Five Questions With: Andrea Veil

Andrea Veil is the Executive Director for the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards

1. How would you briefly describe your role at the NRC?

I serve as the liaison between the ACRS and the NRC staff at all levels and the NRC Commissioners. I also manage the technical and administrative staff who support the ACRS as it meets its obligation to provide the Commission with independent and timely technical advice. By the way, the ACRS full committee just held its 638^th meeting last week.

2. What is your foremost responsibility at work?

Ensuring that the ACRS members have everything that they need to provide effective and timely technical advice to the NRC Commission. That means researching issues, getting answers to questions, pulling together legal and regulatory documents, talking to stakeholders, reviewing reports and all other kinds of support actions. The independence of ACRS is truly unique among government agencies. The ACRS provides independent advice to the Commission on issues related to nuclear reactors safety and security, and nuclear waste and materials, so facilitating the technical reviews and meetings required to fulfill the ACRS mission is of utmost importance.

3. What is your most significant challenge in the workplace?

The challenge to continue adapt to agency-wide changes that may affect the ACRS workload and independent function.

4. What do you consider one of your most notable accomplishments at the NRC?

I would say one of my biggest job successes is becoming the first female Executive Director of the ACRS since its beginning in 1954.

5. What is one quality of the NRC that more people should know?

The NRC is a regulatory authority and does not have promotion of nuclear energy as part of its mission. Our stance is if there is to be nuclear power in this country, it will be done safely. We don’t advocate for or against nuclear power, nor do we have any say in the energy generation mix in this country (that’s Department of Energy). In addition, over regulation by the NRC is sometimes cited as the reason for the permanent closure of a plant. The decision by a utility to permanently close a plant is a business/economic decision by that licensee.

Five Questions is an occasional series in which we pose the same questions to different NRC staff members.

Author: Moderator

Public Affairs Officer for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission View all posts by Moderator