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119-hr-10143119th Congress

Jobs, Not Waste Act of 2026

Sponsored By: Representative Lee, Susie [D-NV-3]

Introduced

Summary

End the Yucca Mountain repository licensing process.

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This bill would stop the Department of Energy's construction application and end the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's licensing work for a repository at Yucca Mountain, require cleanup and mitigation of significant environmental impacts, and commission a public study of job-focused alternative uses.

  • Communities near Yucca Mountain would get site reclamation and mitigation of significant environmental harms, with the Secretary of Energy required to act as soon as practicable.
  • Federal agencies would have the Yucca Mountain licensing regime terminated and the Secretary would be barred from considering the site as a repository going forward.
  • The Director of the Office of Management and Budget would publish a study within 180 days, framed around GAO report GAO-11-847 (2011), assessing economically viable, job-creating alternatives like defense facilities, renewable energy development, and scientific research.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

End Yucca Mountain repository plans

This bill would remove the legal basis for building a nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain. It would repeal Section 160 of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act and Public Law 107-200. Effective on the date of enactment, the Energy Secretary's construction-authorization application would be withdrawn and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing proceeding would be terminated. Beginning on the date of enactment, the Energy Secretary would be barred from considering Yucca Mountain for a repository. These changes would directly affect the Department of Energy, the NRC, utilities, and communities near the site.

Cleanup and study new site uses

Within 180 days after enactment, the OMB Director would provide Congress and the public a study on alternative economic uses of the Yucca Mountain site based on GAO report GAO-11-847. The study must evaluate defense uses (for example a command facility for unmanned aircraft systems), renewable energy development, and scientific research. As soon as practicable after enactment, the Energy Secretary would take reasonable steps to reclaim the site and mitigate any significant environmental harms from past site characterization work.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Lee, Susie [D-NV-3]

NV • D

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Horsford, Steven [D-NV-4]

    NV • D

    Sponsored 8/24/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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