North Coast California News

Washington, D.C. – On July 12, Rep Mike Levin (CA-49) reintroduced the NRC Office of Public Engagement and Participation Act. The bill will establish an Office of Public Engagement and Participation at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to help members of the public understand and participate in NRC proceedings. The bill was referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee and will receive a hearing on July 18, 2023.

The NRC considers public opinion in their nuclear regulatory decisions, but far too often, the public does not understand how best to engage with the Commission. The proposed independent Office of Public Engagement and Participation will help bridge this gap by creating opportunities for the public to weigh in on the Commission’s work. Specifically, the office will support public participation in NRC proceedings by providing educational, legal, and technical guidance and assistance to members of the public .

“Our communities deserve to have their voices heard by the regulatory agency in charge of handling important nuclear safety issues, but oftentimes there is no clear line of communication between the public and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission,” said Rep. Mike Levin. “That's why I am proud to reintroduce this bill to create an Office of Public Engagement and Participation within the NRC to bridge the gap between the Commission and the public throughout the regulatory process. As we continue our work to rebuild communities’ trust on issues related to spent nuclear fuel and advance the consent-based siting process, I believe that the Office of Public Engagement and Participation will be a key tool to foster greater confidence and understanding. I look forward to this bill moving through the legislative process.”

Representative Levin has been a longtime advocate for increased transparency, accountability, and oversight at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) and at the NRC. He previously introduced the Increasing Nuclear Safety Protocols for Extended Canister Transfers (INSPECT) Act, which would require the NRC to keep a resident inspector at decommissioning nuclear power plants until all spent fuel is transferred from its spent fuel pools to canisters. He also introduced the 100 Year Canister Life Act, which would require nuclear waste canisters to have a design life of at least 100 years.

Rep. Levin has also fought for solutions to move the hazardous waste at San Onofre out of the region. Since coming to Congress in 2019, Rep. Levin has been advocating for federal action and resources to address the challenges at SONGS and remove the nuclear waste from the region. Rep. Levin led the effort to secure $20 million in the Fiscal Year 2021 government funding legislation to restart DOE’s consent-based siting process. He helped secure an additional $20 million in Fiscal Year 2022 for the DOE to continue work on consent-based siting, and recently secured an additional $53 million in Fiscal Year 2023 to bolster this process.

In June 2023, Rep. Levin hosted Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm at SONGS to announce that the DOE was awarding $25.7 million Rep. Levin helped secure to provide resources to Tribes, states, and communities interested in learning more about consent-based siting, management of spent nuclear fuel, and interim storage facility siting considerations. During the Secretary’s return visit, Rep. Levin also discussed his bipartisan legislation, the Spent Nuclear Prioritization Act, to prioritize the removal of nuclear waste from high-risk commercial nuclear power plants like SONGS.

Rep. Levin previously hosted Secretary Granholm at SONGS in April 2022, when the Secretary announced steps in the consent-based siting process, including a willingness for the federal government to financially compensate communities willing to host spent nuclear fuel.

One of Representative Levin’s first actions as a Member of Congress was to launch a task force made up of local stakeholders and experts to address the safety challenges at SONGS and formulate federal policy recommendations to address the hazardous waste. The task force report is available here. Rep. Levin also formed a bipartisan Congressional Spent Nuclear Fuel Solutions Caucus to address the challenges associated with stranded commercial spent fuel across the country.

Original source can be found here.