency's national laboratories, in alignment with President Trump's Nuclear Reactor Pilot Program, signaling a shift towards private-sector-led innovation.

California representative Mike Levin has publicly endorsed the new scheme, hailing it as a "meaningful and long-overdue step" towards addressing the persistent challenge of spent nuclear fuel. He stated, "For interested states, these campuses could deliver significant economic and job-creation benefits. The proposed campuses would support key functions across the nuclear fuel lifecycle, including fuel fabrication, enrichment, reprocessing used nuclear fuel, and waste disposal."

However, the enthusiasm for these campuses is tempered by serious concerns regarding the alleged weakening of safety regulations. A report by the non-profit media organization NPR claims that the DOE has "secretly rewritten" nuclear safety directives. These changes, according to the report, significantly dilute the rules governing the operation of atomic energy sites. The motivation behind these alleged changes appears to be the streamlining of development for a new generation of nuclear reactors, driven by the administration's desire to ensure sufficient power for the proliferation of AI data centers and to meet general increases in electricity demand.

NPR's investigation revealed that hundreds of pages of security requirements for reactors have reportedly been eliminated, and record-keeping mandates have been trimmed. Furthermore, the threshold for radiation exposure that triggers an official accident investigation has been raised, and environmental protections, particularly concerning groundwater, have been purportedly weakened. For instance, the requirement to protect groundwater has allegedly shifted from a "must" to a directive for companies to "consider" "avoiding or minimizing" radioactive contamination, a change advocacy groups deem insufficient.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), a prominent advocacy group, has strongly criticized these reported regulatory changes. Dr. Edwin Lyman, director of nuclear power safety at the UCS, issued a statement expressing deep concern: "This deeply troubling development confirms my worst fears about the dire state of nuclear power safety and security oversight under the Trump administration." He further elaborated, "The Energy Department has not only taken a sledgehammer to the basic principles that underlie effective nuclear regulation, but it has also done so in the shadows, keeping the public in the dark." Dr. Lyman emphasized that these regulations were painstakingly developed over decades, incorporating hard-won lessons from catastrophic events like the Chernobyl and Fukushima disasters.

The UCS also points out that while any new reactor designs must still obtain licenses from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for commercial operation, the NRC has reportedly agreed to narrow the scope of its additional safety and security reviews for facilities that have received DOE authorization. This potential overlap and reduced scrutiny raise further questions about the robustness of the safety framework governing the future of nuclear power in the United States.

Ekhbary News Agency