Killing the independence of nuclear watchdogs threatens disaster
Trump administration plans will end the independence of the Nuclear Regulation Commission, which similar surveillance led to nuclear disasters overseas
A Priat classroom in the Chernobyl exclusion zone in Ukraine, where books are lying on the floor.
Jean-Baptiste Toussaint/Getty Images
The Trump administration’s executive order sets the United States on the fastest path to a nuclear accident.
“Ensuring accountability for all agencies” was announced on February 18th. Presidential Order It aims to put independent regulatory bodies under the president’s “overview and control.” among them, Nuclear Regulation Commission Americans are relying on nuclear energy companies to take responsibility for avoiding nuclear reactor accidents and the release of radioactive materials into the environment.
By requiring the NRC to cease issuance of regulations and guidance without written permission from the President or Attorney General, the order effectively requires that nuclear safety take the backseat of politics.
Supporting science journalism
If you enjoy this article, consider supporting award-winning journalism. Subscribe. Purchase a subscription helps ensure a future of impactful stories about discoveries and ideas that will shape our world today.
As a nuclear engineer and former government and industry official, I predict this was the proposal. Regulatory capture Presidential Executive Office – decisions are made for political reasons and significantly increase the risk of expensive and unexpected nuclear accidents in the United States, not for the benefit of those who serve.
This is neither hypothetical nor exaggerated.
History provides evidence that is too scary to ignore. When Soviet leadership and its captured regulators prioritized national pride in safety, known defects in reactor control rods (slowing the reactor’s fission speed) were not checked, and safety protocols at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant were ignored, and 1986 saw the worst nuclear power generation accident in history.
“Even when regulations are left to the bureaucracy of the same government. I’ll be in charge of that promotion“The operators of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan were unable to implement the measures required by known earthquake risks. They failed to properly plan for evacuation. And in 2011 they were unable to avoid the second worst nuclear power generation accident in human history.
In 1974, Congress recognised the importance of independent nuclear oversight and reorganised the Atomic Energy Commission into two different bodies. The Ministry of Energy is responsible for research, development and promotion of nuclear energy. The NRC then regulates and oversees the nuclear energy industry at the time. Five NRC commissioners, each appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate, said, “Developing policies and regulations governing the safety of nuclear reactors and materials, issuing orders to licensees, and working together to rule legal issues. I brought it before [them]. “The President has the authority to designate one of these commissioners as chairman and serves as the agency’s chief executive officer.
The international consensus is clear about what works and what doesn’t work in nuclear safety regulations. Most essentially, the ability of regulators to ensure safe nuclear power operations requires independence from entities with conflicts of interest. The International Atomic Energy Agency, the primary authority of humankind on the safety and security of nuclear energy, has made it clear that the government must ensure that regulatory bodies “have “unfairly responsible or profitable entities not affected.” It affects decision-making. ” It is not accountable to maintain regulatory independence from commercial, political, and ideological influences. Instead, it’s the capture of regulations.
Both President Trump and the Energy Secretary have the responsibility and interest in demanding efforts to expand nuclear power thanks to their offices. The country’s continued prosperity relies heavily on safe access to reliable energy, and nuclear energy plays a unique role in meeting our energy needs. Nuclear energy is one of the nine pillars of light Secretary’s Order They are seeking action to “unleash America’s energy.” In a recent CNBC interview, Wright recently declared when explaining his optimism about the growth of nuclear energy. Absolutely, but that’s true What is America?. ”
This is only true if industrial accidents are also American purposes. In fact, independent regulators play a fundamental role in creating public trust in the safe and secure deployment of nuclear technology. While discussions regarding the effectiveness of an institution are appropriate, such discussions do not question the importance of its continued independence. Even officials at the DOE’s Nuclear Energy Agency, NRC’s independence is a red line that no one has ever considered crossing because the role of the DOE is related to the enthusiastic promotion of nuclear energy.
Nuclear energy relies on precision technology and unwavering dedication to safety, so regulating it is a serious technical effort aimed at protecting us from unnecessary radiological consequences. The United States has historically been a global leader in nuclear regulatory practices and principles that support the highest safety standards worldwide. An important element of their manipulation is independence from conflicting motivations. Nuclear security is too important to undermine through information-free political action. Regulatory capture by industrial, political or personal whims is not merely a danger. This is the main cause of two worst nuclear reactor accidents the world knows. You cannot allow this to happen in the US
The NRC must remain independent to provide public trust in the safe implementation of this critical technology.
This is an opinion and analysis article, and the views expressed by the author and author are not necessarily. Scientific American.
