Smoke and Mirrors: "You must try hard, don't give in..."

Smoke and Mirrors

For someone so young and naive
Hard to know what to believe
Still I thought I tried for a while
Turning round and giving up is not my style
On my own on my own way

Bottled up is where my fears go, my fears go
I will never show my fear
They'll tear me up until my tears show, my tears show
Smoke and mirrors

You must try hard, don't give in
Keep it up and you win
Don't let them know they get to you
Put on a brave face and you'll get through
On your own, on your own way

Bottled up is where your fears go, your fears go
You will never show your fear
They'll tear you up until your tears show, your tears show
Smoke and mirrors

This journey of ours never ends
We will always pretend
Fighting not to let them win
And they're falling into our illusion
On our own on our own way

Bottled up is where out fears go, our fears go
We will never show our fear
They'll tear us up until our tears show, our tears show
Smoke and mirrors
Its about smoke and mirrors

*

The smoke and mirrors game begins once again, it's beginning to get harder and harder to  see 'the real' out there. Here is a mini-playbook to help keep track.

United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) - was created as an independent agency by Congress in 1974 to enable the nation to safely use radioactive materials for beneficial civilian purposes while ensuring that people and the environment are protected. The NRC regulates commercial nuclear power plants and other uses of nuclear materials, such as in nuclear medicine, through licensing, inspection and enforcement of its requirements.  

Department of Energy (DOE) - origins can be traced to the Manhattan Project and the race to develop the atomic bomb during World War II. The Atomic Energy Act of 1946 led to the creation of the Atomic Energy Commission. In 1977 The Department of Energy Organization Act brought several agencies into a single agency the DOE. Under the department's Nuclear Energy program the overall goal is to improve nuclear safety performance throughout the Department's programs, sites and contractors.

Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future (BRC) - on January 29, 2010 President Obama announced the creation of the BRC. The announcement cited that the Commission should conduct a comprehensive review of policies for managing the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle, including all alternative for the storage, processing, and disposal of civilian and defense used nuclear fuel and nuclear waste.

The U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety - is one of seven subcommittees of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. Included in the committee's jurisdiction is Nuclear Plant Security and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

The BRC recently released and posted on its website drafts of proposed recommendations. These can be found at  Blue Ribbon Commission

The U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety held a meeting on June 30, 2011 which can be view here:

Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety hearing entitled, "Oversight: Review of EPA Regulations Replacing the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) and the Clean Air Mercury Rule (CAMR)."

Thursday, June 30, 2011

10:00 AM EDT

EPW Hearing Room - 406 Dirksen

 

*

 Smoke and Mirrors

This journey of ours never ends
We will always pretend
Fighting not to let them win 

*