It is a great pleasure to be here this morning to address this distinguished gathering. At the outset, I would like to express my thanks to Commissioner Dicus, who graciously offered to exchange places with me, and allow me to take the mid-morning time slot in this morning's program and to catch my early flight. Therefore, I will leave her with the pleasant chore of answering your questions, as a token of my appreciation. Last year, when I had the honor to address this group, I was still a relatively new kid on the block.
Congratulations are again in order.
They are among the brave and the free who make America strong, to paraphrase Francis Scott Key. It would be wrong not to acknowledge here, today, the contribution of the hands-on people of industry and NRC in what America's nuclear industry has achieved. It is they who for decades have played an indispensable role in keeping the risk of nuclear plants and nuclear applications acceptably low. Without their diligence, dedication, and attention to detail, the safety decisions made at the top of organizations would not be translated into action. It is their quality in action and quality in depth that establishes the flexible and strong framework on which the nuclear technology and regulatory technology fabrics are woven.