⚡DOE Revises NEPA Procedures
This interim final rule substantially revises Department of Energy's (DOE) regulations containing its National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) implementing procedures, which were promulgated to supplement now-rescinded Council on Environmental Quality regulations. Mindful that the Supreme Court recently clarified NEPA is a "purely procedural statute," DOE will henceforth maintain the remainder of its procedures in a procedural guidance document separate from the Code of Federal Regulations (DOE NEPA implementing procedures). Thus, DOE is revising 10 CFR part 1021 to contain only administrative and routine actions excepted from NEPA review in appendix A, its existing categorical exclusions in appendix B, related requirements, and a provision for emergency circumstances. DOE is revising appendix A in 10 CFR part 1021 to align with DOE's new NEPA implementing procedures that it is publishing separate from the Code of Federal Regulations. Appendix A in 10 CFR part 1021 (formerly categorical exclusions) are now administrative and routine actions that do not require NEPA review. DOE is also revising 10 CFR part 205, subpart W, to remove the NEPA procedures from its Presidential permit regulations.
Learn More⚛️NRC Fee Schedules Amendment for FY 2025
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is amending the licensing, inspection, special project, and annual fees charged to its applicants and licensees. These amendments are necessary to comply with the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act, which requires the NRC to recover, to the maximum extent practicable, approximately 100 percent of its annual budget, less certain amounts excluded from this fee recovery requirement. In addition, the NRC is making amendments to implement a reduced hourly rate for advanced nuclear reactor applicants and pre-applicants for certain activities as required by the Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy Act of 2024.
Learn More⚛️Honeywell's License Transfer
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC, the Commission) received and is considering approval of an application filed by Honeywell International, Inc. (Honeywell) on January 24, 2025, as supplemented by letters dated February 14, 2025, March 3, 2025, and March 7, 2025. The application seeks NRC consent to the direct and indirect transfer of control of the materials license SUB-526, held by Honeywell, and to the indirect transfer of control of Honeywell's economic interest in ConverDyn, GP ("ConverDyn") which holds NRC export license number XSOU8789. The application contains sensitive unclassified non-safeguards information (SUNSI).
Learn More💰NRC Proposed Fee Schedules and Recovery for FY 2025
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing to amend the licensing, inspection, special project, and annual fees charged to its applicants and licensees. The proposed amendments are necessary to comply with the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act, which requires the NRC to recover, to the maximum extent practicable, approximately 100 percent of its annual budget less certain amounts excluded from this fee recovery requirement. In addition, the NRC is proposing amendments to implement a reduced hourly rate for advanced nuclear reactor applicants and pre-applicants for certain activities as required by the Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy Act of 2024.
Learn More⚛️NRC Notice on Louisiana Energy Services License Amendment Submission
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff has received an application from Louisiana Energy Services, LLC (LES), dba Urenco USA (UUSA) to amend Special Nuclear Materials (SNM) License Number No. SNM-2010. The amendment request proposes removal of License Condition 14 from Materials License No. SNM-2010.
Learn More⚖️NRC Adjusts Civil Penalties for Inflation in FY2025
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is amending its regulations to adjust the maximum civil monetary penalties it can assess under statutes enforced by the agency. These changes are mandated by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990, as amended by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015. The NRC is amending its regulations to adjust the maximum civil monetary penalty for a violation of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, or any regulation or order issued under the Atomic Energy Act from $362,814 to $372,240 per violation, per day. Additionally, the NRC is amending provisions concerning program fraud civil penalties by adjusting the maximum civil monetary penalty under the Program Fraud Civil Remedies Act from $13,946 to $14,308 for each false claim or statement.
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