Lummis Questions NRC Nominee Doug Weaver During EPW Committee Hearing

December 3, 2025

Washington, D.C. - Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) today questioned Doug Weaver, President Trump's nominee for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), at a Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee hearing.

Senator Lummis focused her questions and remarks on NRC issues that impact Wyoming's uranium in situ recovery sites, draft rules that could impact future mining, and how the NRC will go about licensing new facilities.

Below is the transcript of Senator Lummis' questioning of NRC Nominee Doug Weaver. Watch it here.

Senator Lummis: "Mr. Weaver, welcome. Thank you for your willingness to serve as well. I want to start by asking a question about an NRC draft rule. It has to do with groundwater protection at uranium in situ recovery sites. Now, there's quite a bit of in situ uranium, in Wyoming. I've been to in situ facilities. They look a bit little bit like beehives just sitting on the surface because you're driving uh charges into the ground that then will produce up in a well type scenario. It's fascinating. The concern is that the draft in situ rule on groundwater protection at uranium in situ recovery sites would increase monitoring and compliance costs despite decades of evidence showing that in situ operations pose extremely low risk to groundwater. So, if confirmed, how would you ensure that the NRC's IRS rule or in situ rule aligns with President Trump's executive order 14300? By taking what the president describes as a risk informed, narrowly tailored approach rather than a very broad measure that increases costs."

Doug Weaver: "Senator, thank you for meeting with me prior to this hearing. I appreciated that opportunity. I'm not aware of the draft rule. Something I would look at, should I be confirmed, but I can speak a little bit about risk informing. I do think that's the way forward writ at large for the NRC. It makes us more efficient but also keeps the resources focused on those things that are most risk significant. So I think it it it's something I would definitely look, if I do end up looking at that proposed rule, I would look at it through that risk informed lens, through that lens."

Senator Lummis: "Perfect. That's an excellent answer. With regard to the nuclear fuel supply chain, as you know, bringing U.S. enrichment technology online and on shore would be really helpful. We are, there are places where we have pinch points in our energy production. One of them is less in nuclear mining than in enrichment and conversion. So how would you go about processing licenses for U.S.-owned nuclear fuel facilities including enrichment facilities and conversion facilities?"

Doug Weaver: "Thank you for that question, Senator. I'm aware that conversion is a limiting factor as enrichment is as well and with the uranium ban, the Russian uranium ban looming, we as a country need to move expeditiously with respect to licensing in general for fuel cycle facilities I think the NRC is doing a lot of work on the Advance Act to be more efficient in licensing and although the Advance Act targeted advanced reactors primarily, I think the staff intends to bring those same efficiencies over to the fuel cycle arena and I would support that. The other thing I I can say about enrichment in prior, I've been consulting with an enrichment company and I'm aware of some of the challenges that they have faced. There is language in the Atomic Energy Act that puts some additional requirements on enrichment facilities that are not applicable to other fuel cycle facilities and from my perspective, it it's not based, there's not a safety case for having those extra restrictions and it would be something potential legislation fixes to look at."

Senator Lummis: "I'll look forward to working with you on that. With regard to other NRSC commissioners, how can you see yourself collaborating with the other commissioners to reflect the NRC's mission as a nuclear safety regulator while still enabling the use of some of these new technologies?"

Doug Weaver: "Yeah, thank you for that question. I do agree that having a full commission facilitates better answers when you get those five different perspectives and allows us to move ahead. Specifically with respect to your question on enabling, for me, what enabling means is that we do efficient effective reviews that get to a safety answer in a timely manner. So, I think that is not different than being safe. I think they're the same. I see them as the same thing."

Senator Lummis: "Thank you. Madam Chairman, would you indulge me on one more question?"

Chairman Capito: "I'll indulge you."

Senator Lummis: "Thank you. Do you plan to ensure that advanced reactor developers that are already deep into the licensing process can benefit from modernizing the NRC? And so it doesn't apply just to future developers, but it's companies that are already in this long arduous process?"

Doug Weaver: "Right. Thank you for that question. So, process changes and improvements at the NRC should apply to all of our applicants, whether they're currently engaged or prospective applicants. Those types of things should apply to everyone."

Senator Lummis: "Well, Madam Chairman, we did have a lovely conversation and obviously this is important to my state, and many others and this talk technology is important to our country. So, I look forward to enthusiastically supporting your nomination, Mr. Weaver. Thank you. And again, Mr. Bean, it's very nice to meet you and if the occasion falls on me to get to work with you, I will look forward to it."

Watch the entire exchange here.

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