This bill directs the Department of Energy to establish a program for interim storage of high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel from civilian nuclear power reactors and other sources. The department would be authorized to site, construct, and operate storage facilities or contract with private entities to operate them, with the goal of temporarily holding radioactive waste before it is ultimately disposed of in a permanent repository. The bill prioritizes accepting waste from nuclear power plants that have shut down permanently and from situations involving emergency removal due to safety concerns or compliance agreements. To implement the program, the department must issue a request for proposals within 180 days and conduct a selection process that requires approval from affected states, local governments, and Indian tribes before a site can be developed. The bill modifies the Nuclear Waste Fund to allow the department to spend up to 25 percent of annual fund interest on the interim storage program, while funding for consent agreements with communities is addressed separately.
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