POLISCOPE
Back to feed
Part ofEnergy →
S5527FEDERALIN_COMMITTEE
High Impact

CLEAN SMART Act of 2024

December 12, 2024

EnergyEnvironmental CleanupNuclear WasteTechnologyResearch and DevelopmentGovernment Accountability

Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.

Where This Stands

Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Signed

Currently IN_COMMITTEE. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

The Frame

What this does

The bill establishes a formal, permanent structure for national laboratories to oversee and improve the Department of Energy's environmental cleanup operations, which directly impacts the safety, cost, and speed of remediation at nuclear waste sites across the country.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Department of Energy

The Department is required to establish new steering committees, advisory groups, and reporting protocols for its cleanup mission.

National Laboratories

Laboratories are tasked with new duties regarding research, technology deployment, and providing technical expertise for cleanup operations.

Defense environmental cleanup project contractors

Contractors must participate in the development of corrective action plans if their projects face cost or schedule changes.

What changed

Current stage: IN_COMMITTEE.

What's next

Floor Vote.

Background

  • The Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management is responsible for the cleanup of radioactive and hazardous waste resulting from five decades of nuclear weapons production and government-sponsored nuclear energy research. context

Summary

This bill creates a new network of national laboratories to accelerate the cleanup of radioactive and hazardous waste sites managed by the Department of Energy. It provides $58 million annually to improve cleanup technology, reduce costs, and shorten project timelines.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Why It Matters

The bill establishes a formal, permanent structure for national laboratories to oversee and improve the Department of Energy's environmental cleanup operations, which directly impacts the safety, cost, and speed of remediation at nuclear waste sites across the country.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the primary goal of the CLEAN SMART Act?
The goal is to accelerate the development and use of new technologies to clean up radioactive and hazardous waste sites managed by the Department of Energy more safely and cost-effectively.
How will this bill affect cleanup costs?
The bill mandates the development of a framework to select more cost-efficient cleanup approaches and requires corrective action plans for projects that experience cost or schedule overruns.
Who will be part of the new Network of National Laboratories?
The Network will include representatives from the six 'Core National Laboratories' (Idaho, Los Alamos, Oak Ridge, Pacific Northwest, Sandia, and Savannah River) and other national laboratories with relevant expertise.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Sponsors

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Formalization of Lab-Cleanup Integration

The bill moves from ad-hoc collaboration to a mandated, permanent 'Network' structure, signaling a shift toward more centralized scientific oversight of cleanup operations.

Department of EnergyNetwork of National Laboratories for Environmental Management and Stewardship

Connected Entities

organizationOffice of Environmental Management“Responsible for cleanup operations”Map →
personAssistant Secretary of Energy for Environmental Management“Designated as the 'Assistant Secretary'”Map →
organizationCommittee on Energy and Natural Resources“The bill was referred to this committee”Map →
organizationOffice of Legacy Management“Responsible for long-term surveillance and maintenance”Map →
organizationHouse of Representatives“The Committee on Science, Space, and Technology is part of the House”Map →
organizationOak Ridge National Laboratory“Listed as a Core National Laboratory”Map →
organizationDepartment of Energy“The Department is the target of the cleanup efforts”Map →
organizationLos Alamos National Laboratory“Listed as a Core National Laboratory”Map →
organizationSavannah River National Laboratory“Listed as a Core National Laboratory”Map →
personDirector of the Office of Legacy Management“Designated as the 'Director'”Map →
personLujan“Introduced the bill in the Senate”Map →
organizationSenate“The bill was introduced in the Senate”Map →
organizationPacific Northwest National Laboratory“Listed as a Core National Laboratory”Map →
personChair of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission“Designated as the 'Chair'”Map →
organizationIdaho National Laboratory“Listed as a Core National Laboratory”Map →
organizationSandia National Laboratories“Listed as a Core National Laboratory”Map →

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance75
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy15
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz20
    Current news / social attention level

Publisher tools

Share or embed this record

POLISCOPE publisher tools

Share or embed this record