To establish a new organization to manage nuclear waste, provide a consensual process for siting nuclear waste facilities, ensure adequate funding for managing nuclear waste, and for other purposes.

By the end of this century, the United States plans to begin operating the first geologic repository for the permanent disposal of commercial spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive Waste. Public Law 97-425, the Nuclear waste Policy Act of 1982 (the Act), specifies the process for selecting a repository site, and constructing, operating, closing, and decommissioning the repository.

The Nuclear Waste Administration Act of 2013 discussion draft is intended to implement the recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future to establish a nuclear waste administration and create a consent-based process for siting nuclear waste facilities. The bill enables the federal government to fulfill its commitment to managing nuclear waste, ending the costly liability the government bears for its failure to dispose of commercial spent fuel.

In General: The Nuclear Waste Administration Act of 2013 includes most of the language of S.3469, the Nuclear Waste Administration Act of 2012. The most significant change in the 2013 bill is the provision linking construction and siting of a consolidated storage facility to progress on a repository. The 2012 Act prohibited storage of any spent nuclear fuel beyond 10,000 metric tons until the Administration concluded a repository consent agreement.

In February, 2011 the Blue Ribbon Commission (BRC) on America’s Nuclear Future requested the Department of Energy
(DOE) to provide a white paper summarizing the quantities and characteristics of potential waste generated by various
nuclear fuel cycles. The BRC request expressed interest in two classes of radioactive wastes:
 Existing waste that are or might be destined for a civilian deep geologic repository or equivalent.
 Potential future waste, generated by alternative nuclear fuel cycles (e.g. wastes from reprocessing, mixed-oxide

The Congressional Research Service prepared a report in August titled "Civilian Nuclear Waste Disposal." It contains a summary of the radioactive waste management program, and includes an update with recent developments on YM licensing, consent based siting, legislation, volunteer private storage sites, and current policy.

When Congress passed the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, it created the
Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management within the Department of
Energy to spearhead the implementation of this landmark legislation.
In Section 303 of the Act, however, Congress directed the Secretary of Energy
to study alternative approaches to managing the radioactive waste program, as
follows:
ALTERNATIVE MEANS OF FINANCING
SEC. 303. The Secretary shall undertake a study with respect to