Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) yesterday applauded the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's decision to quickly implement safety upgrades in the wake of Japan's nuclear crisis but said the timelines for taking such steps is too drawn out.

NRC ordered its staff yesterday to immediately take action on seven safety recommendations that its near-term task force released this summer. The recommendations cover issues such as recovering electric power to a reactor after it is lost, reviewing seismic and flooding hazards, ensuring emergency equipment is accessible and enhancing staff training.

NRC assembled the expert panel to help review the agency's activities in light of Japan's disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi plant that was struck by an earthquake and tsunami in early March. The task force released its recommendations this summer, and NRC staff was asked to prioritize the proposals. NRC staff identified seven recommendations out of a dozen proposed as the most pressing items to move forward (E&ENews PM, Oct. 5).

NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko said in a statement yesterday that he is pleased the commission took the first step in responding to the task force, and that he and his colleagues expect to enhance already robust safety standards within five years.

But Markey, for whom Jaczko formerly served as a congressional science fellow, said the time frames NRC laid out yesterday, as well as the commissioners' insistence on reanalyzing technical recommendations, is unacceptable. Notably, Markey has criticized members of the commission in the past for rebuffing the chairman's call for quick implementation of the safety upgrades (E&E Daily, July 21)

"The commission has finally acted on several of its own task force's safety recommendations more than seven months after the Fukushima meltdowns, but the timeframes they have set forth for implementing them and the commissioners' insistence on seemingly endless reanalysis of their own technical staff's recommendations are unacceptable," Markey said.

NRC commissioners agreed to complete the "station blackout" rule by April 2014, according to commission. Commissioners decided that an advance notice of rulemaking should be conducted, although Jaczko said it would be simpler to propose a rule.

"This will add an extra step to the process," Jaczko said. "Nevertheless, addressing station blackout is a high priority, and I will do my best to lead the staff in accomplishing this effort."

Although Markey is calling for faster reaction from NRC, industry officials have urged the agency to take a measured approach and consider unintended consequences associated with making safety upgrades (E&E Daily, July 19).

NRC staff through reports to the commission have endorsed almost all of the task force recommendations and proposed additional steps in October that called for extra attention to spent fuel storage and emergency planning, the agency said. The remaining task force and staff recommendations are pending before the commission.