Conditional Sunset of Aircraft Impact Assessment Requirements for Nuclear Facilities
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission amended existing regulations to insert a conditional expiration date. The regulatory action takes effect on April 8, 2026.
The provision eliminates a specific mandate requiring certain nuclear facilities to factor intentional large commercial aircraft impacts into their initial design stage.
The agency determined that the original 2009 cost-benefit assumptions are outdated due to changes in the modern reactor landscape, including the shift toward small modular reactors and advanced non-light-water designs.
This change responds to Executive Order 14270, which directs a zero-based regulatory budgeting approach to federal oversight.
Currently operating nuclear facilities are unaffected by this sunsetting action, as their aircraft impact analyses are already integrated into their existing licensing bases.
The regulatory rollback also does not exempt new reactor applicants from evaluating external aviation hazards.
Applicants seeking new permits, licenses, and certifications must still assess these accident hazards under the separate 10 CFR part 100 siting criteria to determine if they warrant inclusion within the site's design basis.
