May 23, 2012—NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko said there were “no low-hanging fruit left” in nuclear safety analysis and that it is now important to take a close look at low-probability, high-consequence events.
“We need to be proactive, to identify and analyze and prepare for events before they become accidents,” he told a near-capacity audience at NEI’s Nuclear Energy Assembly in Charlotte Wednesday.
Jaczko’s remarks came just two days after his announcement that he would resign from the commission. In addressing the conference, he was silent on the reasons for his resignation. However, the chairman pointed out in his
statement Monday announcing his resignation that it is “the appropriate time to continue my efforts to ensure public safety in a different forum.”
He said he would continue to serve until his replacement was confirmed.
“This is not my last speech,” he said.
Jaczko commended the industry and the NRC for what he called the “tremendous progress” in response to the nuclear accident at Fukushima Daiichi. He noted agency’s action in response, including orders, information requests and notices for proposed rulemaking.
He added that enhancing safety based on lessons learned from the 2011 accident in Japan should not distract from the safe day-to-day operation of U.S. nuclear energy facilities.
Jaczko said the possibility of land contamination after an accident is an “extremely important” socioeconomic issue—one that the NRC should consider, even if it requires changes to the agency’s statutory mandate.
Jaczko also said risk-informed approaches should be used to analyze the behavior of complex systems, “to help us see things we otherwise couldn’t,” and to ensure that solutions are available before they are needed.
He also said he believed that because the “strength of support for nuclear energy is never very strong,” it is important to use as many tools as are available to communicate safety messages to the public, including social media.
On hearing of Jaczko’s resignation, the industry commended his devotion to safety.
“In the seven years that Chairman Jaczko has served as a member of the commission we recognized his commitment to set the highest standards for the safe operation of the nation’s 104 nuclear power plants and transparency throughout the nuclear regulatory framework,” NEI President and CEO
Marvin Fertel said.
“We have had differences with the chairman on how best to achieve our mutually shared safety goals,” Fertel said. “But to his credit, we’ve always had open lines of communication and a willingness to respectfully discuss the issues. This has especially been the case over the past 13 months since the accident at the Fukushima plant in Japan.”
Jaczko spent four years as a commissioner before President Obama appointed him chairman in 2009. Prior to joining the commission, he held positions in the offices of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.)
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Nuclear Energy Overview