Stephen Burns, a 33-year veteran of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has been sworn in as an NRC Commissioner for a term expiring on 30 June 2019.
Burns took the oath of office from NRC Chairman Allison M. Macfarlane in the Commission’s hearing room in Rockville, Maryland on 5 November. He becomes the 35th individual to join the commission since its inception in 1975.
Most recently, Burns was the Head of Legal Affairs for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Nuclear Energy Agency, a position he has held since 2012. Prior to joining the OECD, he served at the NRC in a variety of roles, including as NRC’s General Counsel from 2009 to 2012.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has five members, one of which is designated by the president as chairman. Commissioners formulate policies, develop regulations, issue orders to licensees and adjudicate legal matters. Members serve five-year terms, with one term expiring every year on June 30.
The current commissioners are Kristine L. Svinicki (whose second term expires in June 2017); William C. Ostendorff (also in his second term, expiring June 2016) and Jeff Baran who was sworn in last month to serve out the remainder William Magwood’s term ending June 2015. NRC chairman Macfarlane who was confirmed to a five-year term ending in June 2018 is due to leave the agency effective 1 January 2015 to return to academia.
Photo: Stephen Burns takes the oath of office as an NRC Commissioner from NRC Chairman Allison Macfarlane, right (Source: NRC)
