A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning environmental law.

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Changes to Nuclear Facility Permits in Indiana

This law changes how nuclear power plants and fuel reprocessing facilities are permitted in Indiana by removing some rules and changing who handles certain reports.

What This Bill Does

• Removes the rule that says you can't build or run a nuclear facility without a permit from the Department of Environmental Management (DEM).
• Gets rid of the part where the environmental rules board could make rules about building and running nuclear facilities.
• Changes who gets an environmental feasibility report. Now, it goes to the DEM instead of the board, along with documents needed for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
• Removes the rule that lets the DEM commissioner hold public hearings on how a new facility might affect the environment.
• Gets rid of rules about protecting people from radiation and setting standards for radioactive waste.

Who It Names or Affects

• The Department of Environmental Management (DEM) in Indiana
• People who want to build or run nuclear facilities in Indiana

Terms To Know

Department of Environmental Management (DEM)

A state agency that makes rules about the environment and issues permits for certain activities.

Environmental feasibility report

A document that looks at how building a new facility might affect the environment.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify what will happen to existing rules and regulations.
• It is unclear if there are any safety concerns or benefits mentioned in the summary text.
• The law's effective date has not been specified yet.

Official Summary Text

A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning environmental law.
Nuclear facility permits.

Current Bill Text

A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning environmental law.

Nuclear facility permits.

Makes the following changes to the Indiana Code chapter concerning the issuance of permits for nuclear powered generating facilities and nuclear fuel reprocessing plants (facilities) by the department of environmental management (department): (1) Repeals a provision that prohibits a person from constructing or operating, or increasing the capacity of, a facility without a permit from the department. (2) Repeals a provision authorizing the environmental rules board (board) to adopt rules establishing: (A) conditions for the issuance of a permit for; and (B) requirements for the operation of; a facility. (3) Requires a person proposing to construct a facility to file with the department (instead of the board, under current law) an environmental feasibility report concurrently with the filing of documents (instead of the preliminary safety analysis, under current law) required to be filed with the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (instead of the United States Atomic Energy Commission, under current law). (4) Repeals a provision authorizing the commissioner of the department to conduct a public hearing on the environmental effects of the proposed operation of a facility. (5) Repeals a provision: (A) requiring the board to adopt rules and standards to protect Indiana citizens from radiation hazards; and (B) setting forth requirements for required permits with respect to radioactive discharge.