Committee tables bill to authorize interim used-nuclear-fuel storage and set rules for microreactor manufacturers

The Minerals, Business & Economic Development Committee tabled House Bill 16, a measure that would create a new Wyoming statutory framework for storing "used nuclear fuel" — commonly called spent fuel — on an interim basis and that would add provisions for advanced nuclear reactor manufacturers to store small quantities of reactor components and fuel on-site.

The bill’s sponsor, Representative Lloyd Larson, told the committee the draft creates a new Article 22 in the Environmental Quality Act to define consolidated interim storage, require dry‑cask storage, and direct the Department of Environmental Quality to review applications and ensure compliance with Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) requirements. "We’re creating article 20, field 22, the used nuclear fuel storage statute," Larson said during his presentation, adding the owner of the fuel retains title unless and until ownership is transferred to the federal government.

Supporters and industry witnesses described possible economic benefits and technical safeguards. Senator Ed Cooper, who recently toured French reprocessing and storage facilities, said France treats spent fuel and waste differently and reprocesses most spent fuel. "They reprocess their spent…