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The Project On Government Oversight (POGO) expressed its strong concern about President Obama's choice of William Magwood to fill a vacant seat on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). In a letter sent to Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works Chair Senator Barbara Boxer and Ranking Member James Inhofe yesterday, POGO questioned Mr. Magwood's ability to effectively oversee and regulate the more than 120 licenses and renewal applications currently and soon to be before the Commission, and opposed his nomination. "This nomination flies in the face of the spirit of President Obama's commitment to high ethical standards for the Administration's appointees," said POGO Executive Director Danielle Brian. "We believe it should be examined in the full light of public and congressional scrutiny."

The Project On Government Oversight (POGO) expressed its strong concern about President Obama's choice of William Magwood to fill a vacant seat on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). In a letter sent to Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works Chair Senator Barbara Boxer and Ranking Member James Inhofe yesterday, POGO questioned Mr. Magwood's ability to effectively oversee and regulate the more than 120 licenses and renewal applications currently and soon to be before the Commission, and opposed his nomination. "This nomination flies in the face of the spirit of President Obama's commitment to high ethical standards for the Administration's appointees," said POGO Executive Director Danielle Brian. "We believe it should be examined in the full light of public and congressional scrutiny."

"The Project On Government Oversight (POGO) is opposing President Obama's nomination of William Magwood for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Along with two other of the President's nominees to the NRC, Mr. Magwood will come before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee for a confirmation hearing tomorrow, Tuesday, February 9, 2010. In his State of the Union address, President Obama outlined a plan to build a new generation of nuclear power reactors. POGO does not take a stance on nuclear power, but does strongly believe that the regulatory body that licenses and inspects nuclear power reactors should be independent, active, and unconflicted. Mr. Magwood does not satisfy those key criteria. "As a result of our investigation and given his more than a dozen years promoting nuclear power, we do not believe Mr.Magwood has the independence from the nuclear power industry, nor the security oversight background, to regulate it," said Danielle Brian, Executive Director, POGO. "We don't care if he is pro-nuclear. The current NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko and the Republican nominee Bill Ostendorff, are pro-nuclear, but we believe they have a demonstrated record of being independent and serious about oversight.""

"In the midst of initiating a federal spending freeze, it is shocking that President Obama's FY 2011 Budget Request released this week pours billions of dollars into two unnecessary nuclear weapons construction projects. There is no demonstrated requirement for either the Uranium Processing Facility (UPF) at the Y-12 National Security Complex nor the Chemical and Metallurgical Research Replacement Nuclear Facility (CMRR-NF) at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). "Contrary to the spin, neither of these facilities are needed to ensure the safety, security and effectiveness of our weapons," says Peter Stockton, POGO Senior Investigator. In addition, DOE does not even have an estimated cost for completing the projects, as the budget describes their total costs as "TBD." "To Be a Disaster," is what POGO fears that term means, based on DOE's atrocious record of soaring construction costs and overruns. For example, the cost of the Highly Enriched Uranium Manufacturing Facility (HEUMF) at Y-12 ballooned from $97 million to $549 million. "

"On Tuesday, POGO Investigator Ingrid Drake presented to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on revisions to the Enforcement and Allegations programs, which handles allegations that come in about safety issues or security concerns at nuclear power plants. POGO made recommendations last year to the NRC staff, who were revising the programs in response to the Peach Bottom debacle A bit of background: the NRC hears from approximately 500-600 allegers each year. There was an increase to about 650 allegations in 2009. NRC substantiates about 30 percent, and 10 percent require a significant regulatory response."

Yesterday, POGO sent a letter to the Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Health, Safety, and Security (HSS) urging it to provide oversight and enforcement of Oak Ridge National Laboratory's (ORNL) beryllium exposure prevention policies. These policies were designed to prevent Lab workers' exposure to beryllium, which can lead to the development of the incurable and potentially fatal lung disease, chronic beryllium disease. Recently, POGO received a tip that ORNL is not in compliance with its beryllium prevention plan. ORNL's plan was born out of Beryllium Controls at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (IG-737), a damning 2006 DOE Inspector General (IG) report which found that ORNL "did not properly manage activities relating to beryllium contamination." In our letter, we expressed concern that HSS did not follow up on these issues when they were previously brought to the office's attention.

Last week, POGO sent a letter to Energy Secretary Steven Chu challenging the decision to bestow upon the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) an award for "Project Management Excellence" for the performance of what is ironically one of its most poorly managed projects, the National Ignition Facility (NIF).

"On Monday, the Department of Energy (DOE) Inspector General (IG) released a report on why it has been taking so long for DOE to secure the stock of Uranium-233 (U-233) at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The stock of U-233, a highly radioactive isotope with dangerous properties, still sits in a "deteriorating" ORNL facility even though DOE began planning to dispose of the material back in 2001. As some of you may recall, POGO actually has some pretty direct experience with this material. During a 2005 site visit, POGO investigators were able to park in front of the ORNL building that held the 1,000 cans of U-233 and walk around for about 15 minutes before guards finally approached them and escorted them from the area. We determined that ORNL was the most vulnerable site in the U.S. nuclear weapons complex."

According to an "Occurrence Report" obtained by the non-profit Project on Government Oversight (POGO), researchers blew up their building with a powerful cannon used to study the types of forces produced by a nuclear explosion: "On December 16, 2009, Shock and Detonation Physics Group researchers heard a loud unusual noise from Technical Area 15, Building 562 after firing a shot from a large-bore powder gun (LBPG).... the researchers conducted surveillance outside TA-15-562 and observed that two doors had been blown off the facility and concrete shielding blocks on the west and east side of the building were separated from the wall." Although no one was hurt, a POGO source puts the damage at around $3 million. We're going to say it: That was $3 million of taxpayer funds well-spent. Forget those stem cell thingies. Blow up a couple buildings every month and we'll have high school students flooding science classes like they were Jonas Brothers concerts.

According to an "Occurrence Report" obtained by the non-profit Project on Government Oversight (POGO), researchers blew up their building with a powerful cannon used to study the types of forces produced by a nuclear explosion: "On December 16, 2009, Shock and Detonation Physics Group researchers heard a loud unusual noise from Technical Area 15, Building 562 after firing a shot from a large-bore powder gun (LBPG).... the researchers conducted surveillance outside TA-15-562 and observed that two doors had been blown off the facility and concrete shielding blocks on the west and east side of the building were separated from the wall." Although no one was hurt, a POGO source puts the damage at around $3 million. We're going to say it: That was $3 million of taxpayer funds well-spent. Forget those stem cell thingies. Blow up a couple buildings every month and we'll have high school students flooding science classes like they were Jonas Brothers concerts.

The Project On Government Oversight said the Dept. of Energy is implementing a new policy on security requirements at its nuclear weapons facilities and that the plan -- known as Graded Security Protection -- will actually decrease the security requirements at some sites. The new security policy, according to POGO, is replacing what was known as the Design Basis Threat, which set the standards for protection against terrorism. In a prepared statement, POGO exec director Danielle Brian said, "One thing we don't understand is why different sites need different requirements if they are guarding the same thing: highly enriched uranium or plutonium."

"George Lobsenz's article in yesterday's issue of The Energy Daily correctly pointed out that the Department of Energy's decision to provide the contractors who run the nuclear weapons labs with major relief from federal oversight was done "Without any prior public review or comment." DOE's decision was made public after POGO released a March 16 memo from Deputy Energy Secretary Daniel Poneman. Lobsenz's story also smartly references the Government Accountability Office's (GAO) analysis which concluded that DOE needs more independent federal oversight, not less. "

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) announced today that it is only giving Exelon Nuclear a slap on the wrist for the security vulnerabilities caused by sleeping guards at its Peach Bottom nuclear power plant. POGO is concerned that the proposed $65,000 civil penalty does not send a very loud message to other power plants about the need to implement new work hour rules that ensure security personnel remain capable of safely performing their duties. In fact, the proposed fine probably doesn't even come close to covering the cost of NRC's investigation into the matter. We recommend a serious revamping of the fee structure to provide a real deterrent when licensees violate NRC requirements.

For the second time in two weeks, Commissioners at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) have rejected staff recommendations to improve security at nuclear power plants by a tie vote of two-two. NRC rules establish that a tie vote means a rejected vote. The first NRC action was to reject a staff recommendation that would have provided the public with more information on the results of security inspections at nuclear power plants. This is a topic that POGO feels strongly about: in fact, we recently submitted public comments in favor of the staff recommendations.

"POGO often talks about how not to treat whistleblowers-retaliating against them, ignoring them, and marginalizing them-yet we often do not hear about how government agencies should treat someone who shines the light on significant wrongdoing. This morning's broadcast of Democracy Now! provides an example of how legislators, and inspectors general (IG), can pick up the baton from a whistleblower. Democracy Now's host Amy Goodman interviews Arnie Gundersen, a nuclear engineer and former vice president of his power plant who blew the whistle on inadequate storage of radioactive material at the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant 20 years ago. While the Nuclear Regulatory Commission did not confirm his allegations, then-Ohio Senator John Glenn and the IG substantiated his allegations. "

In a letter to President Obama, the Project On Government Oversight is asking that the NNSA's decision to withhold contractor performance data be reversed and open up that information for the public to see. Nuclear Weapons & Materials Monitor, a Washington-based newsletter, first reported the NNSA action that was described in an internal agency memo. "Given that 90 percent of DOE's work is performed by contractors, it is absolutely critical that PEPs (Performance Evaluation Plans) and PERs (Performance Evaluation Reports) be made available to public scrutiny immediately and not three years hence as recommended by Mr. Boyd's memo," POGO said in a press statement.

In a letter to President Obama, the Project On Government Oversight is asking that the NNSA's decision to withhold contractor performance data be reversed and open up that information for the public to see. Nuclear Weapons & Materials Monitor, a Washington-based newsletter, first reported the NNSA action that was described in an internal agency memo. "Given that 90 percent of DOE's work is performed by contractors, it is absolutely critical that PEPs (Performance Evaluation Plans) and PERs (Performance Evaluation Reports) be made available to public scrutiny immediately and not three years hence as recommended by Mr. Boyd's memo," POGO said in a press statement.

"The Project On Government Oversight today is distributing copies of a March 16 memo from Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman that outlines a safety and security reform plan that will be implemented in a hurry. The DOE plan is supposed to give more flexibility to contractors to carry out safety and security tasks without "low-value burdensome requirements" and bolster productivity. Critics have suggested the plan will raise the potential for problems. In a statement by e-mail, POGO Executive Director Danielle Brian said: "This confirms our worst fears. Without adult supervision, we can be sure the Labs will be even less serious about safety and security.""

"In the run-up to the Nuclear Security Summit, the Project On Government Oversight said cancellation of the Uranium Processing Facility at Y-12 should be among the U.S. commitments. Here's what POGO said on UPF: "The U.S. should cancel the construction of the Uranium Processing Facility (UPF) at Y-12 National Security Complex, which creates a long-term mission for large stocks of HEU to be available for the production of up to 200 new secondaries per year. The highly-respected JASON group's recent study found that the nation's nuclear warheads, including the HEU secondaries, can continue to be extended safely and certifiably for decades. Without the UPF, the U.S. still has the capacity to manufacture new secondaries. The $3.5 billion estimated cost of UPF can be reallocated towards the downblending budget.""

The Project On Government Oversight has obtained hundreds of pages of internal NRC documents from an NRC Inspector General investigation into then-Commissioner Jeffrey Merrifield. The documents outline, among other things, how he disregarded advice from NRC's General Counsel and voted on two matters that "could have potentially" financially benefitted three companies-Shaw Group, Westinghouse, and General Electric-during the time he was directly involved in employment negotiations with those companies. The IG investigation found that in the two months before accepting a job created for him at the Shaw Group, Commissioner Merrifield voted both to approve China's purchase of AP 1000 reactors (in which the Shaw Group had a financial interest) and to change criteria of emergency cooling systems that would directly benefit Westinghouse (of which the Shaw Group owned a 20 percent interest). The IG referred the case to the Department of Justice.

The Project On Government Oversight has obtained hundreds of pages of internal NRC documents from an NRC Inspector General investigation into then-Commissioner Jeffrey Merrifield. The documents outline, among other things, how he disregarded advice from NRC's General Counsel and voted on two matters that "could have potentially" financially benefitted three companies-Shaw Group, Westinghouse, and General Electric-during the time he was directly involved in employment negotiations with those companies. The IG investigation found that in the two months before accepting a job created for him at the Shaw Group, Commissioner Merrifield voted both to approve China's purchase of AP 1000 reactors (in which the Shaw Group had a financial interest) and to change criteria of emergency cooling systems that would directly benefit Westinghouse (of which the Shaw Group owned a 20 percent interest). The IG referred the case to the Department of Justice.

If your kid accidentally blew apart a building, would you give them less supervision? This hands-off approach is exactly what the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is doing by giving the contractors who manage the nation's eight nuclear weapons sites (Los Alamos National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Nevada Test Site, Sandia National Laboratory, Savannah River Site, Pantex, Y-12, and the Kansas City Plant) a six-month break from many regularly scheduled oversight reviews.

If your kid accidentally blew apart a building, would you give them less supervision? This hands-off approach is exactly what the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is doing by giving the contractors who manage the nation's eight nuclear weapons sites (Los Alamos National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Nevada Test Site, Sandia National Laboratory, Savannah River Site, Pantex, Y-12, and the Kansas City Plant) a six-month break from many regularly scheduled oversight reviews.

"Realizing that there is mounting doubt on the Hill in the wisdom of spending billions of dollars on four new buildings for the creation of new components for nuclear weapons, the directors of three national laboratories are going on the offensive. As Politico reports, the directors of Los Alamos, Lawrence Livermore and Sandia National Laboratories have challenged the findings, and frankly, the credibility, of one of the most independent and respected technical expert groups, JASON. Last year, JASON found that the life of the nation's nuclear warheads, including plutonium pits and HEU (highly enriched uranium) secondaries, can be extended safely and certifiably for decades without replacement."

This week, President-elect Obama is expected to appoint a Secretary for the Department of Energy (DOE). This person will need some serious muscle: in addition to the enormous task of shifting the bureaucracy's entrenched focus away from nuclear weapons production toward the renewable energy priorities of the Obama Administration, they will also need to hold accountable the contractors who conduct 90 percent of the agency's work. Additionally, with a seat on the Nuclear Weapons Council, the Secretary will have to stand up against the well-organized offensive for the Bush Administration's failed Reliable Replacement Warhead (RRW) program. As Walter Pincus reported in the Washington Post last week, U.S. Strategic Commander Air Force Gen. Kevin P. Chilton is calling for a rush to develop and produce RRW because of alleged surety problems--a topic of serious controversy within the nuclear scientific community. Also, in the January/February edition of Foreign Affairs, Sec. of Defense Robert Gates again heralded RRW, without addressing the fact that RRW's test pedigree will be much less extensive than that of the existing stockpile.