One of the three serving commissioners at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission went to bat for the agency’s proposed decommissioning rules change Tuesday at an annual regulatory conference.
Commissioner David Wright, who in November voted alongside NRC Chairman Christopher Hanson to approve a set of rules updates aimed at lowering regulatory barriers for nuclear plant operators who are decommissioning their facilities, made his remarks during the virtual Regulatory Information Conference (RIC). Close to the height of the COVID-19 omicron surge this winter, NRC moved the conference entirely online, canceling some planned in-person participation.
NRC on March 3 opened a public comment period on the proposed decommissioning rule which expires May 17. After that, NRC has said that staff will draft a final rule for the commissioners’ approval. The commission has also said that it could be some time before any decommissioning rules update goes into effect.
An NRC spokesperson told Exchange Monitor via email Thursday that the proposed rule “is aimed at establishing clear regulatory standards and milestones for nuclear plants transitioning to decommissioning.”
“[I]n my time and experience with the NRC, at no time have I felt that the staff put forward a recommendation that would remove needed requirements or did not provide reasonable assurance of adequate protection,” Wright said. “Our staff are highly trained professionals, with integrity and a focus on our safety mission.”
Wright said that NRC had received feedback about the proposed rule claiming that it “does not appropriately account for risk or involve the public.”
In November, NRC Commissioner Jeff Baran blasted the decommissioning rule on Twitter, writing that the proposed changes, which included lowering certain emergency preparedness requirements and extending a reporting window for tracking shipments of low-level radioactive waste, amounted to “laissez-faire.” Baran also said the rule tipped the balance of regulation in favor of industry and away from NRC.
Wright appeared to jab at Baran’s comments at the time, telling members of Congress during a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee meeting in November that he did not agree with “recent media statements and social media posts regarding NRC decisions and rulemakings suggesting that the staff’s recommendations are not safe, or simply reflect the industry viewpoint.”
NRC chair Hanson also defended the proposed rule in a November interview with Exchange Monitor, saying it was “primarily focused on safety.”
Updated 03/10/2022 10:08 a.m. Eastern time with comment from NRC.
