Virginia authority empowers convenor for SMR working group as public commenters raise safety and waste concerns

The authority meeting reviewed next steps for state coordination on small modular reactors and voted to empower the designated convening organization to manage the stakeholder working group and reporting process.

The group discussed HPE 94, legislation that establishes a work group to advance small modular reactor policy. Members said the working group will focus on stakeholder engagement, workforce development, site identification and coordinating research partners. Jefferson Labs has signed on as a hub partner, and participants said they are reaching out to Virginia State University and Hampton University as part of university engagement.

Chair and staff recommended that the authority empower the convenor (transcript wording: "empower V neck to manage the process") to manage the working‑group calendar and interim reporting. A motion was made and seconded; a roll call was taken and the chair announced the motion carried unanimously.

Members emphasized practical scope: avoid duplicating specialized technical site evaluations, use the state’s economic development partnerships to flag candidate sites and prioritize workforce pipelines that could draw from regional construction, oil and gas and manufacturing trades. Dominion Energy was suggested as a potential presenter for site‑siting technical considerations at a kickoff meeting.

Public comment: a long public comment record in the transcript raised safety, waste and mining concerns. The commenter invoked the 40th anniversary of Three Mile Island, cited reporting about attacks near nuclear facilities in Ukraine, and urged continued prohibition on uranium mining in Virginia. The speaker also quoted independent analysis (attributing findings to Dr. Lyman at the Union of Concerned Scientists) that questioned sodium‑cooled fast reactors and molten‑salt designs on safety and waste efficiency grounds.

Members acknowledged the public concerns and said the working group should include broad stakeholder engagement and clear information sharing. Staff will circulate a draft working‑group proposal and set a kickoff date; the authority requested quarterly updates and directed staff to distribute the proposal to members for comment.