[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 179 (Friday, December 4, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S12409]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO DR. GARETH PARRY

  Mr. KAUFMAN. Mr. President, I wish to honor the service of a great 
Federal employee.
  Human ingenuity is boundless. This is especially true in America, 
which has always been driven by an entrepreneurial spirit and a belief 
that nothing is impossible.
  From Whitney's cotton gin to the first elevator, from the electric 
telegraph to the refrigerated rail car, our forbearers used their 
ingenuity to help build a nation. Such invention and perseverance 
closed the western frontier in the nineteenth century. In the century 
that followed, Americans continued to be pioneers on that frontier 
which has no end--the frontier of science.
  Sixty-seven years ago this week, a team of American physicists led by 
Enrico Fermi conducted a critical experiment. On a cold winter's 
afternoon, they huddled under the stands of the old football stadium at 
the University of Chicago. Using graphite blocks, wooden rods, and 
uranium pellets, they initiated the first-ever controlled nuclear 
reaction.
  That experiment, called ``Chicago Pile One,'' marked the beginning of 
the nuclear age.
  Today all Americans know that the discovery of nuclear power was a 
mixed blessing. With it came the potential for a new form of energy to 
power our homes and businesses. For the first time, our naval ships 
could remain at sea--and on guard--for extended periods without 
refueling.
  But with nuclear energy came nuclear weapons. These led to the 
dangerous prospect of the mass destruction of hundreds of cities within 
minutes. They brought us a generation of ``duck and cover'' and 
backyard fallout shelters.
  Thankfully--though our nation and others continue to possess these 
weapons in our time--the Cold War is over. No longer are we minutes 
from ``mutually assured destruction'' the way we once were.
  Today, peaceful nuclear energy provides a fifth of our electricity, 
and there are 104 civilian reactors in operation across the country.
  Developing and enforcing the regulations that keep these reactors 
safe are the men and women of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
  This week I wish to recognize the contribution of an outstanding 
public servant, Dr. Gareth Parry. Gareth has had a distinguished career 
at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission advancing our nuclear safety.
  He is also a 2004 recipient of the distinguished Arthur S. Flemming 
Award for public service.
  Gareth, who immigrated to this country from the United Kingdom, has 
over thirty years of experience in developing models for probabilistic 
risk analysis--or PRA. He retired this September after a long and 
distinguished career.
  As senior adviser on PRA for the Commission's Office of Nuclear 
Reactor Regulation, Gareth became one of the leading experts on 
analyzing common cause failure and human reliability. His work led to 
the development of PRA standards and the use of PRA to support risk-
informed decision-making with regard to nuclear safety.
  Gareth, as a scientist and a public servant, worked hard to ensure 
the safety of America's civilian nuclear facilities.
  The kind of work he performed is highly mathematical and complex, and 
it may not sound glamorous to the average American, but it is critical 
and contributes enormously to the security and economic well-being of 
our Nation.
  Sixty-seven years ago, Fermi and his team first harnessed the power 
of the atom. Today, the men and women of the Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission ensure that our modern nuclear reactors continue to do so 
safely.
  I hope my colleagues will join me in honoring the service of Dr. 
Gareth Parry and all who have worked--and continue to work--at the 
Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

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