House passes Price-Anderson reauthorization
On Tuesday the House of Representatives passed legislation to reauthorize the Price-Anderson Act. The Act is set to expire August 1, 2002. The bill passed by the House (H.R. 2983) extends the current law by 15 years. The bill passed the House by voice vote, meaning there was no expressed opposition to its passage.
In a change to current law, the bill would end full indemnification for nuclear contractors by creating financial penalties for those acting with "intentional misconduct" leading to a nuclear accident.
The bill would also require the Department of Energy to apply health and safety standards similar to those imposed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration at nuclear facilities it operates.
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, which has jurisdiction over this issue, has not yet marked up its version of the legislation.
