Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire

Major Energy and Environmental News and Commentary affecting the Nuclear Industry.

Friday, May 25, 2012

US Nuclear Foundation Comments on Macfarlane appointment

05-25-12               Obama, Reid and the NRC: A logical political appointment is like hitting the lottery, good luck citizens.

Let’s take if from the top. The state of Nevada has been fighting the DOE and NRC in opposition to Yucca Mountain for thirty plus years, why, because the state has never been promised “a cut of the business”. The longest serving director of the Nevada Commission on Nuclear Projects was Bob Loux an appointee with a scholastic degree in “history” he was ousted for wrongdoing. Nevada’s next appointment was Mr. Bruce Breslow a TV sports caster moved to another agency to run the Nevada DMV. The current director Robert Halstead has served as transportation adviser to the Agency for Nuclear Projects since 1988, serving in a paid consulting capacity. Does government ever have the capacity to “appoint qualified verses political appointees”?

The administration is nominating Allison Macfarlane, geologist, a professor of environmental science to serve as chairwoman of the NRC. Her book “Uncertainty Underground” provides an extensive geological review about Yucca Mountain. Ms. Macfarlane also served as member of the Administrations Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future and how to deal with spent nuclear fuel. (The commission was restricted from reviewing Yucca Mountain) so, let’s only put “chosen” marbles on the table.

Half of the public’s problem with government is with its “unqualified agency appointees”. Such appointments are critical to the national laboratories of our country and for the future they must be made on the basis of science NOT politics. Our concern is that the NRC agency has just suffered through a very tenuous director with Jaczko a nuclear “policy” educator not an industry scientist. Our concern with Ms. Macfarlane is simply logical, her expertise is geology which is fine, but, only one portion of the agency’s responsibilities. The NRC’s primary mission is nuclear plant design, engineering and operational safety management. 90% of this agencies funding comes from nuclear company’s application fees for new plant designs, license renewals, extensions, etc. And now there is a whole new realm of nuclear development with (SMRs) Small Modular Reactors. Although plant sightings involve geological study, that is not the major focus of this agency. We must strive to separate science from politics, even more critical with our national laboratories and science agencies.


YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT WE HAVE TO SAY BUT I CHALLENGE YOU TO ACCEPT THE TRUTH!

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Gary J. Duarte, Director

US Nuclear Energy Foundation
PO Box 2867
Sparks, NV 89432


http://www.usnuclearenergy.org

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