Wyoming lawmakers are once again considering whether to ease the state’s longstanding restrictions on storing nuclear waste, as clean energy companies push for legal pathways to support emerging nuclear technologies within the state, WyoFile reports.
The renewed focus follows failed attempts earlier this year to pass legislation—most notably Senate File 186—that would have allowed manufacturers of advanced nuclear microreactors, such as California-based Radiant Industries, to temporarily store spent fuel near their facilities in Natrona County.
In response to public concerns, members of the Joint Minerals, Business and Economic Development Committee invited federal nuclear safety experts to testify in Casper last week. Representatives from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Idaho National Laboratory emphasized the industry’s strong safety record. Daniel Thomas of the Idaho National Laboratory noted that over nearly four decades of “dry cask” storage in the US, there has been “zero release of radiation or radioactive material to the environment,” including during fuel transport over millions of miles.
Despite these assurances, skepticism remains high among Wyoming residents and lawmakers. Lander resident William Almas, a former nuclear plant decommissioning official, cautioned that community buy-in requires more than technical briefings.
“The facts must be clearly presented and discussed by an impartial third party,” Almas said, encouraging broader public engagement and trust-building.
Radiant Industries is proposing a manufacturing site for portable nuclear microreactors just outside Bar Nunn, with plans to store used fuel on-site. The current legal framework only allows for such storage if the fuel originates from a nuclear power plant operating within the state. This exemption was created in 2022 to accommodate TerraPower’s Natrium reactor, which is under construction near Kemmerer and is expected to come online by 2030.
Radiant argues that on-site storage of spent fuel is essential to its operations and broader US energy goals.
“We believe we are going to be a piece of the American energy independence work,” said Matt Wilson, Radiant’s Director of Operations.
He pointed to international competition, noting that countries like Russia and China are advancing rapidly in both reactor deployment and nuclear fuel development.
Efforts to further amend the state’s nuclear waste laws have drawn mixed reactions. While some see economic opportunity in developing a full nuclear fuel cycle in Wyoming—from uranium mining to microreactor manufacturing—others remain cautious about the implications for public health and environmental safety.
Opponents, including Rep. Christopher Knapp (R-Gillette), stress the importance of hearing from a full range of perspectives before changing policy.
“The constituents I hear from are still overwhelmingly wary,” Knapp said, adding that more details on safety and containment are needed from regulators.
The issue remains contentious due to a broader national impasse over long-term storage. The US Department of Energy has no active plans to resume work on a permanent high-level radioactive waste site, such as the long-stalled Yucca Mountain project. Thomas of the Idaho National Laboratory warned that without congressional action, such a facility may be “four or more decades off.”
In the meantime, Wyoming will continue to weigh whether to expand exceptions to its nuclear waste storage ban. Lawmakers have instructed the Legislative Service Office to draft a new version of SF 186 for discussion during the committee’s next meeting, scheduled for July 29–30 in Casper.
