NAM Urges NRC to Simplify Nuclear Rules for Manufacturing

The National Association of Manufacturers is pushing federal regulators to simplify rules governing nuclear energy deployment. In August, the NAM submitted comments urging the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to advance three specific proposals aimed at simplifying environmental reviews, updating reactor licensing, and reforming radiation protection frameworks.

According to the NAM, these reforms are critical for strengthening U.S. Manufacturing. The association argues that nuclear energy already powers American factories and that modernized regulations will unlock more of its potential. The NRC's proposed changes would reduce regulatory burdens and expand licensing efficiencies.

NEPA Review Reforms

The NAM specifically urged the NRC to proceed with its draft rulemaking for reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act. The association told the commission that opponents of major energy projects have used NEPA litigation to delay projects, with such disputes taking an average of 23 months to resolve. The NAM said the NRC's proposed rule significantly simplify NEPA review requirements.

NEPA reform has long been a top priority for the manufacturing group. The draft rule includes the use of categorical exclusions and sets new deadlines for reviews. The NAM stated these updates to licensing and permitting procedures will help the deployment of new nuclear power to meet rising energy demand.

Reactor Licensing Updates

The NAM also called on the regulatory commission to move ahead with its draft updates to the reactor licensing process. These proposed reforms include updates to key definitions used in reactor construction, safety oversight, and siting practices.

The association argued these changes would provide greater efficiency and certainty to the industry. This would help keep existing plants online and enable the construction of new nuclear generation capacity of all types. The NAM said this bolstered power supply is essential for manufacturers in the United States.

Radiation Protection Framework

A third area of focus is the NRC's proposed revisions to its radiation protection structure. The NAM urged the agency to adopt these revisions to achieve a more objective, risk-based framework. The goal is to reduce regulatory hurdles and costs while maintaining the highest safety standards.

The manufacturing group asked the NRC to build on its draft by taking several additional steps. These include more clearly adopting determinate radiation thresholds and limiting subjective 'as low as reasonably achievable' obligations, known as ALARA. The NAM also recommended the NRC coordinate with the Environmental Protection Agency to ensure future radiation standards are predictable and consistent.

NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons provided the final word. "Nuclear power and fuel supply chains are critical to America’s energy security and manufacturing strength," Timmons said. He described the regulatory proposals as commonsense, stating they would modernize an outdated and overly burdensome regime while maintaining rigorous safety standards. Timmons concluded that these changes would help unleash the nuclear capacity manufacturers need to meet rising energy demand and boost the U.S. Economy.