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No Senate confirmation needed to take the post
President Barack Obama has named Gregory Jaczko as Chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). He is the only Democrat on the Commission and previously served as a science advisor to now Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev).
The Las Vegas Sun reported Jaczko, age 38, will be responsible for regulating the nuclear energy industry which supplies 20% of the nation's electricity. His biggest immediate challenge will be to resolve the many controversies surrounding Yucca Mountain and what to do with spent nuclear fuel.
The NRC also has pending before it more than two dozen applications for licenses for new nuclear plants. Of equal importance is how he will lead the agency in review of license renewal for current plants including Indian Point and Vermont Yankee.
The Las Vegas Sun reported that while serving as as science adviser to Sen Harry Reid, he was the point man for Reid's strident opposition to the Yucca project. He also worked on appropriations issues for Reid.
He remains linked with the Senate majority leader. In April 2008 Reid swore in Jaczko (left) when the former aide was given a second term on the commission.
Jaczko has aligned himself with the views of anti-nuclear green groups who raise a whole series of arguments against expansion of nuclear energy as a response to global warming.
Jaczko also sided with groups that wanted the NRC to conduct an environmental impact assessment of the threat of a terrorist attack on a nuclear power plant. The issue eventually came before the federal courts which threw out the case in the instance of license renewal for Oyster Creek in New Jersey. Jaczko voted against license renewal for Oyster Creek. However, the other NRC commissioners voted for license renewal.
Jaczko's term as commission expires June 30. 2013. NRC spokeswoman Beth Hayden told the Sun the agency chairman serves at the pleasure of the president, and does not require additional Senate confirmation.
Jaczko is a native of upstate New York and earned a bachelor's degree from Cornell University and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Current NRC Chairman Dale Klein's term as commissioner runs until June 30, 2011. According to reports in the trade press, Klein has expressed an interest in continuing to serve out his term. The NRC also has a vacant seat on the commission.
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Idaho Samizdat is a blog about the political and economic aspects of nuclear energy and nonproliferation issues. It covers the nuclear energy industry globally. Additionally, the blog has regional coverage on uranium mining in the western U.S. Link to original post
