Trump fires nuclear safety commissioner, wants less regulation

To everyone’s surprise, Donald Trump has decided to remove Christopher Hanson from his position as Chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

According to the Washington Post, Hanson learned the news through a brief e-mail sent on a Friday evening, a method now common in the Trump administration. He says he was fired for no good reason, even though the position is supposed to be neutral and independent of politics.

In a move aimed at consolidating its authority over independent federal agencies, the Trump administration is criticizing the NRC for its standards, which are seen as restrictive and an obstacle to the rapid deployment of small nuclear reactors.

This dismissal is part of a wider strategy linked to Trump’s recently unveiled energy agenda, centered on US “energy dominance”.

The decision drew widespread criticism, with some seeing it as a serious attack on the independence of regulatory institutions. Among them, the director of nuclear safety at the Union of Concerned Scientists accuses the administration of compromising the safety of the nuclear industry.