SD 2622

This bill expands the definition of "nuclear power plant areas" in Massachusetts law to include all communities within a 50-mile radius of any nuclear power plant, whether active or inactive, as long as nuclear waste remains stored on-site in spent fuel pools or Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installations. The legislation ensures that inactive (decommissioned) nuclear facilities storing spent fuel or high-level radioactive waste are subject to the same regulatory oversight and assessment requirements as operating plants, maintaining these designations until all nuclear waste is removed from the site. This change appears designed to extend public health and safety protections to communities near decommissioned nuclear facilities that continue to store radioactive materials, addressing concerns that current regulations may not adequately cover these sites after they cease power generation operations.