Nuclear regulations

  • Jaczko explains Yucca shutdown and license applicant discouragement

    On November 3, 2011, Thalia Assuras of EnergyNow conducted an extended interview with NRC Chairman Greg Jaczko regarding Yucca Mountain, used fuel storage, the lengthening process of getting a license from the NRC, the reasons why nuclear license applicants are getting discouraged, and the possibility that the courts might direct the NRC and the DOE…

  • Is the NRC the “gold standard” of nuclear regulation or the “DMV standard”?

    On October 13, 2011 the Reuters news service published an article titled NRC delays reactor certification to study Japan damage that led with the following paragraph. WILMINGTON, N.C., Oct 13 (Reuters) – U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission certification of new reactor technology has been delayed by the agency’s evaluation of the earthquake and tsunami damage to…

  • SQUG spent decades on seismic (earthquake) risk evaluations – effort continues

    The six months since Fukushima has brought out a certain class of professional worriers who ignore history to fret about topics that have already been the source of concern for many years. In this particular case, the worriers want to assert that nuclear power plants are uniquely vulnerable to the effects of earthquakes, which are…

  • NRC lack of planning will increase delays for new reactor licenses

    Update: (September 1, 2011) I have changed the title to be more assertive. There is no longer any doubt in my mind that the lack of foresight WILL result in delayed reviews of new license applications though there will be strenuous efforts to foist the blame for poor performance onto the applicants. End Update. Ever…

  • Chairman Jaczko does not like the NRC voting process when he loses

    The Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman, Dr. Greg Jaczko, has expressed his frustration with the voting process in effect at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. He is the same man who defended that process rather vigorously when it allowed him to pocket veto a vote about legal requirement for the NRC to continue its evaluation of the…

  • Nuclear professionals move forward with due haste – rushing is not in our DNA

    On August 2, 2011, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee held a hearing with all five members of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The subject was the 90-day report by six career regulators with recommendations for actions to take as a result of their interpretation of the sketchy information that has been discovered so far…

  • Small Modular Reactors Could Be An American Export – But We Need to Move Faster

    In the March 23, 2010 issue of the Wall Street Journal, Dr. Steven Chu published an op-ed piece titled America’s New Nuclear Option that describes the Administration’s growing interest in smaller nuclear energy systems that can be produced in factories and delivered nearly complete to sites around the country and around the world. Here is…

  • The Atomic Show #061 – Allison MacFarlane, Atomic Agnostic

    Dr. Allison MacFarlane is an Associate Professor of Environment Science and Policy at George Mason University. She is also a self proclaimed nuclear agnostic who is not sure that nuclear power can grow much. About a month ago a friend sent me a link to an interesting panel discussion that was held at MIT on…