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Lawmakers and experts warn that regulator independence and waste policy must be addressed alongside rapid nuclear expansion
Summary
Members pressed witnesses about recent White House and DOE actions they say threaten NRC independence and highlighted the need to modernize the Nuclear Waste Policy Act and pursue consent‑based storage or recycling—while witnesses urged transparency, staffing and oversight to preserve public trust.
A central thread of the subcommittee hearing was not only how to accelerate nuclear deployment but how to preserve public confidence and manage spent fuel as the industry scales.
Ranking Member Pallone opened with a forceful critique of the administration’s dealings with nuclear regulators, saying recent moves "have shattered confidence in America's hard won record on nuclear safety." Pallone cited the firing of an NRC chair, departures of senior staff, and an executive order requiring independent agencies’ rulemakings to undergo White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs review, arguing those changes have reduced transparency.
Witnesse…
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