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
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