commissioner svinicki. >> senator barrasso, i agree with my colleagues. i think the chairman has outlined the action that is we are taking in response to just that concern to learn the lessons to move forward. i would say on the timelines i think the commission to a person ha

commissioner svinicki? >> my comment was can't be the same as commissioner ostendorff, which is that i have tremendous confidence in the discipline process that the nrc and the commission and the staff caf followed to get us to the point we have i think prioritized appropriately. we are moving forward on high priority items, and i think that we have done a very searching review of lessons learned and i do think that we are focused on the right things. not everything can be pursued at the same pace. i think we've put the emphasis on the highest priority items and i think that we followed a tremendously rigorous process and getting to where we are today. thank you pete >> commissioner? >> thank you. a couple of thoughts. first, i think it's always easy since we are at the center of this as a regulatory agency of the united states to the cut, you know, what we do is very important that there are so many other people that have taken the role in thinking about these issues including the society's report of the a

i concur with you on your views on commissioner svinicki.she is a valuable member the commission and my hope is she will be reconfirmed tonight expect to support her. i also want to say this commission has been through tough times. this chairman trying to figure out how to lead effectively and to play his role well. we had really a public come to jesus meeting here several months ago. you are part of that and i was part of that and my sense is that maybe we have a positive effect. we will find out. we have seen the license now issued for not one but the first to nuclear power plants that will be built in this country for 20 or 30 years. i think that is pretty good progress, two out of three of the appointees of our president actually voted for that and i think that is a good sign. and so i just, i hope that this hearing focuses more on what can we learn from the awful events of fukushima, what we are doing about what we have learned, what is the timetable, what do we need need to do on the side of the dye is to make sure the lessons are impl

commissioner svinicki? >> senator carper, in addition to the two workers who i also understand were immediately drowned on site in the event, i am aware of two workers that have been engaged in the heroic recovery efforts under extremely uncomfortable and adverse conditions. i understand that two individuals who died of heart attacks. i don't know the direct relation, but some of the workers have to work in anti-contamination clothing, it's very hot, very uncourt fobble a, -- uncomfortable, they 345eu have had a stress reaction. i am aware two additional workers was not a radiological event but it was a heart attack from the extreme efforts they were making. >> all right. the -- before i move on to my other questions, in the united states since the first nuclear power plants were built, how many lives have been lost? does anybody know? recall off the top of your head? >> senator, i believe the answer is none as far as any deaths due to radiation exposure at a nuclear power plant in this country or any of ou

svinicki? >> and order is issued. is a set of compulsory actions issued to private entities such as nuclear power plant operators. we can issue a directive or order. those actions were described. in order is separate from the process of establishing a new regulation. we can take action quickly. >> how does an order differ from a letter? >> and order is a requirement that a power plant has to take. the letter is the first step in gathering information. it is something they have to tell us. it is information they are required to provide to us. it does not necessarily direct any particular action. it is the precursor to additional action. >> in terms of the agreement among the commissioners, has there been unanimous agreement on the orders that have been issued? a unanimous agreement in terms of what is tier one and tier two and three. has there been agreement on those points? that is good. thank you. >> madam chairman and members here, i apologize for not being here. we are doing our armed services committee right now.