WASHINGTON, D.C.—In a hearing tomorrow the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works will hear testimony in consideration of Jeff Baran to be renominated as commissioner to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Commissioner Baran’s reappointment, joined by the approved nominations for David Wright and Annie Caputo, would afford the NRC a full complement of five commissioners at the agency. Following is a statement from NEI president and chief executive officer Maria Korsnick.
“Today the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is staffed with three committed and safety-conscious commissioners. Jeff Baran is one of them. NEI has long held that the industry’s regulator is best positioned to fulfill its vital mission of ensuring public safety and executing a disciplined licensing process when the commission is fully staffed.
“Commissioner Baran has been a strong advocate of safety and transparency and openness in the regulatory process. We share this commitment, and we have every expectation that Mr. Wright and Ms. Caputo would also meet the expectation of high-quality commissioners the Trump administration and our nation expects.
“This is a moment when Congress and the administration are rightly raising concerns relative to efficient and effective federal regulatory environments. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is most effective when operating under the leadership of five well qualified commissioners, and we urge the Senate to move expeditiously to achieve that.”