The chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission told lawmakers his agency is not under attack by the Trump administration, rejecting claims from Democrats and nuclear security advocates that recent moves have compromised the independence of the nation’s main nuclear energy regulator.
It was Republican Chairman Ho Nieh’s first appearance on Capitol Hill since his confirmation in a bipartisan Senate vote in December. While the House Energy and Commerce hearing officially focused on the agency’s budget, Democrats pressed Nieh and four other commissioners on whether the White House is causing lasting damage to the agency that has long been considered the “gold standard” of nuclear security.
“Do you believe that Trump’s attacks on the NRC’s independence and staffing cuts undermine public confidence in the NRC and the safety of nuclear energy?” Rep. Rob Menendez (D-N.J.) asked all five commissioners.
President Donald Trump has redesigned the commission, including removing one Democratic member, transferring some authority to the Energy Department and requiring White House review of draft rules.
Nieh said he did not believe the agency was attacked. His fellow Republican commissioners agreed, with David Wright calling it a “trick question” and Douglas Weaver saying he had not seen any attacks during his short tenure.
Menendez countered that Neigh’s position is hard to counter by the fact that some commissioners believe they can be removed at will. The NRC’s two Democratic commissioners, Bradley Crowell and Matthew Marzano, repeated statements A hearing last year revealed that he could be removed at the pleasure of the President.
The commissioners also addressed more specific concerns about independence, including a proposed rule It would create a new path for companies to obtain an NRC license after working with the Department of Energy or the Pentagon on advanced reactor designs.
Democrats argue that allowing DOE to evaluate reactor safety could undermine the NRC’s traditional role as an independent regulator of commercial nuclear technology.
Nieh said the rule would not amount to a “rubber stamp”, but would instead prevent the agency from duplicating safety reviews.
“We’re not going to be a rubber stamp, but there’s no need to double-down on things that we believe are consistent with our rules,” Nieh said.
Lawmakers also raised concerns over a proposal to shift staff from reactor inspection to licensing new reactors. The plan, stemming from the bipartisan ADVANCE Act, could result in up to 40 percent of reactor inspection workers – who monitor existing plants to ensure safety – being reassigned or losing their jobs.
Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) warned that the move could jeopardize security as the agency continues to lose staff and goes beyond the intent of the bipartisan legislation.
Crowell echoed that concern. Crowell said, “I am concerned that if we move too quickly to reduce our inspection and monitoring programs, we will end up with unintended errors or negative consequences that could undermine our broader effort to move toward nuclear recovery.”
Republicans, for their part, praised the agency’s efforts to streamline permitting and regulatory processes to speed up new reactor development.
Energy and Commerce Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) said, “I would say the NRC is firing on all cylinders right now.”
