Jaczko apologizes for distraction and implies he has been the victim of a coup
On December 15, 2011, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing titled “Review of the NRC’s Near-Term Task Force Recommendations for Enhancing Reactor Safety in the 21st Century”. Instead of remaining on that topic, the hearing turned into a story where he said ‘A’, another guy said ‘A’, a woman said ‘A’, and a fourth respected person said ‘A’ while one person insisted that the answer was ‘B’. The lonely guy saying ‘B’ was Greg Jaczko, his four colleagues, two of whom are Democrats and two of whom are Republicans, were all saying ‘A’ with impressive candor.
The below video starts off with Senator Vitter asking a question and Commissioner Ostendorff providing an answer describing an instance when the Chairman directed the professional staff to change a recommended course of action before showing their work to the other commissioners. It continues with a question directed to Chairman Jaczko asking what he apologized for in his letter to the White House Chief of Staff.
Chairman Jaczko states that what he is really sorry about is that internal NRC matters (in his opinion) are being discussed in public. I guess he thinks that mistreating his staff and disrespecting his colleagues is just an internal NRC matter that should never see the light of day. That does not sound very open or transparent to me.
Later, Senator Vitter asks Jaczko about a report issued by Congressman Ed Markey. Markey is one of the only two bosses that Greg Jaczko had before he was appointed to be a commissioner on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission after an intense period of political maneuvering by his second boss, Senator Harry Reid.
Here is a link to Markey’s report titled Regulatory Meltdown: How Four Nuclear Regulatory Commissioners Conspired to Delay and Weaken Nuclear Reactor Safety in the Wake of Fukushima.
It is apparent that Greg Jaczko learned his political lessons well. He is an excellent denier and can refuse to apologize and refuse to admit any mistakes with a straight face while implying that any failure to communicate is really someone else’s fault.
Once again, I say it is time for Dr. Jaczko to step aside for the good of the country and in the interests of safe nuclear power plant operations.
PS – As is demonstrated by my blog entries during the past several days, I am waging a campaign against the Chairman. That campaign is not coordinated with anyone; it is a personal mission to contribute whatever I can to restoring a situation where qualifying for a position on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission requires demonstrated competence and professional experience in a field that is related to nuclear energy production or research or the beneficial use of radioactive materials.
Seasons Greetings All!
I know it sounds as tin-foil hat and conspiratorial as hell, but I firmly believe Jaco was put in place there by a green-infested administration to frustrate and stall the progress and positive image of nuclear power to allow “green” energy projects to take root and surpass. It would seem natural to me were I running the NRC to _aggressively_ assuage the public’s qualms and mis-education about nuclear energy these days just by broadcasting PSA facts that no one was even injured at Fukushima — or TMI — and that radiation levels in the region are even less than other inhabited regions in the world and almost no other industry has a lower incidence of worker/public injuries or damage, etc. You can do this without appearing to be a gov’t cheerleader for the nuclear industry just as part of your task to get the facts out about the industry you’re oversighting. I mean you’d think an agency would be clucking to the public way more about the unreal safety record it’s maintained — could the FAA head make similar claims? It’s crazy neglect and PR ineptness! Bad enough the media is inherently anti-nuclear for mislaid anti-war/”green” reasons, but Jaco (and his predecessors) have simply sat back and let others defame their own mission and slur nuclear energy without rebuttal or correction or lie-countering education in media and schools. To see constant anti-nuclear quotes and rants by “nuclear consultants” like Mika(sp?) going totally unchallenged on media news and cable “science” shows is galling. Even NASA does a better job of promoting and justifying its existence — and that’s saying a lot! The top honchos of this site can run the NRC better than fifty years worth of NRC commissioners.
James Greenidge
Queens NY
James the people who are against nukes do not build renewable energy projects. The lawyers who file actions to stop nuke plants file actions against renewable energy projects. Ironically suing some of the same arguments. I have checked a couple of example of those who promote conservation. They all live in big houses and use more electricity than me.
Dig deeper and you will find that Obama is not promoting renewable energy but award those who support him politically. If you would graph new capacity coming on line for each segment of renewable energy, I think you would find that with friends like Obama who needs enemies.
So Jaczko’s apology turns out to be, sadly but perhaps predictably, that unpleasantly common phenomenon, the “non-pology”.
Miss your point by a mile. Forget opportunistic lawyers; Ask Vermont anti-nukers whether they don’t think renewables are in the cards for support once they shut Yankee down — and I doubt 95% live in big houses or don’t want to raze a couple of forests to perch windmills in than continuing to cower in fear of bogeyman nuke next door. They are most all common folks who’ve had the nuclear fear of Christ shoved up their gullible ignorance — er, low science quotients, by crusading philosophically-driven ban nuclear-anything “moralists” out to punish the atom for what it at Hiroshima which is all the credible cause they have because their long hawked ammo about Doomsday meltdowns and mega death from nuclear accidents has puckered out in spades. And that’s an AWFULLY strange thing to say about Obama “not promoting renewable energy” after his half-billion dollar mash note to a green firm got exposed down the toilet. That’s one lousy overpriced return in calling your markers for just a few thousand company votes there. The man has said from day one he was into pop “Green” energy hook and by crook to land cluelessly idealistic college students and nuclear-spooked constituents and outright stated he wants to shut down coal for touchy-feely “green” energy instead, and I take him serious for his word and deeds, effective or not. Ask several ten thousand poor oil workers shafted in the Gulf.
James Greenidge
Queens NY
Markey has been busy this week. Please give him enough rope to hang himself.
He wants to go on the offensive against those dangerous people who have pierced the government veil of secrecy:
http://noconsensus.wordpress.com/2011/12/17/crackdown-u-s-representative-ed-markey-d-ma-its-time-to-bring-them-to-justice/
I sincerely hope that Markey is not just a load of hot air. We need someone to tilt at people who don’t like windmills.
I have to say I find it hilarious that “Diaper” Dave Vitter is lecturing or questioning anyone on how to interact with women.