The irony was not lost on us when we were told the live webcast feed for today’s Commission meeting on public participation wasn’t, well, actually getting out to the public.
Obviously, we encountered technical difficulties. The contractor hired to broadcast the meeting discovered early in the meeting that the webcast video was not being distributed to internet viewers (for reasons not yet clear). Unfortunately, it was not a quick fix to get it back up and running, and only the last part of the meeting actually ended up being available via live webcast.
We apologize for this unfortunate turn of events. The archive of the meeting will be available in the archive section of the Webcast Portal later today.
Note: The webcast is now available.
U.S. NRC Blog 
I obtained the meeting transcript. I do not appreciate the remark ( on page 30 or 32 I think) about the folks in California being asleep. I was one of the members of Mothers for Peace trying to access the live stream. I phoned several phone numbers on NRC website to ask if the problem originated with NRC or if I was doing somethong wrong. All I got were answering machines.
I have not seen any evidence of the NRC – or AEC – valuing public participation in the 40 years MFP has had intervenor status. This recent failure is just one more example of the lack of respect and the roadblocks to public participation that are embedded in the culture of this captured regulator.
Thank you for your observations on our recent technology issues. We are still reviewing what happened yesterday and hope to take action that will minimize such issues in the future. I can’t speak to the Ft. Calhoun phone bridge issue, but will make sure Region IV sees this feedback.
Darren Ash
Note from the Moderator: The meeting held yesterday on public participation was a formal meeting between the Commission and its invited participants. The public was invited to view in person or via webcast, but per Commission policy, there wasn’t an opportunity for public comment during the meeting. However, anyone can submit their comments directly to the Secretary of the Commission by sending them to NRCExecSec@nrc.gov. They will be included as part of the record of the meeting. More information on Commission meeting policy is here: http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/policy-making/internal.html
Respected Mr. Darren Ash
NRC Deputy Executive Director for Corporate Management
Dear Sir, Admitting mistakes or difficulties (human performance or technical) and taking proven and systematic actions to correct them and continued monitoring and awareness are the biggest quality of a person, organization, nuclear utility and a nation. Finally, what I mean is, Americans need safe, affordable, reliable, well managed, well maintained and excellently operated nuclear power plants, where workers are free for raising nuclear safety and personnel concerns and Rate Payers, Regulators, Politicians and News Media are Proud. Thanks for posting this blog … HAHN Baba
Is something going to be done to deal with this? Since it was supposed to be a public engagement type discussion rather than public access to watch a meeting it seems a bit pointless if people couldn’t participate? I know there was a problem on a web meeting a month or two ago where some of the participants could not be heard while others were quite loud.
There was a phone bridge only on Ft. Calhoun recently that had a participant that kept yelling into the open phone line and playing music so the meeting could not be heard. Not sure if there is a way to boot someone out of a phone meeting but it would have been quite handy if someone could have identified and booted that participant. In their defense I think they were having a technical problem but it still disrupted the meeting. Maybe other technology platforms could be considered for these two meeting formats? It seems like the web meetings frequently have bugs in the system, or at least the ones I have been on.
Please reschedule the meeting so that it is actually a public meeting and allow ample time for public comments since that is what the meeting is about!
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Also consider giving a cash award to the top 5 suggestions, if you can pay Staff to attend meetings the NRC should reward those that make the NRC more efficient! A Win-Win for US…
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I would encourage readers to read the comments on this NRC blog:
“Improving Communication at the NRC”
https://public-blog.nrc-gateway.gov/2013/01/16/improving-communication-at-the-nrc/