Wyoming could become the 38th agreement state to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, taking over some authority for management of radioactive materials otherwise held by the federal agency.
If the commission approves the request from Gov. Matthew Mead, his state would assume responsibility for licensing, rulemaking, inspection, and enforcement of certain uranium and thorium milling operations and management and disposal of mill tailings, according to an NRC press release Tuesday. Fourteen distinct radioactive-material licenses would be shifted to Wyoming’s oversight.
Wyoming has no nuclear power plants, which in any case would remain under NRC oversight. The agency would also not relinquish jurisdiction over use of select nuclear materials by federal entities in Wyoming and nuclear material uses separate from uranium and thorium milling operations.
In deciding whether to make Wyoming an agreement state, the NRC “must determine that Wyoming’s radiation control program is adequate to protect public health and safety, and is compatible with the NRC’s regulations,” the release says.
The proposed agreement is available as of Tuesday in the Federal Register. The public has until July 26 to comment on the agreement via regulations.gov, at Docket ID NRC-2018-0104.
The other 37 NRC agreement states are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.
