Back-End Nuclear Fuel Cycle: Advising Utilities and Developers on SNF Storage, Transport, and Disposal
Course Details
- smart_display Format
Live Online with Live Q&A
- signal_cellular_alt Difficulty Level
Intermediate
- work Practice Area
Energy
- event Date
Thursday, November 20, 2025
- schedule Time
1:00 p.m. ET./10:00 a.m. PT
- timer Program Length
90 minutes
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This 90-minute webinar is eligible in most states for 1.5 CLE credits.
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This CLE webinar will explore the back-end nuclear fuel cycle and discuss the current regulatory climate and how counsel can effectively advise clients on reducing risk and successfully contracting as providers in this industry space.
Ms. Leidich is a go-to lawyer in the nuclear energy industry on nuclear regulatory issues ranging from complex export control questions and nuclear licensing advice to high-stakes federal court litigation. She represents participants from all corners of the nuclear industry, including domestic generators of nuclear power, advanced reactor startups, materials licensees, and vendors of nuclear power plant components. Consistent with the evolving needs of the industry, Ms. Leidich's recent work has included representing companies in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court defending nuclear licenses and Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) rules. She has handled complex and novel matters, including representing client Holtec International before the Supreme Court in the company’s efforts to license a first-of-a-kind interim spent-nuclear-fuel storage facility in New Mexico from the Atomic Safety and Licensing Boards. Ms. Leidich represents vendors seeking licenses for advance or small modular reactors and fuel cycle facilities; utilities in their pursuit of subsequent license renewal; utilities challenging NRC enforcement matters; companies in their mandatory hearings before the NRC to obtain licenses for new nuclear power plants; and has represented a litigant in a multibillion-dollar international arbitration.
The panel of experts will examine on-site storage (ISFSIs), consolidated interim storage (CISFs), deep geologic repositories, and reprocessing/recycling, with a focus on current agency regulatory and statutory enforcement. The panel will review the federal authorities impacting the industry, including the Atomic Energy Act, Nuclear Waste Policy Act, NRC, DOE, and EPA. The experts will explain what each facility type is, who regulates what, and how federal licensing, NEPA, and environmental justice (EJ) review, transportation rules, and state siting/permit regimes interact on real projects.
The program will address what has recently changed with the administration and the courts and why it matters to risk and timing. The experts will discuss party-status/Hobbs Act implications for NRC licensing challenges and DOE's consent-based siting efforts for interim storage and a future repository.
The panelists will explore handling and abating risk, including how the Price-Anderson Act impacts storage and transport, DOE indemnity vs. NRC financial-protection regimes, and the role of commercial insurance.
Finally, the experts will discuss contracting best practices: allocating construction and licensing risk, changes in law, regulatory delay, and force-majeure, milestones and termination rights, indemnity and insurance, and community-consent/EJ engagement commitments.
Listen as our panel provides an overview of the back-end nuclear fuel cycle and the current regulatory climate, as well as best practices to enhance client ability to structure deals, manage licensing and environmental review, align transport logistics, and mitigate liability and litigation risk.
I. Introduction and definitions
II. Federal regulation overview
III. State impacts and preemption challenges
IV. Administrative and judicial changes
V. Risk and indemnity
VI. Contracting best practices
VIII. Practitioner takeaways
The panel will review these and other key issues:
- Understanding ISFSI, CISF, repository, and reprocessing and the regulatory framework
- How regulatory processes affect schedule, risk, and finance
- Managing and reducing liability
- Contract drafting best practices for the industry
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