The Nuclear Regulatory Commission published a proposed rule and draft regulatory guides in the Federal Register on Thursday, September 24, covering reactor licensing, decommissioning and operational oversight. The proposal, titled Regulatory Enhancements for Reactor Licensing, Decommissioning, and Operational Oversight, is part of the agency's response to Executive Order 14300, which calls for reducing regulatory barriers to deploying new nuclear technologies.
NRC Chair Ho Nieh described the proposal as a major modernization of the agency's reactor regulations. The rule includes changes to earthquake design requirements, the expiration date for standard design approvals and licensing requirements for reactor control room staff. The public comment period closes on November 9.
The NRC also announced on Thursday that Indiana became the 41st Agreement State. An Agreement State assumes responsibility for regulating certain radioactive materials used within its borders. Indiana will manage about 213 licenses covering medical, academic research and industrial uses. The NRC now directly regulates radioactive materials in nine states: Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, South Dakota and West Virginia, along with Puerto Rico, Washington, D.C., the US Virgin Islands and Pacific territories including Guam.
Last week the agency also issued its final environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact for the Crane nuclear plant restart in Pennsylvania, according to the American Nuclear Society's Nuclear Newswire.
The NRC is hosting a four-hour public workshop on Wednesday, September 30, at 12:30 p.m. Eastern. It is the first session in a License to Launch series and will introduce the licensing pathways available to advanced reactor developers under 10 CFR Parts 50, 52, 53 and the proposed Part 57.
Source: ANS Nuclear Newswire - https://www.ans.org/news/2026-09-29/article-8442/nrc-roundup-crane-eafonsi-new-agreement-state/