Senator Inhofe Has His Eye on the NRC

From an op-ed on nuclear energy by Senator James Inhofe from today's edition of The Hill:

Now the NRC will have to do its part to provide a stable and predictable licensing process. The key is regulatory certainty. The potential number of applications, the interaction of the various types of approvals, the potential for duplication of efforts and the need to coordinate the development of new regulations and regulatory guidance with the industry'’s license application preparation work all pose substantial challenges.

Through our oversight efforts, which began in 1997, the NRC moved to a risk-based decision process. The relicensing process had been estimated to take between five and 10 years. By concentrating on risks, they shortened the period to less than two years. They need to apply the same concepts to the licensing of new facilities.

As chairman of the committee that oversees the NRC, I am committed to ensuring that the NRC obtains the resources necessary to do its job. I am confident that the NRC can and will exercise its independent health and safety responsibilities without stifling the rebirth of nuclear power in this country.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Environment, Energy, Politics, Technology, Economics, NRC