NRC NEWS U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 

 Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200

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Web Site: http://www.nrc.gov

 

No. 07-002 January 5, 2007

NRC COMMISSIONER EDWARD McGAFFIGAN TO LEAVE AGENCY 

ROCKVILLE, MD – Nuclear Regulatory Commission member Edward McGaffigan, Jr., a 31-year

veteran of public service and member of the Commission since 1996, announced today he will leave

the regulatory body upon the confirmation of a successor.

McGaffigan, 58, announced his intention in letters to President Bush and Senate Majority

Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev, dated Jan. 4, 2007. The longest-serving member in the NRC’s 32-year

history and the only member to have served over 10 years, McGaffigan is undergoing treatment for

metastatic melanoma. Copies of the letters are attached.

“Ed McGaffigan has made exceptionally valuable contributions to the work of the NRC over

the past decade. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family,” said NRC Chairman Dale

Klein.

Commissioner McGaffigan’s current biography is available on the NRC’s web site

(www.nrc.gov ).

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 January 4, 2007

The President

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

I have had the high honor of serving my country in a variety of federal civilian positions for almost 31

years. You gave me my most recent opportunity by appointing me to my third term as a Commissioner

at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in 2005. I deeply appreciate your confidence in me.

Unfortunately, for the past six months I have been battling an aggressive recurrence of metastatic

melanoma. My life expectancy is limited. Therefore, I will resign upon the confirmation by the Senate

of the successor whom you nominate. My hope is that you will be able to pair the nomination of my

successor with that of Commissioner Jeffrey Merrifield‘s successor and that will in turn ease Senate

confirmation of your nominees and help maintain a full five-member Commission. I had hoped to be

an element of stability at NRC as the Commission faces enormous challenges in the years ahead. I fear

now that I will contribute to instability at the worst possible time.

Thank you, again, for this last opportunity to serve my country.

Sincerely,

Edward McGaffigan, Jr.
January 4, 2007

The Honorable Harry Reid

Majority Leader

United States Senate

528 Hart Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator Reid:

I have today submitted to the President my resignation as a Commissioner at the Nuclear Regulatory

Commission (NRC), effective upon the confirmation of my successor.

I deeply appreciate your support for my nomination to a third term on the Commission in 2005. I feel

like I am letting you and the President down. But the melanoma which reappeared last July is

marching on and I no longer have any prospect of defeating it.

The NRC faces enormous challenges in the years ahead. It is vital that every effort be made to

maintain a full five-member Commission. My resignation, combined with the end of Commissioner

Jeffrey Merrifield’s term on June 30, will allow for the pairing of the two successors whom the

President nominates in the Senate confirmation process. My hope would be that the Commission will

not drop to three members on July 1.

Thank you so much for this last opportunity to serve my country and for the warm letter you sent in

November when I became the longest serving Commissioner in NRC’s history and received NRC’s

Distinguished Service Award. I wish you all the best in your service to the Nation as Senate Majority

Leader starting today.

Sincerely,

Edward McGaffigan, Jr.

Enclosure: Letter to The President