Nuclear Waste Informed Consent Act

The Nuclear Waste Informed Consent Act establishes a requirement for the Secretary of Energy to secure written consent from various governmental entities before using funds from the Nuclear Waste Fund for a nuclear waste repository. This consent must take the form of a binding agreement signed by all parties involved. Specifically, the Secretary must enter into an agreement with the Governor of the State where the repository is proposed, each affected unit of local government , and each affected Indian tribe . Additionally, any unit of general local government contiguous to an affected unit, through which spent nuclear fuel or high-level radioactive waste will be transported, must also be a party to this agreement. These agreements are legally binding and can only be amended or revoked through mutual consent of all signatories, ensuring a robust local approval process for repository development.