Nuclear institute asks feds to reconsider shutdown plans The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission furloughed 92 percent of its staff during the recent government shutdown, and the association that represents the nuclear power industry said that "overly restrictive" decision raises safety concerns. In an open letter to the commission, Nuclear Energy Institute CEO Marvin Fertel said that during the shutdown, only 300 of the agency's 3,600 staff remained at work to carry out its safety mission. "Other federal agencies, many of which do not directly regulate safety, apparently allowed a much greater percentage of personnel to continue working than did the NRC," Fertel said.… Read More