March 17, 2014

A PAIR OF HIGH-LEVEL DEPARTURES AT THE NRC

By ExchangeMonitor

Following the resignation late last month of the chief of staff to Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Gregory Jaczko, NRC General Counsel Stephen Burns plans to leave the agency by this spring. In April, Burns is set to take over as head of legal affairs for the Nuclear Energy Agency, based in Paris. Burns started working as an attorney at the NRC in 1978 and was named general counsel in April 2009. The NRC has been in upheaval recently, as the four other commissioners have raised grave concerns about Jazcko’s management style to the White House and in hearings on the NRC in the House and Senate. In testimony to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee last month, the questions surrounding Jaczko’s leadership forced Burns to vigorously defend legal counsel he gave to the chairman.

Josh Batkin, Jaczko’s chief of staff since 2005, announced his resignation on Dec. 22, stating in a letter to Jaczko that he would “seek out new challenges that will allow me to re-balance my work and family responsibilities.” Angela Coggins, former policy director for Jaczko, took over as chief of staff on Dec. 27. Jaczko said in a statement, “I have been fortunate to have Josh Batkin serve as my chief of staff for the past seven years—a commitment almost unheard of for these types of positions. I have greatly appreciated his tireless support, his invaluable advice, and his steady friendship.”

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