Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Gregory Jaczko said Monday he will leave the job,  which he took in May 2009 and held during what The Washington Post described as "a turbulent tenure."

Jaczko, whom The New York Times said some in the nuclear industry distrusted because he had worked in nuclear physics and policy but not the business, will leave when a successor is confirmed.

The Times described Jaczko as "an outsider and a maverick" who wanted to deal with "some longstanding safety problems at America’s nuclear power reactors." The Post said his management style may have paved the way for his losing political support in Congress.

"A voice for tighter safety standards, Jaczko frequently found himself voting as the sole dissenter in key commission votes," the Post noted.

In his announcement, Jaczko said he had had an "incredibly productive three years," but had decided "this is the appropriate time to continue my efforts to ensure public safety in a different forum."