Rewritten nuclear safety rules are made public

12 hours ago

The Department of Energy (DOE) has publicly released new rules that reduce environmental and security requirements for experimental nuclear reactors.
These rules were secretly rewritten to speed up the development of new nuclear reactor designs following an executive order by President Trump.
The rewritten rules were initially shared only with ten companies in the Reactor Pilot Program, keeping the public unaware until NPR obtained copies.
The rules, now available on the DOE's Idaho Operations Office website, have significantly cut 750 pages from previous versions, removing two-thirds of the original requirements.
Experts warn that the changes could undermine safety, security, and environmental protections, including reduced training for guards and loosened groundwater protections.
Companies like Antares Nuclear, Radiant Industries, and Aalo are progressing rapidly with their reactor projects, aiming to meet the July 4 deadline.
The Pentagon is also involved, with Valar Atomics transporting a reactor prototype to Utah as part of Project Janus for military base deployment.
Critics, including Edwin Lyman of the Union of Concerned Scientists, express concerns over rushed procedures compromising safety.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright remains optimistic, claiming the program will spark a 'nuclear renaissance' with multiple reactors operational by July 4.

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