Slowly,slowly through the NRC labyrinth

NRC chairman Jaczko had requested the NRC commissioners fast track the Fukushima task forces safety recommendation in 90 days. However that isn’t likely as Thursday three of five commissioners announced their votes to go slowly.

It’s official: the chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has been outvoted on his proposal that the panel decide within 90 days on the recommendations it received from its Fukushima task force.
Rep.Ed Markey said the NRC had in essence directed the NRC staff “ to endlessly study the 90-day staff report before the commissioners consider the recommendations”

And the Nuclear Energy Institute wants to divide and conquer any new regulations

Marvin Fertel, president and CEO of the Nuclear Energy Institute, told Wall Street analysts at a briefing Tuesday. In other areas, the recommendations of the task force call for "significant changes in the way NRC regulates," he said. Those issues should be considered separately, he said.

Full steam ahead and No Real Control

NEI does not expect the post-Fukushima recommendations to slow license renewals, power uprates or new plant approvals by NRC, Fertel said. Reactor design approvals, including for Westinghouse's AP1000 - the design being used at the two new US nuclear projects closest to completing NRC license reviews and beginning construction - are continuing to move forward, he said.