RW Monitor
10/17/2014
IN NRC
Jeff Baran has taken his place as the 34th Commissioner on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, after being sworn in this week. Baran was confirmed by the Senate last month to fill the position left by former-NRC Commissioner William Magwood, who left the Commission to serve as Director General of the Nuclear Energy Agency. Baran’s tenure would expire next year if he is not re-nominated by the president. Baran previously served as an aide to House Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) while also serving as Democratic staff director for the Energy and Environment Subcommittee. “NRC’s nuclear safety mission has never been more important,” Baran said in a statement. “I look forward to working with my colleagues and the NRC staff to advance the agency’s vital mission.” The other NRC Senate confirmation from last month, Steve Burns, has not been sworn in, without an anticipated date announced yet.
ON THE INTERNATIONAL FRONT
Japan’s International Research Institute for Nuclear Decommissioning (IRID) re-issued a Request for Proposals this week for a feasibility study on technology capable of investigating the reactor pressure vessel at the Fukushima Daii-chi Power Station. IRID had issued the original RFP last month with a due date of Oct. 3 for submittals, but according to IRID, “the technical specifications we presented could be considered too limited for the study, and we will offer the RFP again with retouched and modified conditions and coverage for study, for example an illustration, which describes location of equipment is added.” The RPV was badly damage in the accident, and innovative approaches are needed to see inside it to determine the extent of the damage. The contract terms include a payment of 5,000,000 to 9,000,000 JPY ($47,000 to $84,000) with a start date of the end of December and an end date of February 28, 2015. Submittals are due by Nov. 7.
