U.S.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has scheduled briefings for next week on the lessons learned from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster and the ongoing progress of Project Aim.
The briefings represent the first commission meetings under new Republican Chairwoman Kristine Svinicki, who President Donald Trump chose last month to replace Chairman Stephen Burns, an Obama administration appointee who remains on the board. Staff will provide progress updates on both topics.
The Fukushima briefing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Feb. 16 at NRC headquarters, 11555 Rockville Pike in Rockville, Md. The agency has been implementing a series of reforms in response to the 2011 nuclear reactor meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan. The rollout of “flex” equipment is considered the foundation of the NRC’s Fukushima program. The equipment is standard, portable cooling gear that is now required at U.S. reactors. The agency last reported that 87 percent of American nuclear reactors are compliant with the equipment.
The Project Aim briefing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Feb. 17 at NRC headquarters. The program is the NRC’s effort to remove redundant work and services. The agency’s workforce has been reduced from 3,674 full-time employees to 3,481, and management envisions further “rightsizing.” Webcast information for both meetings can be found here.
