WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

S 5233

Jobs, Not Waste Act of 2026

119th Congress Introduced by Catherine Cortez Masto and 1 co-sponsor

Terminate Yucca Mountain licensing and require a government study on economic benefits and job creation from alternative uses of the site.

Introduced in Senate
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · S 5233

Overview

S.5233, the Jobs, Not Waste Act of 2026, introduced in the 119th Congress by Senators Rosen and Cortez Masto, seeks to terminate the Yucca Mountain licensing process for a nuclear waste repository and require a government study on alternative uses for the Yucca Mountain site. The bill directs the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to analyze and report on economic viability and job-creation potential of alternative site uses and enumerates potential uses drawn from a GAO report.

Purpose and intent

  • Terminate the current Yucca Mountain licensing proceeding and related legal framework.
  • Refrain from considering Yucca Mountain as a future location for a nuclear waste repository.
  • Commission an official study evaluating economic benefits and job creation from alternative uses of the Yucca Mountain site, with emphasis on defense, renewable energy, and scientific research.

Key provisions and changes

  • Section 2 – Definitions

    • Clarifies terms such as “appropriate committees of Congress,” “Commission” (Nuclear Regulatory Commission), “Secretary” (Secretary of Energy), and “Yucca Mountain site” per the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982.

  • Section 3 – Termination of the Yucca Mountain licensing proceeding

    • Repeals certain provisions of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 related to Yucca Mountain (including Section 160) and corresponding amendments to the act’s table of contents.
    • Declares an immediate termination upon enactment:
    • The Secretary’s application for a construction authorization for a Yucca Mountain repository would be withdrawn.
    • The NRC licensing proceeding for the Yucca Mountain repository would be terminated.
    • Prohibits future consideration of Yucca Mountain as a repository site from the date of enactment onward, notwithstanding other laws.
    • Requires the Secretary to reclaim the Yucca Mountain site and mitigate significant environmental impacts linked to prior site characterization and licensing activities, as soon as practicable.

  • Section 4 – Study on economic benefits of alternative uses

    • Mandates a study to be completed no later than 180 days after enactment.
    • The Director of the Office of Management and Budget must submit the study to the appropriate congressional committees and make it publicly available.
    • Study must assess economic viability and job-creating benefits of alternative uses of the Yucca Mountain site, referencing GAO-11-847 (Sept. 2011) and including:
    • Defense activities (e.g., a command facility for unmanned aircraft systems).
    • Development of renewable energy sources.
    • Scientific research.

Who/what is affected

  • Yucca Mountain site in Nevada.
  • Nuclear Waste Policy Act framework and related NRC licensing processes.
  • Secretary of Energy (in relation to withdrawal and site reclamation/mitigation).
  • Nuclear Regulatory Commission (licensing proceeding termination).
  • Office of Management and Budget (commissioning and delivering the required economic study).
  • Congress (through the required report to appropriate committees) and the public (via public availability of the study).

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Effective date contingent on enactment of the bill.
  • Immediate actions upon enactment:
    • Termination of the NRC licensing proceeding and withdrawal of the construction authorization application.
    • Prohibition on future consideration of Yucca Mountain as a repository site.
    • Initiation of reclamation and environmental mitigation efforts at the site.
  • Study delivery:
    • The OMB Director must complete and submit the study within 180 days of enactment.
    • Study to be provided to the appropriate congressional committees and made public.

Potential impact and considerations

  • Shifts policy away from pursuing Yucca Mountain as a nuclear waste repository.
  • Opens pathway to reevaluate the site’s value through alternative uses, potentially creating new economy and job opportunities in defense, energy, and research.
  • Requires careful management of environmental restoration responsibilities and funding for reclamation.
  • The bill reframes long-standing nuclear waste policy and could influence future congressional and agency decisions on site utilization.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

Sign in to ask a question.