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May 22, 2012

Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chair Resigns After Clash with Industry 
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The chair of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Gregory Jaczko, has
announced his resignation after a lengthy clash with the nuclear
industry and his four industry-backed fellow panelists. Jaczko has
consistently been in the minority on the five-person NRC board, opposing
the Yucca mountain nuclear waste dump in Nevada and calling for tougher
regulation in the aftermath of Japan's Fukushima disaster. Earlier this
year, Jaczko was the sole NRC member to vote against two new nuclear
power reactors at Southern Nuclear’s Vogtle site in Georgia, the first
new reactors in the United States since 1978. In a statement on Monday,
Jaczko said: "My responsibility and commitment to safety will continue
to be my paramount priority after I leave the Commission and until my
successor is confirmed."

 

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