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Reid comes to NRC leader's defense
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Gregory Jaczko
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THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid defended Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Gregory Jaczko on Saturday, calling criticism by four other NRC commissioners "a politically motivated witch hunt."
Reid's defense of Jaczko, a former Reid aide, went far beyond statements of praise and included a sharp critique of the four NRC commissioners, including two Democrats.
"It is sad to see those who would place the interests of a single industry over the safety of the American people wage a politically-motivated witch hunt against a man with a proven track record of ensuring that nuclear power is produced as safely and responsibly as possible," Reid's office said in a statement Saturday.
The four NRC commissioners said in a letter to the White House that they have "grave concerns" about Jaczko. They said his bullying style is "causing serious damage" to the commission and creating a "chilled work environment at the NRC."
The letter was written Oct. 13 but was made public late Friday. It stops short of calling for the chairman to resign, but says Jaczko's actions could adversely affect the agency's mission to protect health and safety at the nation's 104 commercial nuclear reactors.
Among other claims, the letter says Jaczko "intimidated and bullied" senior career staff, ordered staff to withhold information and ignored the will of the panel's majority. The letter was signed by Democrats William Magwood and George Apostolakis, as well as Republicans Kristine Svinicki and William Ostendorff.
Jaczko, in a detailed response also sent to the White House, said problems at the agency were not his fault but instead stem from "lack of understanding" on the part of the other four commissioners.
Rep. John Shimkus, R-Ill., said Saturday that Jaczko should be fired.
Shimkus, who chairs an Energy and Commerce subcommittee on environment and the economy, said President Barack Obama "has a responsibility to correct deficiencies in the executive branch -- and obviously this is a clear deficiency." Shimkus led a hearing this spring that centered on Jaczko's leadership style, and complaints that he is autocratic and ignores his fellow commissioners.
A spokesman for the White House declined to comment Saturday.
Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., supported Jaczko, saying Saturday that the NRC needs to move away from a "do nothing" culture.
Boxer, who chairs the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, praised Jaczko for a "swift and effective response" to Japan's nuclear crisis and said the NRC commissioners should support Jaczko "as he translates the lessons of Fukushima into an action plan that will make America's nuclear plants the safest in the world."
Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., also backed Jaczko. Late Friday, Markey made public a 23-page report accusing the four NRC commissioners of trying to impede U.S. nuclear safety reviews after the Japan crisis.
"Instead of doing what they have been sworn to do, these four commissioners have attempted a coup on the chairman and have abdicated their responsibility to the American public to assure the safety of America's nuclear industry," said Markey, a longtime nuclear critic. Jaczko was an aide to Markey before joining Reid's staff.
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And yet Gelfling--it will be despite these shenanigans because the waste exists, the license exists, and the time involved for the politicians role is months and years while the waste material is tens of thousands of years. It will end up in Yucca Mountain.
The only questions are when--and will Nevada receive any benefits.
In 328 days Jaczko won't have a protector and he will be gone. He should never have been put in place. But Harry Reid held up all of the judicial appointments of the Bush administration until the President agreed to appoint Jaczko to a single 5 year term. When Obama was elected Reid had Jaczko appointed to the head of the commission for another term. Jaczko then proceeded to sabotage the license review process as mandated by the Nuclear Waste Policy act. He would not allow the license to be reviewed. Reid had the NRC budget zeroed out for the Yucca Mountian Proejct thus doing exactly what he now objects to the Republicans doing to the Dodd-Frank Consumer protection agency--he is circumventing the law by depriving an agency of the funds needed to follow that law.
Government--in ACTION!
Bill Magwood, the man at the center of an effort to overthrow the chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and his most likely successor if the move is successful, served as a consultant for Tepco, the Japanese company that owns the Fukushima nuclear power plant, according to information provided by Magwood as part of his nomination and confirmation process. The commissioners are working to block the stronger safety measures that Jaczko is proposing in the wake of the Fukushima disaster. So, thank you, Senator Reid for defending him. Jaczko isn't going to be a "yes" man for the most potentially harmful industry to exist on the planet. Thank you, too, for keeping nuclear waste out of Nevada. We don't produce it, and we don't want to be the nation's nuclear waste repository. Nevada is not a wasteland.
A witch hunt on a Reid staffer?? Bulling and intimidating... Yup, that would be a sure sign you were trained under Reid.. He hates it when others do what he does...
Bill Magwood, the man at the center of an effort to overthrow the chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and his most likely successor if the move is successful, served as a consultant for Tepco, the Japanese company that owns the Fukushima nuclear power plant, according to information provided by Magwood as part of his nomination and confirmation process. The commissioners are working to block the stronger safety measures that Jaczko is proposing in the wake of the Fukushima disaster. So, thank you, Senator Reid for defending him. Jaczko isn't going to be a "yes" man for the most potentially harmful industry to exist on the planet. Thank you, too, for keeping nuclear waste out of Nevada. We don't produce it, and we don't want to be the nation's nuclear waste repository. Nevada is not a wasteland.
Of course Reid had to defend Jaczko. Who do you think pressured Obama to appoint him? If Reid admitted Jaczko is the screw-up that he is, that would mean that Reid would have to admit that he a mistake which will never happen. The four Commissioners are men of sound technical understanding. Jaczko is nothing more than a political hack. Since he can't use technical reasoning with the other Commissioners, he has to resort to using bullying techniques instead. Worked for Harry so it seems like it would work for Jaczko also.
I am sure that it al lhas something to do with Yucca Mt.
Harry Reid said, "It is sad to see those who would place the interests of a single industry over the safety of the American people..." Really Harry? Sounds like a perfect description of yourself placing the interest of a single family over the welfare of an entire state.
That guy looks like he couldn't screw in a light bulb, let alone head the NRC. A tightly knit nest of liberal vipers who sole desire is to enrich themselves. And yet another bizzare move as Fast & Furious, Corzine, Blago, Weiner and who could forget our own Shelly Berkley's Dr. Larry. Harry's only cares about his cowboy poetry, figs and pomegranates. A typical Obama bundler gets more money than Harry brings to Nevada.
Does Senile ole' Harry Reid have "ANOTHER RELATIVE THAT NEEDS A JOB ???"