S.Amdt. 6284

SA 6284, submitted by Mr. Cruz, aims to add a section to bill S. 4784 that requires a study on new technologies for recycling spent nuclear fuel.

The purpose of this amendment is to have the Secretary of Energy analyze the possibility of recovering valuable materials from nuclear waste to be reused in reactors or other commercial applications.

Goals of the Study

The amendment requires the study to examine several key areas:

• Practicability and Risks: Analyzing the costs, benefits, and risks (including proliferation) of using recycling facilities to create usable fuel for commercial light water reactors, advanced nuclear reactors, and non-reactor uses like medical or space-based applications.
• Process Comparisons: Comparing aqueous and non-aqueous recycling processes, as well as comparing recycling against the "once-through fuel cycle" which involves temporary and permanent storage.
• Implementation: Evaluating the feasibility of extracting isotopes for industrial and medical use and exploring the collocation of recycling facilities with other sites like fuel-fabrication facilities.
• Impact and Siting: Identifying people, businesses, and Tribal governments affected by current temporary storage and recommending the best ways to size and site recycling facilities (such as regional or national centers).
• Regulation and Policy: Identifying regulatory gaps in waste definitions and evaluating policy changes needed to support the deployment of recycling technologies.

Reporting Requirements

The Secretary of Energy must submit a public report to specific House and Senate committees within one year of the Act's enactment. This report must be written for a non-specialist audience and include:

• An explanation of why recycling is not currently performed in the United States.
• Findings on the technical and economic challenges facing commercial adoption.
• Policy recommendations to address those barriers.