Sen. Carper Statement on Nuclear Regulatory Commission Confirmations

WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Nuclear Safety, issued a statement following the Senate’s confirmations of Dr. Allison Macfarlane and Kristine Svinicki as Commissioners of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on Friday evening. In May, President Obama nominated Dr. Macfarlane to be Commissioner of the NRC and designated her as Chair upon her appointment:

“I am thankful that my Senate colleagues moved quickly on the confirmations of Dr. Allison Macfarlane and Kristine Svinicki as Commissioners of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and I congratulate Dr. Macfarlane on becoming Chair. As only the third woman to ever be designated as Chair of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Dr. Macfarlane’s expertise, experience, and past leadership on nuclear issues have prepared her well for her important position as both Commissioner and Chair. Commissioner Svinicki has been a member of the NRC for almost five years now and over the course of those years, I’ve had the opportunity to discuss a wide range of nuclear power issues with her. While I may not have agreed with her on every single one of them, I have found her to be knowledgeable, hard-working and committed to safety, as well as to ensuring that the NRC remains a strong and impartial regulator.

“As the Nuclear Regulatory Commission addresses some of the most pressing issues the nuclear industry has faced in decades – like implementing lessons learned from the Fukushima Nuclear crisis and starting construction on the first new reactors in nearly 30 years – I am glad to have a full Commission intact and clarity on its leadership into the future. This is a critical period for our nation’s nuclear industry as we work to maintain the highest levels of safety and excellence at our nuclear facilities while also encouraging the development of the next generation of nuclear reactors. I will continue to work closely with Congress, the Administration and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to ensure the continued success in the U.S. Nuclear industry.”