Senator presses Jaczko for longer recusal

Suzanne Struglinski

Wednesday, April 20, 2005 | 11:02 a.m.

WASHINGTON --Nuclear Regulatory Commission member Greg Jaczko's one-year recusal from talking about the Yucca Mountain project may not been enough for Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla.

At a belated confirmation hearing before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee today, Inhofe asked Jaczko, a former staff member of Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., if he would avoid talking about Yucca Mountain even longer.

"This is the only tough question you'll get today," said Inhofe, the committee's chairman. "Will you continue to recuse yourself for the rest of your service on dealing with Yucca Mountain?"

He pointed to former Commissioner James R. Curtiss, who served from Oct, 20, 1988, through June 30, 1993, and had a recusal for the length of his term on an issue on which he had a conflict of interest. Inhofe asked if Jaczko would agree to a similar request.

Jaczko said he would review the nature of Curtiss' terms with the commission's lawyers after this year-long recusal is over.

"I do believe I can be fair and objective on all matters, including Yucca Mountain that come before me as a commissioner," he said. "My hope is that within one year I will have demonstrated that absolutely I can be fair and objective and my hope is that at the end of my recusal the answer to that question will be self-evident, whether or not I need to further recuse myself."

He said after the hearing that he was not expecting the question but was not surprised by it either.

Jaczko was sworn in for his seat on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Jan. 21., after nearly two-year of debate over his nomination. Jaczko worked for Reid when he was a member of the committee in 2000 and then as his science adviser and on appropriations before coming to the commission. His work included Reid's fights against the proposed nuclear waste repository