In a recent scuffle on Capitol Hill, Senate Environment and Public Works Committee's ranking member, Shelley Moore Capito, pushed for intensified operation capacity at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Speaking at the confirmation hearing for NRC Chairman Christopher Hanson, the West Virginian senator underscored the criticality of in-person collaboration for the federal agency's productivity. "You select and appoint the Executive Director for Operations," Capito relayed, dissenting with Hanson's support for reduced staff's physical presence at the NRC, as per an EPW release.

Pivoting to Hanson's track record, Capito hauled into question his consistency, pointing out a flip-flop on nuclear licensing. She homed in on an instance where Hanson, siding with a former commissioner, voted to overturn already green-lit license renewals, sparking doubt over the NRC's reliability. "How does your vote to reverse previously issued licenses align with your 2020 statements that the NRC must be reliable and predictable, and your statements here again today, in its regulatory action so licensees can act with a minimum of uncertainty?" Capito grilled, according to the same Senate EPW Committee release.

The day was not without its commitments as the ranking member sought advanced efficiency benchmarks for the NRC’s license renewal evaluations. In seeking assurance, Capito demanded of Hanson a pledge to guide the NRC staff in improving their "roadmap." She envisioned a nimble review process capable of juggling up to 12 applications simultaneously, aspiring to see this ambition realized by year's end.

Replying to the tenacious senator, Hanson remained cautiously optimistic, wary of promising beyond the agency's reach. With a focus on understanding the NRC staff's true capacity, Hanson conceded to Capito's urgency for improvement. "Certainly I did say 14,000 hours," the NRC Chairman admitted, deeming it a reasonable target. "And getting to 18 months before 18 months is also something that I think we should and that I will be engaging with the staff directly on," Hanson affirmed, as recounted by the EPW release.