Senate Democrats raised alarms Wednesday about the Trump administration‘s attempts to restructure the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and implement a pro-nuclear power agenda.
The comments game during a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing to consider the nomination of Ho Nieh to fill one of the two vacant posts at the NRC.
Nieh has decades of experience in the nuclear sector. He currently works as vice president of regulatory affairs for Southern Nuclear. Nieh also has 20 years of experience serving at the NRC in various key roles. But Democrats challenged Nieh by arguing that the Trump administration was running afoul of the law in its attempts to reshape the independent commission. President Donald Trump has taken an expansive view of his power to fire members of independent commissions and shape their work.
The top Democrat on the committee, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), said he is concerned about the White House’s political influence over the NRC.
“For instance, when the White House is willing to fire NRC commissioners without cause, that’s a pretty good sign that they seek to exert political influence,” Whitehouse said.
There are currently three sitting members of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, after President Donald Trump in June fired its Democratic member, Christopher Hanson. Hanson argued that his termination was without cause and contrary to long-standing precedent at independent agencies.
Regarding Whitehouse’s concerns, Nieh said, “I will 100% stay committed to the state independent safety mission of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to ensure that all the decisions NRC made are, in fact, made independently, with the right technical input.”
Whitehouse added, “Even if it gets you fired?”
“My focus is going to be on the NRC safety mission,” Nieh said. “I do not envision a circumstance where the president or anyone in the administration would advocate for anything unsafe that would be counterproductive to the vision embraced in the Advance Act of Congress, as well as the executive order [ordering the reform of the NRC].”
Sen. Edward Markey (D-MA) reiterated Whitehouse’s concerns, stating that the administration has demonstrated a willingness to dismiss NRC commissioners who prioritize safety, and warning that the administration will interfere in the commission’s ability to regulate the sector.
Markey asked Nieh if he would stand up against the Trump administration if it asked him to compromise on nuclear safety.
“If confirmed, I will faithfully commit to carrying out the NRC’s independent safety regulatory authorities,” Nieh said.
The Trump administration has taken recent steps to overhaul the independent agency, aiming to expedite federal approval of new nuclear power. In May, Trump signed executive orders to reform the NRC, aiming to push the agency to streamline the approval process for reactors.
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) noted that the Trump administration has placed pressure on the NRC to do more at a faster pace during a time when the agency is understaffed.
“As the NRC is asked to do more with less, I worry about the appearance of the commission being in the pocket of the industry,” Kelly said. “We can’t have the American public feel that nuclear reactors are being deployed without independent oversight.”
Kelly noted that NRC is being asked by the administration to license 10 new reactors by 2030, which would be as many as have been licensed over the past two decades. The senator asked Nieh whether that goal can be reached without sidelining public participation and safety.
“The public has a right to access the federal and government processes that are involved with a new nuclear power project,” Nieh said. “I commit to ensuring that the NRC follows all applicable laws and statutes related to public participation in their licensing process.”
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Meanwhile, the committee also questioned Douglas Troutman, who was nominated to oversee the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention.
Troutman currently serves as General Counsel and Vice President for Government Affairs at the American Cleaning Institute.
