Rep. Lois Capps, D-Santa Barbara, on Wednesday questioned Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Gregory Jaczko at an Energy and Commerce Committee hearing.

Capps asked Jaczko when she could expect a response to the letter she sent to the NRC on March 24, asking for a stay in the relicensing process at the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant.

Click here to view video of Capps’ questioning.

Capps also inquired as to why the NRC’s relicensing process focuses only on facilities and management of the plant and does not take new threats — such as seismic issues — into account. The transcript of a portion of Capps’ questioning follows.

Capps: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And Chairman Jaczko, thank you to you and to all the commissioners for appearing at this hearing today. Chairman (Jaczko), it has been over a month since I requested the NRC to stay the license renewal application for Diablo Canyon and to work with California oversight experts to review new seismic information and mapping. Can you explain why the NRC has not answered my request?

Jaczko: We currently have in front of the commission broad requests in these formal licensing hearings for the commission to take an action similar to the action you’ve requested

Capps: Excuse me, when can I and my constituents expect an answer to my letter?

Jaczko: The commission is working to try and get this issue resolved, but I expect it’s going to be at least a month before we’ll have some resolution on that broader question of the hearing process, but we certainly have it in front of us and were working to give you a good answer.

Capps: Thank you.

— Ashley Schapitl is press secretary for Rep. Lois Capps, D-Santa Barbara.