Gila Herald Staff Reports
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Two bipartisan bills introduced by Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, designed to streamline prescribed burns to reduce wildfire risk and expand domestic nuclear fuel production, advanced out of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works on Wednesday.
The Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act and the MORE American Fuel Act both cleared the committee with bipartisan backing, making them eligible for a full vote on the Senate floor.
Streamlining Wildfire Mitigation
The Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act addresses regulatory barriers that currently hinder states and local communities from conducting proactive prescribed burns to clear forest underbrush. Under current federal rules, emissions from prescribed fires can trigger Clean Air Act penalties, deterring land managers from mitigating wildfire risk before severe weather hits.
“In Arizona, we know just how catastrophic wildfires can be,” Kelly said during his remarks at the committee hearing. “One of the best tools we have to reduce wildfire risk and the damage it wreaks is prescribed fires. But right now, federal air quality rules can make it harder for states to use prescribed fire proactively. The Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act fixes that. It gives states greater certainty that they won’t be penalized under the Clean Air Act for responsibly using prescribed burns to reduce the risk of a much larger and more destructive wildfire.”
Key provisions of the wildfire legislation include:
- Facilitating the use of prescribed burns as a proactive hazard-reduction tool.
- Protecting states from Clean Air Act penalties when conducting responsible burns.
- Preserving the Environmental Protection Agency’s oversight role regarding overall air quality and public health safeguards.
Kelly introduced the legislation alongside co-sponsors Sens. John Curtis (R-UT), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), John Boozman (R-AR), and Alex Padilla (D-CA).
Expanding Domestic Nuclear Fuel Capacity
The second measure, the MORE American Fuel Act, aims to modernize federal oversight to accelerate domestic uranium enrichment, reducing U.S. reliance on foreign nuclear energy imports while maintaining environmental and safety standards.
“Energy demand is growing in Arizona and across the country,” Kelly noted. “We need more reliable, affordable, and abundant power on the grid, and nuclear energy should be part of that solution. But building more reactors won’t mean anything if we don’t have the fuel to operate them. Our bill modernizes that process while keeping the safeguards that protect communities firmly in place.”
Specifically, the MORE American Fuel Act will:
- Allow approved applicants to begin pre-license construction on uranium enrichment facilities at their own financial risk once an application is docketed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
- Require advance written notice to state, local, and Tribal governments prior to initial construction.
- Preserve mandatory environmental reviews before any uranium enrichment or storage occurs.
- Maintain full NRC regulatory authority to inspect, oversee, approve, or deny facility licenses.
Kelly introduced the nuclear fuel bill with Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), with co-sponsorship from Sens. Chris Coons (D-DE) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN).
Both measures now await scheduling for a full vote on the Senate floor.
