Cooling towers at the nuclear reactor facility at the Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant in Georgia. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is an independent agency charged with overseeing safety at the nation’s reactors.
Mike Stewart/AP
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Mike Stewart/AP
President Trump has dismissed a member of the independent commission overseeing the nation’s nuclear reactors.
Nuclear Regulatory Commissioner Christopher T. Hanson was removed on Friday, according to an email from Trent Morse, the White House Deputy Director of Presidential Personnel.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission did not immediately respond to NPR’s request for comment.
Last month, President Trump signed an executive order mandating sweeping reforms to the NRC, calling for a “wholesale revision” of safety regulations and reductions in force at the agency.
The decision to remove Hanson has raised concerns among observers of the nuclear industry, with some fearing implications for nuclear safety.
The NRC, established in 1974, is responsible for regulating nuclear reactors and protecting the public from radiation exposure.
