A California congressman last week unveiled legislation that, if made law, would establish a dedicated public engagement office within the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Rep. Mike Levin’s (D-Calif.) proposed bill, introduced Oct. 21, would establish an “Office of Public Engagement and Participation” within NRC that would, among other things, “support public participation” in agency proceedings and “advocate for the public interest within the jurisdiction of the Commission.” The proposed new office would also provide the public with educational, legal and technical assistance for participating in NRC activities.
The NRC’s chair would be responsible for selecting a director for the new office, who would serve a five-year term, the measure said. The director would not be allowed to serve more than two terms.
As of Friday, Levin’s proposed bill had yet to be assigned to a committee. Congress is not currently conducting much business on Capitol Hill in the run-up to November’s midterm elections.
Transparency and public engagement at the nation’s nuclear safety regulator has come under congressional scrutiny in recent months. Most recently, Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) in August raised concerns about a proposed NRC rules change that he argued “falls short” in its efforts to consider public concerns about nuclear plant decommissioning.
Levin, meanwhile, has been an outspoken advocate for nuclear power issues in Congress — his district includes the former San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station and its 123-canisters spent nuclear fuel storage facility.
The congressman, who is up for reelection in November’s midterms, co-founded last year the Spent Nuclear Fuel Solutions Caucus, a congressional advocacy group aimed at pushing the federal government to close the nuclear fuel cycle.
