NRC Removes Quality Assurance Programs and Whistleblower Protections

[Divernan]

1. Key question: Did this proBigNuke pandering happen on Obama's watch, i.e, since 2008?

If it happened before Obama took office, why has he not had the NRC reverse back to its original, far safer policy? Whatever date the change took place, Obama has clearly endorsed it.

Obviously, this is obscenely beneficial ($$$$) to Big Nuke industry and detrimental to public safety. Obama has benefitted from Exelon donations since he was in the Illinois Senate. "Obama himself accepted $159,800 from executives and employees of Exelon, the nation’s largest nuclear power plant operator and Exelon’s Frank Clark was an Obama bundler who brought in more than $200,000 for his campaign." (for just one of his elections - I didn't look up all his election donations from them). http://www.oregontrialadvocate.com/2010/03/28/obama-supports-giving-nuclear-power-loan-guarantees/
Exelon, headquartered in Chicago, has had full or majority ownership of 17 nuclear reactors in 10 nuclear power plants. Exelon has operations and business activities in 47 states, the District of Columbia and Canada and is the largest competitive U.S. power generator with approximately 35,000 megawatts of owned capacity
And from the OP link:

This represents a complete flip-flop on the part of the NRC from its earlier position.

A less than scrupulous applicant would have ample opportunity under the new interpretation to pass off poor or incomplete preliminary work as satisfactorily completed without any required verification.

Considering how many siting errors have been discovered in operating reactors built under the old rules, it is truly frightening to think what the consequences might be if a quality assurance program is no longer required until late in the licensing process.