Pinellas man to head nuclear agency [NRC]

[Susan L Gawarecki <loc@icx.net>]

Pinellas man to head nuclear agency

Nils J. Diaz will head the Nuclear Regulatory Commission at a time of

heightened security concerns. 



By ALEX LEARY, Times Staff Writer 

St. Petersburg Times, published April 2, 2003 

http://www.sptimes.com/2003/04/02/TampaBay/Pinellas_man_to_head_.shtml



Nils J. Diaz, a St. Pete Beach resident and former University of Florida

professor, was chosen Tuesday to head the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Commission. 



The selection of the 64-year-old Diaz, appointed by President Bush,

comes at a time that the chairmanship has assumed greater visibility

because of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. 



Diaz takes over for Richard Meserve, who is leaving early to become

president of the Carnegie Institution, a prominent research center in

Washington, D.C. 



Diaz, who turns 65 next week, joined the five-member commission in 1996.

He was previously a professor of nuclear engineering science at the

University of Florida. He also was director of the Innovative Nuclear

Space Power Institute, a consortium of industries, universities and

national laboratories, and a nuclear consultant. 



As chairman, Diaz is the NRC's principal executive officer and chief

spokesman. He is responsible for the administrative, organizational,

long-range planning and budgetary functions of the agency. 



He assumes the new role at a sensitive time. The terrorist attacks

placed great attention on security of the nation's nuclear facilities,

including the Progress Energy plant in Crystal River. 



In speeches and interviews, Diaz has sought to play down public concern,

saying nuclear plants are among the strongest industrial facilities in

the world. 



Diaz says nuclear plants should be adequately secured but has been

critical of "doomsday" scenarios, such as what would happen if a

jetliner crashed into a reactor. 



"I firmly believe that there would not be significant health and safety

consequences for the public from radiation in the very unlikely scenario

of that type of attack, even if the containment is breached or other

structures failed," Diaz told the American Nuclear Society in November

2002. 



"It is not possible to bring to zero the possibility of plant structural

or systems failure, but it is reasonable to state that the American

system of protecting our citizens today will not fail." 



Diaz could not be reached Tuesday for comment. 

-- 

.....................................................

Susan L. Gawarecki, Ph.D., Executive Director

Oak Ridge Reservation Local Oversight Committee

102 Robertsville Road, Suite B, Oak Ridge, TN 37830

Toll free 888-770-3073 ~ www.local-oversight.org

.....................................................

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