Proposed legislation supported by the chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee would remove a 65-year-old restriction on the NRC licensing of US nuclear reactors owned by foreign companies as well as streamline the agency's environmental reviews. The American Nuclear Infrastructure Act, proposed by Senator John Barrasso, the Wyoming Republican that chairs the committee, would change restrictions that have kept NRC from approving full control by foreign corporations of US reactors, a longtime goal of the US nuclear industry. Under language in a discussion draft of the bill, released by Barrasso July 29, NRC would be permitted to issue a license, or approve a license transfer, to companies based in countries that are US "allies," which are defined in the legislation as Japan, South Korea and all members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
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