GAO audits DOE cleanup land transfers (fuel-cycle, solar, and AI leases at legacy sites)

status: open, opened 2026-10-22, last moved 2026-10-22. Energy nuclear regulation us fuel-cycle

• 2026-10-22 (~8:19 AM ET, ANS — https://www.ans.org/news/2026-10-22/article-8509/gao-clarify-future-land-use-plans-regulatory-scope-for-cleanup-efforts/): the Government Accountability Office publicly released two reports on October 16, 2026 examining the Department of Energy's nuclear-waste cleanup efforts — future land-use planning and the regulatory scope of cleanup work — at a time when DOE is leasing or transferring land at legacy nuclear sites to entities pursuing nuclear fuel-cycle activities and considering leases for solar arrays, AI infrastructure projects, and other industrial uses. Distinct from the NLIC-waste-campuses siting thread (six finalist states): this is the audit layer over DOE's disposition of legacy-site land. Report-grade — no DOE response, named sites, or named lessees in coverage. Watch: DOE's response to each report, named legacy-site lessees (fuel-cycle or AI), how regulatory scope resolves once land leaves federal hands.