Advanced Nuclear Technology Development Act of 2016

Floor Speech

I rise in support of H.R. 4979, the Advanced Nuclear Technology Development Act of 2016, introduced by our colleagues Mr. Latta of Ohio and Mr. McNerney of California. As subcommittee ranker of Environment and the Economy that reports to the standing committee of Energy and Commerce, I am proud to support this legislation.

H.R. 4979 would require the Department of Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to enter into a memorandum of understanding to ensure technical expertise is maintained to assist in the development of advanced nuclear technology. The legislation would also require the NRC to establish a framework for issuing licenses for advanced reactor technology.

Nuclear technology has been largely unchanged for decades. Having our experts coordinate is the best way to support the private sector's development of new technology that may advance the industry in terms of waste, in terms of efficiency, and in terms of safety.

Regardless of Members' position on nuclear energy, I believe there is unanimous agreement that there is no compromising when it comes to safety. We need high standards for safety, and I believe and hope that the enhanced cooperation between DOE and NRC required by this bill will help put safety front and center for the development of advanced nuclear technology.

I congratulate Mr. Latta and Mr. McNerney for their work on this bill.

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Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I will just again reinforce what I think is a strong benefit here: bringing into the industry the efforts for resourcefulness, for efficiency, and for safety, all very key elements to this sector of the energy economy. The bill bears great benefits for the consumers of this country. I strongly support this measure.

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