Reps. Levin, Lawler Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Require On-Site Inspectors at Decommissioning Nuclear Power Plants

Reps. Levin, Lawler Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Require On-Site Inspectors at Decommissioning Nuclear Power Plants | U.S. Congressman Mike Levin Skip to content I Want to Hear from You About Your Health Care Concerns. NEW: Rep. Levin Announces New District Data Map to Showcase Federal Project Funding. Close About Services Federal Project Funding Map Federal Policy Impact Resources Clean Energy Tax Credits Help With A Federal Agency Constituent Success Stories Grants Applicants Commendations and Greetings Tours and Tickets Military Academy Nominations Internships Flags Surplus Books Program Art Competition Constituent of the Month Congressional App Challenge Vietnam War 50th Commemoration Program Member-Designated Transportation Projects Community Project Funding Requests The Congressional Award News Press Releases In The News Op-Eds Contact Email Me Newsletter Subscription Offices Internships Request a Meeting with Rep. Levin Website Problem I Want To Hear From You Español Close Search Site SEARCH About Services Federal Project Funding Map Federal Policy Impact Resources Clean Energy Tax Credits Help With A Federal Agency Constituent Success Stories Grants Applicants Commendations and Greetings Tours and Tickets Military Academy Nominations Internships Flags Surplus Books Program Art Competition Constituent of the Month Congressional App Challenge Vietnam War 50th Commemoration Program Member-Designated Transportation Projects Community Project Funding Requests The Congressional Award News Press Releases In The News Op-Eds Contact Email Me Newsletter Subscription Offices Internships Request a Meeting with Rep. Levin Website Problem I Want To Hear From You MENU Español Search Instagram Icon Twitter Icon Facebook Icon Youtube Icon Bluesky Icon Home News Press Releases July 31, 2025 Reps. Levin, Lawler Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Require On-Site Inspectors at Decommissioning Nuclear Power Plants Washington, D.C .—Today, Reps. Mike Levin (D-CA-49) and Mike Lawler (R-NY-17) reintroduced the bipartisan Increasing Nuclear Safety Protocols for Extended Canister Transfers (INSPECT) Act , ahead of the seventh anniversary of the August 3, 2018 near-canister drop at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS). The bill would increase safety and oversight at decommissioning nuclear power plants by requiring the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to keep a resident inspector at decommissioning plants until all spent fuel is transferred from its spent fuel pools to canisters. The INSPECT Act builds on the recommendations made by the SONGS Task Force Rep. Levin convened in January 2019. “Since I arrived in Congress, ensuring the safe management and ultimate removal of spent nuclear fuel from sites like SONGS has been one of my top priorities,” said Rep. Levin “By requiring an NRC inspector to remain on-site during the fuel transfer process, we can reduce the risk of another canister incident while continuing to work towards long-term storage solutions. I thank Rep. Lawler for his bipartisanship partnership on this bill and look forward to moving it through the legislative process.” “As Indian Point and other nuclear sites around the country are decommissioned, the public must have confidence in how spent nuclear fuel is being handled. The INSPECT Act is a practical, bipartisan step that assigns a resident inspector to oversee fuel transfers, helping ensure the process is transparent, accountable, and safe. This is about keeping communities informed, building trust, and doing things the right way,” said Rep. Lawler. In 2019, Rep. Levin called on then-NRC Chairwoman Kristine Svinicki to implement a resident inspector at SONGS following the announcement of two violations resulting from the 2018 incident. Rep. Levin continued to press Svinicki to implement a resident inspector throughout the transfer process at SONGS, and secured an amendment to an appropriations bill that would prevent the NRC from removing inspectors from nuclear power plants while spent nuclear fuel is being transferred. The INSPECT Act is a culmination of Rep. Levin’s efforts to protect public safety at decommissioning plants like SONGS across the country. Rep. Levin has been committed to oversight and accountability at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station since entering Congress in 2019, and he remains a leader on the issue as founder and co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Spent Nuclear Fuel Solutions Caucus that aims to address the challenges associated with stranded commercial spent fuel across the country. He has also introduced the bipartisan Nuclear Waste Administration Act to establish an independent agency to modernize nuclear waste management and finally solve our country’s spent fuel challenges by basing the effort in collaboration with communities. To learn more about Rep. Levin’s work to remove spent nuclear fuel from SONGS click here . Bill text for the INSPECT Act is available here. ## Print Email Share Tweet Next Article Previous Article About Serving You News Contact Issues Privacy Policy Twitter Icon Facebook Icon Youtube Icon Bluesky Icon