; 25 U.S.C. 177 ). (6) In 1972, the Federal Government licensed the siting of the Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant on Prairie Island approximately 600 yards from the Prairie Island Reservation, and later authorized the storage of spent nuclear fuel on-site. On December 16, 1973, Unit 1 of the Plant started operation and Unit 2 of the Plant started operating on December 21, 1974, both pursuant to 20-year operating licenses. (7) On June 27, 2011, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission renewed the Unit 1 and 2 operating licenses at the plant for an additional 20 years, authorizing their continued operation until 2033 and 2034, respectively. (8) The plant’s nuclear reactor core contains zirconium-clad rods filled with enriched uranium pellets. The Federal courts have confirmed that the spent fuel and fuel assembly materials, while no longer useful for nuclear power generation, continue to pose a dangerous health threat, remaining lethally radioactive long into the future. (9) The plant is now home to 44 dry casks that are loaded with spent nuclear fuel rods, stored in close proximity to a church, Tribal homes, a daycare center, government, cultural, language, and education offices, the Tribe’s Community Center, and Tribal businesses. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has licensed the storage of an additional 54 dry casks of spent nuclear fuel at the plant by 2034. (10) There is only one improved and maintained road leading on and off of the island, and it is shared by the Prairie Island Reservation and the Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant. The road crosses a busy rail corridor at grade and so can be and is often blocked by railroad traffic. (11) As a result, the Tribe’s entire Reservation is under constant threat of nuclear contamination and the means of escape is limited. (12) The operation of Lock and Dam No. 3, in combination with the close proximity of the Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant and spent nuclear fuel to the Prairie Island Reservation, threatens the safety and well-being of the Tribe and