nuclear-news

 “It’s common knowledge in Washington that anyone nominated to be a commissioner to the NRC has to be pre-approved by the nuclear industry,” said Edwin Lyman, a physicist turned senior scientist for the Union of Concerned Scientists. “In order to get a more independent mindset, you’ve got to break that stranglehold.”

Lyman’s comments arrived amid criticism of the NRC for doing too little to implement seismic safety upgrades recommended after the Fukushima disaster three years ago………

Lyman blames industry influence over the NRC. The only two recent commissioners not approved by industry—former chair Gregory Jazcko, who resigned under pressure in 2012, and current chair Allison M. Macfarlane—had to be paired with industry favorites, Lyman said, to win Congressional approval.

Jazcko was paired with Peter B. Lyons, Macfarlane with the renomination of Kristine L. Svinicki…….

Underlying the planning done by the industry and NRC, Lyman said, is a mindset.

“If the nuclear industry, regulators, and politicians don’t abandon that ‘it-can’t-happen-here’ mindset, we’re going to be in trouble here sooner or later,” he said.

Asked how you change a mindset, Lyman said, “You may not be able to change a mindset, you may have to change the people.”http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffmcmahon/2014/04/06/nuclear-safety-in-u-s-requires-nrc-commissioners/