The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently released the prepared remarks made by NRC Chairman Stephen G. Burns, in honor of the NRC’s 40th anniversary at the U.S. Energy Association Meeting.
“In January, the NRC marked its 40th anniversary as the independent
federal agency responsible for licensing and regulating the nation’s
civilian use of radioactive materials to ensure protection of public
health and safety, common defense and security, and the environment,”
Burns said. “The regulatory responsibilities assigned by Congress when
the NRC was newly formed remain the same today, to protect public health
and safety and the safeguarding of nuclear materials.”
Burns provided an overview of the NRC’s most recent and current activities. He began his service with the NRC under the designation of President Obama on Jan. 1, 2015. In 2012, he retired from the NRC after working there for approximately 34 years.
“Today, the NRC’s regulatory program has been substantially strengthened, based in part on what we have learned from domestic and international operating experience,” Burns said. “Our highly trained staff continues to provide extensive oversight of our reactor and materials licensees and perform comprehensive safety and environmental reviews of many, very complex licensing actions to determine whether the proposed activities satisfy our regulatory requirements and are adequate to protect public health, minimize danger to life and property and protect the common defense and security.”
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