Nuke chief brushes off Reid’s ‘first-class rat' attack on colleague

The new chairwoman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Tuesday brushed off Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-Nev.) colorful, blistering attack against one of her colleagues.

Reid bashed Democratic NRC Commissioner William Magwood in an interview with the Huffington Post, calling him a “liar,” a “first-class rat,” a “s**t-stirrer,” and a tool of the nuclear industry.

The majority leader's remarks received widespread attention, but NRC Chairwoman Allison Macfarlane said officials at the agency paid them no mind.

“The agency had no reaction. In fact, I have heard nobody discuss it, and I think that speaks to the strength of the agency, that we are focused on the mission and not distracted by events outside,” Macfarlane said Tuesday at the National Press Club.

Macfarlane was sworn-in as the NRC’s top official on July 9 following the resignation of Gregory Jaczko, a former Reid aide who the majority leader argues was targeted for bucking the nuclear industry.

The new NRC chief discussed her agenda for the agency in wide-ranging remarks Tuesday. Her priorities include analyses of — and defenses against — seismic risks for existing and new nuclear plants. The topic has received increased emphasis since last year’s quake- and tsunami-fueled catastrophe at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi plant.

“New reactors will be reviewed through the Fukushima lens,” said Macfarlane, a geologist who came to the NRC from the faculty of George Mason University.

She said it’s not clear if re-analyses of seismic risks will lead to the closure of some existing nuclear plants, while expressing confidence that defenses can be bolstered.

“I can’t venture a guess there. I think you can make a lot of adjustments to plants to upgrade seismic stability and flooding stability,” said Macfarlane, whose agency began issuing the first set of post-Fukushima safety orders under Jaczko.

“You can take measures to mitigate the potential risks,” Macfarlane said. “We need to understand more broadly what some of the risks are, and make sure we are prepared to handle them.”

Macfarlane also detailed other plans. Among them: looking more carefully at the nexus between climate change and nuclear power issues, including the warming of waters that plants rely on for cooling.

“I have actually asked the staff to look into the issue of what are some of the . . . potential climate impacts that are coming down the road,” she said.

Warm water forced the shutdown of a Connecticut nuclear reactor on Sunday, the Associated Press reports.

Elsewhere, Macfarlane said she was pushing the agency to ensure its documents are written more plainly and clearly.

“We need to make sure we communicate effectively with the public, so the public can have confidence in our work,” she said.

Jaczko clashed with the four other NRC commissioners. Macfarlane, during her Senate confirmation process and since, has repeatedly said she will seek to foster an open, collegial atmosphere at the agency.

She said she viewed the other four commissioners as “peer equals,” and was full of praise for the NRC’s staff.

“I have some strong initial impressions of the agency, and one is that I have been very impressed with the staff and their dedication to safety, and their willingness to stand up to industry,” Macfarlane said when asked about allegations the NRC is too cozy with the industry it regulates.

“I am actually quite assured that the agency is completing its mission of protecting public health and safety,” she said.