The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will end a moratorium on power reactor licensing decisions after meeting the requirements of a 2012 appeals court ruling regarding the storage of spent fuel at decommissioned nuclear plants.
The court found that the NRC had not properly assessed the environmental impacts of a 2010 waste confidence decision increasing the allowable storage time for spent fuel at nuclear plants from 30 years to 60 years after their licenses expire. In response, the agency developed a generic environmental impact statement that considered the potential impacts of storing fuel for 60 years, 100 years and indefinitely. During the document's drafting and public comment process, the commission suspended final decision making on new reactor licenses and license extensions for existing plants.
Three of four NRC commissioners voted in favor of the final waste rule, according to NRC documents made public Tuesday. Chairwoman Allison Macfarlane approved of it in part and disapproved in part, based on a desire for the EIS to better address the potential range of impacts from indefinite waste storage, with and without institutional controls. Her comments on the decision and how it fits into the wider debate over a permanent solution for spent fuel storage can be found here (large .pdf).