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US nuclear safety regulators claim their jobs may be threatened under Trump

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is the U.S. watchdog for nuclear safety. Two of its three remaining commissioners told a Senate committee on Wednesday that they believe President Donald Trump may fire them if he feels they obstruct the goal of approving reactors more quickly.

Trump signed executive order in May setting goals to accelerate new reactor licenses, quadruple U.S. Nuclear Energy capacity by 2050 and boost the U.S. power grid. He also reduced staffing at NRC.

Trump fired Chris Hanson, a Democrat. Meanwhile, Republican Annie Caputo left the panel in July to focus more on her family. The traditionally five-member panel was reduced to just three.

Matthew Marzano (Democrat) told the hearing that he was worried he would be fired if he decided a new reactor is unsafe and refused to license it.

Bradley Crowell, a Democrat who is also a commissioner, stated that he believed "any day, I could be terminated by the administration, for unknown reasons."

The White House didn't immediately respond to an inquiry for comment.

NRC chairman David Wright, a Republican said that the agency is currently reviewing five applications for so-called advanced reactors and expects to receive another 25-30 in the near future.

Wright refused to comment on whether he thought he might be fired. He said that it was "speculation".

He said the NRC shouldn't approve incomplete applications by companies seeking to build new nuclear power plants, even if that means missing a deadline of 18 months set out in Trump’s executive orders.

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse is a Democrat and supports nuclear energy because of its potential to reduce greenhouse gases. He said that about a dozen managers have either left the NRC or announced their intention to leave, and 143 employees have left between January and June.

Whitehouse stated, "It is a bloodbath for personnel." The industry's reputation as a leader in nuclear safety is based on the NRC. Now, it's in danger."

Crowell said that if the agency loses any more staff it will be difficult to make credible safety cases for the timelines in Trump's order. (Reporting and editing by Nia William in Washington, Timothy Gardner)

(source: Reuters)