ML20003E672
| ML20003E672 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 01/03/2020 |
| From: | Office of Public Affairs |
| To: | |
| West SR | |
| References | |
| Download: ML20003E672 (38) | |
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THE NRC: WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO Presentation updated December 2019
WHO WE ARE The Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 Established the NRC to independently regulate commercial use of nuclear
- material, including nuclear power.
2 Other duties of the former Atomic Energy Commission were assigned to the Department of Energy.
WHO WE ARE The NRC is headed by five Commissioners, all nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate for staggered five-year terms. No more than three can be from the same political party.
3 The President designates one member of the Commission to serve as Chairman and official spokesperson.
WHO WE ARE The Commission
- Formulates policies and regulations governing nuclear reactor and materials safety
- Issues orders to licensees
- Adjudicates legal matters brought before it 4
WHO WE ARE 5
The NRC employs approximately 3,000 people among its suburban Maryland headquarters and four regional offices in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Illinois and Texas including at least two resident inspectors at each nuclear power plant site.
The NRC receives a budget each fiscal year from Congress. By law, the NRC must recover, through fees billed to licensees, part of its budget authority.
WHO WE ARE 6
OUR MISSION 7
We license and regulate the Nation's civilian use of radioactive materials to provide reasonable assurance of adequate protection of public health and safety, and to promote the common defense and security and to protect the environment.
HOW WE MEET OUR MISSION Set Strategic Goals 8
Prevent and mitigate accidents and ensure radiation safety Ensure protection of nuclear facilities, radioactive materials, and classified and safeguards information
9 HOW WE MEET OUR MISSION Use our Principles of Good Regulation
SOME NUCLEAR FACTS Commercial nuclear power plants supply about 20 percent of electricity in the U.S.
Nuclear materials are used in medicine for cancer treatment and diagnosis.
Nuclear materials are widely used in industry, such as in density gauges, flow measurement devices, radiography devices and irradiators.
Small amounts of radioactive material are used in common items such as smoke detectors, exit signs and some watches.
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SOME RADIATION FACTS 11 Radiation occurs naturally in the soil, air and water.
The average person in the U.S. is exposed to about 620 millirem of radiation a year.
Half of that exposure comes from natural sources (also called background radiation.)
The other half largely comes from nuclear medical exams and treatments.
SOME RADIATION FACTS 12
Transportation, storage and disposal of nuclear material and waste, and decommissioning of nuclear facilities Physical security, source security and cyber security Radioactive materials for
- medical, industrial and academic use Commercial power reactors, research and test reactors and new reactor designs THE NRC REGULATES:
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WHAT WE DONT DO:
Regulate nuclear weapons, military reactors or space vehicle reactors (These are regulated by other federal agencies.)
Regulate naturally occurring radon or X-rays (These are regulated by states or other federal agencies.)
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WHAT WE DO:
- Set Rules
- Licensing
- Oversight
- Enforcement
- Evaluation
- Provide Support
- Incident Response 15
WHAT WE DO: SET RULES The NRC establishes rules that users of radioactive material must follow. These rules protect workers and the public from the potential hazards of radioactivity.
Before writing or changing the regulations, the NRC solicits and considers the views of the public, industry representatives, researchers, state officials, scientists and technical experts.
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WHAT WE DO: LICENSING 17 Any organization or individual intending to have or commercially use nuclear materials that are covered by the NRCs programs must obtain a license from the NRC or an Agreement State (a State that has entered into an agreement with the NRC to regulate nuclear materials.)
These licenses specify the types and quantities of material, the activities it may be used for and additional conditions.
WHAT WE DO: OVERSIGHT 18 The NRC inspects licensed facilities to ensure they meet regulations and the terms of their license.
The NRC also investigates allegations of wrongdoing.
When violations are uncovered, the NRC can:
WHAT WE DO: ENFORCE REGULATIONS 19
- Issue a notice of violation
- Impose fines
- Modify, suspend or revoke a license for very serious instances of noncompliance
- Prohibit individuals who have engaged in deliberate misconduct from working in NRC jurisdiction
- Refer apparent wrongdoing violations to the Department of Justice
WHAT WE DO: EVALUATION 20
- The NRC collects and analyzes information about reported events at reactors and materials facilities to assess safety and identify any potential weaknesses in design, operations, procedures or equipment.
- The NRC also identifies and addresses potential safety-related issues that are common among these facilities (called generic safety issues.)
WHAT WE DO: SUPPORT 21 Regulatory research provides technical advice, analytical tools and information to support NRC decisions, focusing on safety and security.
Two committees provide independent advice and review of NRC staff proposals Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards Advisory Committee on the Medical Uses of Isotopes
WHAT WE DO: INCIDENT RESPONSE 22 The NRC maintains an active program to ensure readiness and response to an event at a nuclear facility potentially affecting public health and safety. Through response centers at its headquarters and regional offices, the NRC provides consultation, support, and assistance to licensees and public officials.
REGULATING REACTORS 23 The NRCs safety philosophy includes:
Multiple physical barriers, including robust reactor containment to prevent radioactive release
- Multiple, redundant and independent safety systems Testing of emergency plans Safety
REGULATING REACTORS The NRC verifies compliance with regulations. Licensees are required to report plant safety data and events to the NRC.
24 In addition to the NRC resident inspectors onsite who perform daily inspections, other experts also perform periodic inspections.
REGULATING REACTORS 25 The NRC requires:
Regular maintenance to assure equipment is repaired or replaced in a timely manner, and Continual training and qualification of nuclear plant operators.
REGULATING NEW REACTORS 26 The new reactor license review process begins with the submission of a combined license application. Other steps include safety and environmental reviews and opportunities for public input before the Commission makes its decision.
New Reactor Licensing Process
The NRCs materials program covers:
REGULATING MATERIALS 27
- Facilities that use radioisotopes to diagnose and treat illnesses;
- Devices such as radiography cameras and nuclear gauges;
- Decommissioning and environmental remediation; and
- All phases of the nuclear fuel cycle from uranium recovery to enrichment to fuel manufacture to spent fuel storage and transportation.
28 REGULATING WASTE The NRC oversees the safe storage of spent nuclear fuel including spent storage facilities.
REGULATING WASTE 29 The NRC also certifies spent fuel storage and transportation casks, approves transport routes and security plans, and regulates disposal of nuclear waste.
REGULATING SECURITYThe NRC has long recognized the importance of securing nuclear facilities and materials.Nuclear power plants are built to withstand disasters both natural and man-made, and are among the best-protected commercial facilities in the U.S. The NRC works closely with DHS, the FBI and others to monitor threat conditions.
REGULATING PHYSICAL SECURITY The NRC requires such security measures as:
- Well-armed and well-trained security forces;
- Surveillance and perimeter patrols;
- State-of-the-art site access equipment and controls;
- Physical barriers and detection zones; and
- Intrusion detection systems and alarm stations.
31 Security Components
REGULATING SOURCE SECURITY 32
REGULATING CYBER SECURITY
- The NRC conducts regular cyber security inspections of nuclear plants to ensure adequate protection of systems and the information they contain from sabotage or malicious use.
- The NRCs cyber security staff includes technology and threat experts who constantly evaluate and identify emerging cyber-related issues.
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34 MAINTAINING READINESS The NRC Operations Center is staffed 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> a day to monitor events and initiate response activities. The staff is prepared to work with other federal agencies under the National Response Framework to respond to significant incidents involving NRC licensees. In addition, the NRC conducts regular exercises to test licensee emergency response and uses mock adversaries to test security response.
PARTNERS IN REGULATION The NRC has granted Agreement States authority to regulate certain radioactive material. Those states develop regulations and appoint officials to ensure the materials are used safely and securely. The NRC retains authority over nuclear reactors, fuel fabrication facilities and certain amounts of radioactive material that can fission (split apart.)
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PARTNERS IN REGULATION The NRC works with many other agencies and organizations including:
- Department of Energy
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Department of Health and Human Services
- U.S. Congress
- International Atomic Energy Agency 36
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC The NRC places a high priority on keeping the public and stakeholders informed of its activities. At www.nrc.gov, you can:
- Find public meeting dates and transcripts;
- Read NRC testimony, speeches, press releases and policy decisions;
- Access the agencys Electronic Reading Room to find NRC publications and documents; and
- Connect with the NRC on social media sites.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION
- Nuclear energy and energy policy: www.doe.gov;
- Radiation and health effects: www.epa.gov;
- U.S. Homeland Security initiatives: www.dhs.gov;
- International nuclear affairs: www.iaea.org;
- Being prepared for any emergency: www.ready.gov.
You can also contact the NRC at 1-301-415-7000, 1-800-368-5642, or by e-mail at OPA.Resource@nrc.gov.
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