WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass), top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee and a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, released the following statement after Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff released a staff paper expressing support for the rapid adoption of all or part of six recommendations made by the Commission’s Near-Term Task Force in the wake of the Fukushima meltdowns.
 
“I commend the NRC staff for urging for the quick adoption of six of the twelve recommendations of the NRC Near Term Task Force on Fukushima. I call on the Commission to move expeditiously to do so. However, I also note that the NRC staff review additionally concluded that all twelve recommendations  ‘would enhance safety and the staff agrees with moving forward with each of these recommendations’, and I again call upon the Commission to move more quickly on the remaining six.”
 
After the Near Term Task Force released its report in July, Rep. Markey called for the rapid adoption of all recommendations, and sent letters criticizing the proposals to delay even their consideration that were put forward by Commissioners Svinicki, Magwood and Ostendorff.  
 
Last week, Reps. Markey, Lois Capps (D-Calif.), Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) and 21 other members of Congress sent a letter to NRC Chairman Greg Jaczko calling on the Commission to adopt the recommendations of the Commission’s Near Term Task Force reviewing NRC processes and regulations in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear meltdowns.
 
In the wake of the Japanese nuclear meltdowns, Rep. Markey also introduced H.R. 1242, the Nuclear Power Plant Safety Act of 2011. This legislation called for the NRC to ensure that nuclear power plants and spent nuclear fuel pools can withstand and adequately respond to earthquakes, tsunamis, strong storms, long power outages, or other events that threaten a major impact.
 
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