Trump exempts new nuclear reactors from environmental review : NPR

Source Domain: www.npr.org

The Trump Administration has excluded new experimental advanced reactors at sites like Idaho National Laboratory from environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act, citing the reactors’ inherent safety features.
The exclusion decision, anticipated by experts, comes amid plans to build several reactors financed by private capital, including from Silicon Valley, primarily aimed at powering Artificial Intelligence data centers.
Critics argue the exclusion is premature, considering that current designs have not yet been operationally tested, and assert that without rigorous reviews, nuclear safety and environmental impacts cannot be fully assessed.
The Department of Energy’s Reactor Pilot Program aims to have at least three advanced test reactors operational by July 4, 2021, as part of efforts to revitalize the nuclear industry.
Within Idaho National Laboratory, internal rules have been altered to lessen environmental protection standards for the new reactors, raising controversy and concerns about transparency and the public’s role in such projects.

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