Use of probabilistic risk assessment to ensure nuclear safety of facilities of the Administration and the Office of Environmental Management

Source Credit

(a) Nuclear Safety at NNSA and DOE Facilities.—The Administrator and the Secretary of Energy shall ensure that the methods for assessing, certifying, and overseeing nuclear safety at the facilities specified in subsection (c) use national and international standards and nuclear industry best practices, including probabilistic or quantitative risk assessment if sufficient data exist.
(b) Adequate Protection.—The use of probabilistic or quantitative risk assessment under subsection (a) shall be to support, rather than replace, the requirement under section 182 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2232) that the utilization or production of special nuclear material will be in accordance with the common defense and security and will provide adequate protection to the health and safety of the public.
(c) Facilities Specified.—Subsection (a) shall apply—
(1) to the Administrator with respect to the national security laboratories and the nuclear weapons production facilities; and
(2) to the Secretary of Energy with respect to defense nuclear facilities of the Office of Environmental Management of the Department of Energy.

History

(Added Pub. L. 119–60, div. C, title XXXI, §3111(a), Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 1424.)

Editorial Notes

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions
Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in section 2735 of Title 50, War and National Defense, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 119–60, §3111(b)(1).