Statement on announced resignation of Gregory Jaczko, chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Friends of the Earth President Erich Pica had the following statement in response to the announced resignation of Gregory Jaczko, chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission:

“With two of the five NRC commissioners now up for appointment, this is a critical moment for President Obama and Congress to address the cozy relationship between the NRC and the nuclear industry it is supposed to regulate. It is extraordinary that while other countries have prioritized nuclear safety after Fukushima, with a number even closing old reactors, here in the U.S. the NRC has taken its marching orders from the nuclear industry and dragged its feet in enacting new regulations to protect the public.

“It took the Gulf spill to force the president to address the decay of the Minerals Management Service. Will it take a Fukushima-scale disaster here in the U.S. to make President Obama reform the Nuclear Regulatory Commission?”

Contacto:
Bill Walker, 510-759-9911, [email protected]
Kelly Trout, 202-222-0722, [email protected]

###

Friends of the Earth fights to defend the environment and create a more healthy and just world. Our current campaigns focus on promoting clean energy and solutions to climate change, keeping toxic and risky technologies out of the food we eat and products we use, and protecting marine ecosystems and the people who live and work near them.