The regional manager at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission wants the House Ethics Committee to reprimand Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) for publicizing anonymous allegations that the regulator suppressed information about safety problems at a Nebraska nuclear plant and berated inspectors.

Troy Pruett, the deputy director of the Division of Reactor Projects in NRC's Arlington, Texas, office, said Markey damaged his credibility and reputation as a nuclear regulator, according to a letter he sent the House committee Monday.

Markey, the ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee, failed to verify the validity of an April 24 letter from anonymous NRC staff members before releasing a copy of the letter last week, Pruett said (E&ENews PM, May 9).

"I believe Congressman Markey should be publicly reprimanded for his actions and that his office must issue a formal press release indicating I have a strong and unyielding focus on public safety," Pruett told the House panel.

Giselle Barry, a spokeswoman for Markey, said the congressman takes very seriously information that he receives from "federal whistle-blowers about allegations they have been exposed to retaliation and intimidation." Barry said Markey forwarded the allegations to the NRC and requested an independent investigation into the charges.

"Rep. Markey also requested the NRC provide him with documents and materials related to this serious matter so that he can learn more about the facts and circumstances. We look forward to NRC's response," she said. "As for Mr. Pruett's letter, it is odd that his response to Rep. Markey's request for an independent investigation into allegations of retaliation against whistle-blowers was a misguided attempt to retaliate against Rep. Markey."

NRC staff accused Pruett of retaliating against workers who brought safety concerns to his attention.

Staffers also accused Pruett of overriding their concerns at Nebraska's Fort Calhoun power plant, 19 miles north of Omaha. The facility has been closed because of flooding on the Missouri River last year, which was followed by a fire in March that knocked out the cooling system for the used nuclear fuel.

Pruett said Markey released the letter for political reasons and possibly ruined his "unblemished" 30-year military and civil service career. Pruett said he has received various safety and performance awards for his ability to identify and pursue safety problems at nuclear power plants.

"I have a proven track record as one of the NRC's toughest regulators," he wrote. "This fact can be easily confirmed by contacting any number of nuclear facilities, former NRC staff, or current NRC staff."

Pruett said that he respects the NRC staff's right to send a letter to Markey if it believed the commission was not responding, but that the congressman's decision to release the letter was "morally unethical" and "reckless."