NRC Needs Nuclear Power Regulators, Not Promoters

It’s not often that POGO lobbies to defeat a presidential nominee. However, we have felt called to speak out as loud as we can in opposition to President Obama’s nomination of William Magwood for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on the grounds that he does not have the independence from the nuclear power industry to regulate it, nor the security oversight background. Along with two other of the President’s nominees to the NRC, Mr. Magwood will come before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee for a confirmation hearing tomorrow. 

Last week, POGO asked its email subscribers to contact the Committee and express opposition to Mr. Magwood’s nomination.

In his State of the Union address, President Obama outlined a plan to build a new generation of nuclear power reactors. POGO does not take a stance on nuclear power, but does strongly believe that the regulatory body that licenses and inspects nuclear power reactors should be independent, active, and unconflicted. Mr. Magwood does not satisfy those key criteria.

As we have outlined in a previous blog post, POGO believes Mr. Magwood’s dozens of years promoting nuclear power make him unqualified to be a regulator of the industry.

There is also evidence that Mr. Magwood will not effectively address the security threats that are a major issue facing the NRC. In 2004, POGO investigated the security at Argonne National Lab West (ANL-West), which contained 8-9 tons of highly-enriched uranium and plutonium. During that period, Mr. Magwood was the most senior official responsible for security at ANL-West. POGO found serious inadequacies. For example, POGO was told by multiple sources that the guard force at ANL-West was 50% undermanned and that ANL-West needed $1 million for quick security upgrades, but Headquarters Nuclear Energy refused them the funds. 

To be clear, POGO is not anti-nuclear. We have a great deal of respect for the current NRC chair — who arguably is pro-nuclear — and likewise we do not oppose the other two nominees (also arguably pro-nuclear) who will face the Committee in tomorrow's confirmation hearing. A demonstrated commitment to effective oversight is what matters to POGO and sadly, Mr. Magwood does not fit the bill.

You can learn more background and find out how you can help here.

-- Ingrid Drake and Peter Stockton