March 17, 2014

DOE OFFICIAL TAPPED AS CHIEF OF STAFF TO NEW NRC CHAIR

By ExchangeMonitor

Allison M. Macfarlane, sworn in as chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission yesterday, has named Phil Niedzielski-Eichner as her new Chief of Staff. Niedzielski-Eichner has been leading the Department of Energy’s working group charged with drafting a report on how the agency will implement the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future’s recommendations, due to Congress by the end of this month. Prior to being named replacement for former NRC chairman Gregory Jaczko, Macfarlane was a member of the Blue Ribbon Commission. Niedzielski-Eichner held the Bible for Macfarlane at her brief swearing-in yesterday.

Macfarlane will serve as chairman for the remainder of Jaczko’s term, until June 30, 2013. Jaczko announced his resignation May 21, following several months of intense national scrutiny of his managing style after his four fellow commissioners wrote to the White House in October that he was creating a “chilled” work environment. “This is a singular honor. I am grateful to the President for nominating me and to the Senate for confirming my selection,” Macfarlane said in a statement yesterday. “The agency faces multiple challenges. I look forward to working collegially with my fellow commissioners and the excellent, dedicated staff at the NRC to address these issues.” Macfarlane holds a doctorate in geology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and most recently she worked as an associate professor of environmental science and policy at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va.

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