Former US nuclear power regulators blast Trump’s firing of NRC commissioner

Nearly 30 former officials and employees at the U.S. nuclear power regulator on Tuesday blasted President Donald Trump's firing of a commissioner at the independent agency, saying the action put politics over safety and public health.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

The firing this month of Chris Hanson, a Democrat, at the five-member Nuclear Regulatory Commission followed Trump's executive orders on accelerating the agency's reactor approvals as artificial intelligence and data centers drive the first boost in U.S. power demand in two decades. 

The orders included efforts to restructure the NRC and review its staff levels. Nuclear power experts are pushing back on the administration's efforts to increase political influence over the commission. 

The nuclear industry has suffered several accidents over recent decades including Three Mile Island in 1979. The NRC is considering a range of designs for new types of reactors that backers say are safe. 

KEY QUOTES

"Succumbing to politics and surrendering NRC’s independence can only reduce the effectiveness of nuclear regulation in the United States as well as around the world, increasing the likelihood of a costly accident," said the authors of a letter to the four remaining NRC commissioners and to lawmakers. 

"This action endangers the independence of the NRC as it raises the specter of political considerations carrying greater weight than public health and safety," wrote the signees, including Stephen Burns, a former NRC chairman.

Edwin Lyman of the Union of Concerned Scientists, said: "The Trump administration's brazen attempt to assume total control of the NRC is causing irreparable harm to the agency's credibility as a regulator at home and abroad, and is posing a dire threat to public safety and security." 

REACTION

White House spokesperson Harrison Fields said Trump is "committed to modernizing nuclear regulations, streamlining regulatory barriers, and reforming the Nuclear Regulatory Commission while prioritizing safety and resilience." 

The NRC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.