This bill mandates the placement of a full-time, resident Nuclear Regulatory Commission inspector at permanently shut-down nuclear power plants to oversee decommissioning and spent fuel transfer activities.
Mike Levin
Representative
CA-49
The INSPECT Act of 2025 mandates that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) place a full-time, resident inspector at every permanently shut-down commercial nuclear power plant. This inspector will oversee the decommissioning process and the transfer of spent nuclear fuel into dry storage. The resident inspector remains on site until all spent fuel has been moved into secure dry canisters.
New INSPECT Act Mandates Full-Time Inspectors at Decommissioning Nuclear Plants to Oversee Fuel Transfers
The Increasing Nuclear Safety Protocols for Extended Canister Transfers Act of 2025, mercifully nicknamed the INSPECT Act, is about making sure that when a nuclear power plant shuts down, the process of cleaning up and securing the radioactive material doesn’t become an afterthought. This bill requires the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to station a full-time, resident inspector at every commercial nuclear plant that has permanently stopped operating.
The Final Watch: What the Inspector Does
Think of this resident inspector as the dedicated safety officer for the plant’s final phase. Their job, laid out in Section 2, is to monitor two critical, high-risk activities: the plant’s decommissioning process (the big, complex teardown) and the transfer of spent nuclear fuel. This fuel—the highly radioactive stuff—is usually moved out of the water-filled cooling pools and sealed into massive, dry storage containers for long-term safety. This transfer is one of the riskiest parts of the closure process, and the inspector must be there to watch every step.
Why This Matters to Your Town
When a nuclear plant closes, it doesn't just disappear; it becomes a long-term storage site for spent fuel. For people living near these retired sites, the biggest concern is safety during the transition. The INSPECT Act directly addresses this by mandating continuous, on-site oversight. The resident inspector must stay put for the entire time it takes to move all the spent fuel from the pools into dry storage. This means better accountability and reduced risk of error during the years-long process of securing the most dangerous materials, providing a necessary layer of reassurance for local communities.
The Fine Print on Flexibility
The bill is smart about not wasting taxpayer money or regulatory time. While the inspector must be full-time, Section 2 also gives the NRC flexibility. If the plant isn't actively decommissioning or moving fuel—say, they hit a pause button on the transfer—the NRC can temporarily reassign that resident inspector to other “appropriate duties.” This ensures the inspector isn't just sitting around waiting for work, keeping the regulatory burden focused on periods of active risk. This provision balances the need for constant oversight during critical phases with practical resource management, ensuring that safety doesn't mean inefficiency. While plant owners will implicitly bear the cost of supporting a resident inspector on site, the trade-off is significantly enhanced federal oversight during the most sensitive part of the plant’s closure.