ML20248L958
| ML20248L958 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 06/04/1998 |
| From: | Shirley Ann Jackson, The Chairman NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| To: | Biden J, Helms J SENATE |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9806120154 | |
| Download: ML20248L958 (4) | |
Text
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,gMo aoN UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION j~
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WASHINGTON. D.C. 2065A001 k.....
June 4, 1998 CHAIRMAN The Honombie Jesse Helms, Chairman Committee on Foreign Relations United States Senate
- Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Mr. Chairman:
This letter is to express the Commission's concerns about the potential impact of recommended staffing cuts in the area of common defense and security and international involvement. The tentative recommendation would slash NRC staffing in these important programs from the 74
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FTE included in our FY 1999 request to only 35 by the end of FY 2000, This drastic reduction of j
over fifty per cent, which was not even discussed in the report itself, would essentially eliminate NRC's ability to provide vital staffing support for critical non-proliferation and international nuclear safety activity. Under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 and the 1978 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act, the Commission implements important international non-proliferation and
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national security programs, including licensing the expo-t of all major reactor systems, critical nuclear components and nuclear materials. Congress gave NRC this responsibility because it felt that an independent agency would be less affected by day-to-day political developments.
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Also, the NRC has responsibilities for implementation of intemational nuclear safeguards at nuclear facilities in the United States. NRC also provides vital technical support to the development and enhancement of intemational safeguards at the Intemational Atomic Energy Agency and in other countries, such as the states of the former Soviet Union (FSU). Finally, the NRC has been a key contributor to efforts to upgrade the safety of reactors in other countries,
. particu!arly those in Central and Eastem Europe and in the former Soviet Union.
We are very concemed that, at a time when non-proliferation concems regarding countries such as India, Pakistan, Iran and Iraq are becoming more acute, short-sighted budget cuts will deprive the Commission of technical and institutional capabilities which have been painstakingly built up over many years, capabilities which are a crucial support to the Nation's non-4 proliferation efforts. Also, at a time when safety concerns about reactors in the FSU and the i
I rapidly-expanding nuclear programs in Asia are the focus of increased attention, these budget cuts would eliminate NRC's ability to contribute to the enhancement of regulatory bodies and safety standards worldwide it has been rightly said that "a reactor accident anywhere is a reactor accident everywhere." The effects of the Chomobyl accident in Ukraine on the f
worldwide nuclear industry, including in the U.S., were profound. We must work together with l
the intemational community to prevent such accidents anywhere in the world. NRC has been making a substantial contribution in this regard, and believes it would be very unfortunate if this I
contribution were to be curtailed by ill-advised reductions in our essential technical and professional staff.
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. For these reasons, we urge the Congress to restore the requested personnel allocations in the common defense and security and intemationalinvolvement areas of the NRC's appropriations bill.
Sincerely, J-an Shirley Ann Jackson I
UNITED STATES p-NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 1
WASHINGTON, D.C. 206600001 e
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June 4, 1998 q
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. CHAIRMAN i
l The Honorable Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
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Committee on Foreign Relations
. United States Senate i
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Senator Biden:
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This letter is to express the Commission's concerns about the potential impact of recommended staffing cuts in the area of common defense and security and international involvement. The tentative recommendation would slash NRC staffing in these important programs from the 74 FTE induded in our FY 1999 request b only 35 by the end of FY 2000. This drastic reduction of over fifty per cent, which was not even discussed in the report itself, would essentially eliminMe NRC's ability to provide vital staffing support for critical non-proliferation and intemational nuclear safety activity. Under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 and the 1978 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act, the Commission implements important international non-proliferation and national security programs, including licensing the export of all major reactor systems, critical nuclear componen'.s and nuclear materials. Congress gave NRC this responsibility because it felt that an independent agency would be less affected by day-to-day political developments.
Also, the NRC has responsibilities for implementation of intemational nuclear safeguards at nuclear facilities in the United States. NRC also provides vital technical support to the development and enhancement of international safeguards at the International Atomic Energy Agency and in other countries, such as the states of the former Soviet Union (FSU). Finally, the NRC has been_ a key contributor to efforts to upgrade the safety of reactors in other countries, particularly those in Central and Eastem Europe and in the former Soviet Union.
We are very concemed that, at a time when non-proliferation concerns regarding countries such as india, Pakistan, Iran and Iraq are becoming more acute, short-sighted budget cuts will deprive the Commission of technical and institutional capabilities which have been painstakingly built up over many years, capabilities which are a crucial support to the Nation's non-proliferation efforts. Also, at a time when safety concems about reactors in the FSU and the rapidly-expanding nuclear programs in Asia are the focus of increased attention, these budget cuts would eliminate NRC's ability to contribute to the enhancement of regulatory bodies and safety standards worldwide. ' It has been rightly said that "a reactor accident anywhere is a reactor accident everywhere." The effects of the Chomobyl accident in Ukraine on the worldwide nuclear industry, including in the U.S., were profound. We must work together with the intomational community to prevent such accidents anywhere in the world. NRC has been making a substantial contribution in this regard, and believes it would be very unfortunate if this contribution were to be cuitailed by ill-advised reductions in our essential technical and professional staff.
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For these reasons, we urge the Congress to restore the requested personnel allocations in the
' common defense and security and intemational involvement areas of the NRC's appropriations bill.
Sincerely, bA Shirley Ann Jackson