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Congressional Testimony
March 9, 2000, Thursday
SECTION: CAPITOL HILL HEARING TESTIMONY
LENGTH: 1067 words
HEADLINE:
TESTIMONY March 09, 2000 JAMES M. INHOFE CHAIRMAN SENATE
environment & public works clean air, wetlands, private property, and
nuclear safety NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
BODY:
Statement of Chairman Jim Inhofe March 9, 2000 The Hearing will come to
order. Today's hearing continues our ongoing oversight of the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission. I would like to first welcome Chairman Meserve to his first Senate
Oversight Hearing and the other Commissioners who have all been here before.
Since our first hearing in July 1998 there have been many changes at the NRC. We
have the relicensing program underway, reforms have taken place on the
enforcement side, and the NRC is moving more towards risk-based approaches. For
the first time in years people are beginning to look at nuclear energy again as
a viable option for our energy needs in the future. It is a safe, clean, cost
efficient, and reliable fuel source when managed properly. The NRC has an
important mission "to ensure adequate protection of the public health and
safety, the common defense and security, and the environment in the use of
nuclear materials in the United States." I think it is important to understand
the mission of the NRC, and the fact that they are charged with protecting
public health and the environment. The NRC remains the foremost government
Agency on issues involving nuclear safety and the impact on public health and
the environment. Unfortunately, this issue was lost in the recent debate
involving the Nuclear Waste Storage Facility. I want to reassure the Chairman
and the Commissioners that as far as this Subcommittee is concerned you are
indeed the recognized experts on these issues. -There are a number of issues
that I would like addressed today either in the testimony or during the question
and answer period. 1. Is the Relicensing process on schedule? Will the NRC be
able to handle multiple applications at once or will there be a bottleneck
problem? 2. I am still interested in the NRC's Five Year Strategic Plan, last
February I asked both the GAO and NEI to review the plan when it was finished
and report back at our next Oversight Hearing, which is today. 3. Is the NRC
continuing to move towards a Risk-based approach for regulations and enforcement
and is it working? 4. I am interested to hear the results on the enforcement
pilot program the NRC conducted this past Fall. 5. I am concerned that the EPA
has proposed standards for Yucca Mountain which are unworkable
and did not follow the advice of the National Academy of Sciences, I am
interested in the NRC's perspective. 6. We will have witnesses on the second
panel addressing the metals recycling issue. I would like to hear whether this
is really a health and safety issue or a matter of public perception. 7. The GAO
has completed their report on whether the changes at the NRC are filtering down
to the rank and file employees. I would like to hear people's perspective on the
results. 8. This Subcommittee will be addressing the reauthorization of the
Price Anderson Act, which provides the insurance program for nuclear facilities.
Are any changes to the law needed? 9. Finally, but most importantly, is public
safety being protected? I look forward to hearing from the witnesses today.
LOAD-DATE: March 15, 2000, Wednesday
