Gillibrand, Schumer Deliver Nearly $90 Million In Federal Funding To Support West Valley Demonstration Project Cleanup Efforts, Announce New Bipartisan Legislation To Clean Up[...]

Gillibrand, Schumer Deliver Nearly $90 Million In Federal Funding To Support West Valley Demonstration Project Cleanup Efforts, Announce New Bipartisan Legislation To Clean Up Nuclear Waste, Protect Western New Yorkers

Jan 20, 2026

Today, following years of continued advocacy, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced that they have secured $90 million in federal funding in the just passed Energy and Water spending bill for the clean-up of the West Valley Demonstration Project. In addition, the senators announced they have introduced bipartisan legislation to support and extend the authorization for the cleanup and remediation of nuclear waste at the West Valley Demonstration Project site, a decades-old contaminated site in Cattaraugus County that continues to pose risks to public health and the environment.

The legislation would reauthorize the Department of Energy (DOE) to conduct nuclear waste management at the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) through 2037 ahead of the project's current authorization expiring in September 2026, and it would also increase the authorized funding level from $75 million to $150 million, reflecting the scope of the work while helping ensure the project remains on schedule. Representative Nick Langworthy (R-NY-23) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

"Western New Yorkers deserve to live safely in their communities without worrying about the serious health risks posed by decades-old nuclear waste," said Senator Gillibrand. "After years of progress, let's continue the cleanup and give families confidence in the health and safety of their community. I am proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation, and I will keep fighting to deliver the federal resources needed to protect public health and ensure Western New York has the resources it needs to thrive."

"Families in Cattaraugus County and across Western New York deserve peace of mind knowing that decades old nuclear waste is out of their backyard. I am proud to deliver $90 million in federal funding in this year's spending bill to ramp up clean up efforts for the West Valley Demonstration Project and to introduce bipartisan legislation to boost cleanup efforts to keep Western New Yorkers safe from nuclear waste," said Senator Schumer. "If the progress on the West Valley Demonstration Project slows, the cleanup will only get more expensive and time consuming to decontaminate this site. I will keep fighting to deliver the resources needed to fully cleanup this site and protect Cattaraugus County residents and all New Yorkers from this environmental hazard."

The WVDP was the site of the only commercial plant for the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel in the country. It operated from 1966-72, at which point it shut down as it became economically unviable. This left behind hundreds of thousands of gallons of highly radioactive waste and widespread contamination.

Congress created the WVDP in 1980 to ensure DOE could clean up the site and protect New York communities. Last year, cleanup activities reached a critical milestone, with the successful demolition of the Main Plant Process Building. However, work continues as the project moves into its next phase of demolition and cleanup. While major progress has been made, reauthorization is critical to keep cleanup on track and prevent costly delays or the loss of highly specialized cleanup expertise.

For years, Gillibrand and Schumer have led efforts to clean up the site. The senators annually secure federal funding for the WVDP as part of the regular appropriations process, helping to keep cleanup efforts on track. In the Fiscal Year 2026 Energy and Water Development bill, the senators fought to secure $8.6 billion in federal funding for the Department of Energy to clean up nuclear sites across the country, an $80 million increase compared to last year and $470 million more than the president's budget request. This funding includes close to $90 million for WVDP.

The cleanup project currently supports roughly 350 skilled workers employed by the West Valley Cleanup Alliance and its subcontractors and contributes tens of millions of dollars each year to the Western New York economy.

The full text of the legislation can be found here.

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