The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will hold a hearing next week to consider the two pending nominations for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The Obama Administration in July nominated Stephen Burns and Jeff Baran to fill open spots on the NRC. Burns previously worked for the NRC, rising to General Counsel under then-Chairman Gregory Jaczko, but left in 2012 for a position with the Nuclear Energy Agency. Baran currently serves as an aide to House Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) while also serving as Democratic staff director for the Energy and Environment Subcommittee. EPW Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) could press the nominees over concerns she has raised with the NRC in recent months over its decommissioning exemption process as well as its efforts to implement lessons-learned recommendations from the Fukushima accident. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) also has been reported to have some concerns with the two candidates. The hearing will take place on Tuesday at 10 a.m.
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