Eureka County, Nevada -- Yucca Mountain, Price Anderson Act

The Price Anderson Act

The Price Anderson Act was originally enacted in 1957 as an amendment to the Atomic Energy Act to establish a system of financial protection for persons who may be liable for a nuclear accident or incident and for persons who may be injured.

Initially, the Act covered only commercial nuclear power plants and related facilities and activities operated under license to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ''In 1988, the Act was re-authorized with amendments that brought nuclear activities of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and DOE contractors under the liability coverage provided by Price Anderson.

In 2002, Congress renewed the provisions of the Price-Anderson Act that protect DOE contractors at government facilities in case of an accident. Provisions related to insurance for commercial nuclear power plants were not extended.

Report on the Price-Anderson Act and its Potential Effects on Eureka County, Nevada – Prepared for the Board of Eureka County Commissioners, Eureka, Nevada, March 2003

Past information and Update Articles on the Price-Anderson Act:

November 2001 – Who foots the bill in the event of a nuclear accident? The Price-Anderson Act comes up for renewal Nuclear Waste Update article on the reauthorization of the nuclear industry's publicly- financed insurance policy

January 30, 1998 –Insurance Coverage for Nuclear Accidents: Price-Anderson Act Re-authorization – State of Nevada comments on the U.S. Department of Energy Office of General Counsel notice of inquiry concerning preparation of a report to congress on the Price-Anderson act (Prepared By The Nevada Agency for Nuclear Projects)

January 29, 1998 – Letter from Eureka County on the Price-Anderson Act (Comments – Federal Register Notice of December 31, 1997)

December 1993 – The Price-Anderson Act – article published in a past issue of Eureka County's Nuclear Waste Update which details how the act would come into play if there were an accident involving the transportation of nuclear waste through Eureka County or elsewhere

— News Articles —

November 28, 2001 — House renews protection for nuclear power plants  WASHINGTON - The House on Tuesday approved a 15-year extension of the government insurance program for nuclear utilities in a bill that also calls on the Bush administration to upgrade security at power plants — By Steve Tetreault (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

November 27, 2001 — Price-Anderson Act: House vote set on nuclear plant liability support  WASHINGTON - The House is scheduled to vote today on renewing a 44-year-old law that gives the nuclear power industry the government's help with disaster liability — Donrey Washington Bureau (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

November 01, 2001 — Nuclear measure advances   WASHINGTON - The House Energy and Commerce Committee approved Wednesday a 15-year renewal of the government's insurance program for nuclear power plants. The bill, which renews the Price-Anderson Act, was approved by voice vote after weeks of negotiations — By Steve Tetreault (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

November 2001 — Who foots the bill in the event of a nuclear accident? The Price-Anderson Act comes up for renewal  Nuclear Waste Update article on the reauthorization of the nuclear industry's publicly- financed insurance policy

September 07, 2001 — DOE lobbies for renewal of insurance plan  WASHINGTON - Congress needs to quickly renew a government plan that makes taxpayers — not utility companies — liable for catastrophic nuclear power plant accidents if cleanup costs spiral out of control, an Energy Department official told a House panel this week — By Benjamin Grove (Las Vegas Sun)

September 07, 2001 — Legal protection in nuclear accidents debated  House energy committee discusses renewal of Price-Anderson Act, which is set to expire in August — By Steve Tetreault (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

January 30, 1998 — Insurance Coverage for Nuclear Accidents: Price-Anderson Act Re-authorization — State of Nevada comments on the U.S. Department of Energy Office of General Counsel notice of inquiry concerning preparation of a report to congress on the Price-Anderson act  (Prepared By The Nevada Agency for Nuclear Projects)

January 29, 1998 — Letter from Eureka County on the Price-Anderson Act  (Comments — Federal Register Notice of December 31, 1997)

December 1993 — The Price-Anderson Act — article published in a past issue of Eureka County's Nuclear Waste Update which details how the act would come into play if there were an accident involving the transportation of nuclear waste through Eureka County or elsewhere