Department of Energy Nuclear Transparency Act

More public reporting on DOE nuclear facilities

If enacted, the bill would require the Secretary of Energy to post public announcements on a DOE website within 24 hours for key actions at major DOE nuclear facilities. The Secretary would post when entering an agreement to authorize a covered facility and include any conditions. The Secretary would post any preliminary or final documented safety analysis, but could remove only commercially sensitive information. The Secretary would post when changing a directive or safety standard and include a short summary of the change. By January 31 each year, the Secretary would send a report to the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee listing authorization activities from the prior calendar year. The bill would define “covered DOE nuclear facility” as Hazard Category 1, 2, or 3 sites and use the meanings in 10 CFR 830.3(a) and section 110(a) of the Atomic Energy Act. These requirements would take effect upon enactment.