Attorney General Bonta Opposes Trump Administration Continued Efforts to Weaken U.S. Nuclear Safety Regulations

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta joined two multistate comment letters opposing the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) proposals that would drastically reduce nuclear radiation protection regulations and reactor safety oversight. The proposed rulemakings are part of the NRC’s coordinated effort to reduce its oversight of nuclear energy projects and thereby remove accountability safeguards. In the comment letters, the coalition argues that the proposed changes violate the Atomic Energy Act (AEA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), among others, and increase risks to public and nuclear energy worker safety and potential environmental impacts.

“Once again, the Trump Administration is more concerned with corporate interests than the health and safety of the American people. When it comes to nuclear energy, public safety should be priority one, two, and three,” said Attorney General Bonta. “These proposed changes allow industry to dodge early NRC review and would defer too many safety decisions to industry to self-regulate. It also would abandon the standard that the NRC has relied on for decades that requires the lowest radiation level achievable. I’m proud to join this coalition in opposing these changes, because we can pursue innovation without sacrificing safety.”

Nuclear energy is an important source of energy in many states, but the fundamental nature of this powerful technology involves environmental and public health risks. On July 15, 2026, NRC published a proposed rule that would allow increased allowable radiation exposure, reduce monitoring and reporting requirements, and revise air and water emission standards to create flexibility for industry and help accelerate deployment of nuclear technology in the U.S. The proposed rule would also eliminate NRC’s use of the As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) standard to evaluate radiological protection measures at facilities and replace it with a graded approach that NRC fails to describe with particularity.

A day later, on July 16, 2026, NRC continued its wholesale revision of its long-standing regulations with a proposed rule that would dramatically narrow the ability for states and the public to meaningfully participate in the permitting and licensing processes for nuclear facilities and would change construction and oversight requirements to allow for faster build-out of nuclear facilities. Nuclear technologies can have significant impacts on communities, and the law requires meaningful opportunity for the public to weigh in during the process. The NRC should not reduce the public’s opportunity to participate in what affects their communities. And especially given the push to deploy novel nuclear technologies, more direct NRC oversight with greater transparency is needed; not less.

In the comment letters, Attorney General Bonta and the coalition assert that, among other things, the proposed rulemaking changes would:

• Benefit the nuclear industry at the potential expense of the public, employees, and the environment, in violation of the NRC’s mandate to prioritize public health and safety and the environment.
• Grant too much latitude to licensees to self-regulate by allowing them to make underlying decisions that affect what actions are subject to NRC approval.
• Violate the AEA and NEPA by failing to provide meaningful opportunity for public comment before construction activities begin.  

In sending the comment letters, Attorney General Bonta joins the attorneys general of Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont and Washington.

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