ML20073P212

Nuclear Regulatory Commission Fact Sheet

ML20073P212
Person / Time
Issue date:	04/30/1991
From:	NRC OFFICE OF GOVERNMENTAL & PUBLIC AFFAIRS (GPA)
To:
References
NUREG-BR-0099, NUREG-BR-0099-R05, NUREG-BR-99, NUREG-BR-99-R5, NUDOCS 9105210068
Download: ML20073P212 (8)

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l The Nuclear Regulatory Commission regulates the civilian uses of nuclear materials in the United States I

to protect the public health and safety, the environ-l ment and the common defense and security. This mission is accomplished through: licensing of i

nuclear facilities and the possession, use and dispos-l al of nuclear materials; the development and imple-j mentation of requirements governing licensed activities; and inspection and enforcement activities

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to assure compliance with these requirements.

I The NRC was created as an independent agency by l

the Energy Reorganization Act, signed into law October 11,1974, which abolished the Atomic Energy i

l Commission. The NRC, which took over the regulato-ry functions of the AEC, formally came into being on January 19,1975. The Energy Research and i

Development Administration, also created by the l

Energy Reorganization Act, took over the other func.

1 tions of the AEC and is now oart of the Department of

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E nergy.

When he signed the legislation President Gerald i

Ford said, in part: "The highly technical nature of our i

nuclear facilities and the special potential hazards which are involved in the use of nuclear fuels fully warrants the creation of an independent and techni-cally competent regulatory agency to assure ade-quate protection of public health and safety. NRC will be responsible for the licensing and regulation of the nuclear industry under the provisions of the Atomic

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Energy Act, This means that NRC will be fully empowered to see to it that reactors using nuclear materials will be properly and safely designed, con-structed and operated to guarantee against hazards I

i to the public from leakage or accident. NRC will also l

exercise strengthened authority to assure that the public is fully safeguarded from hazards arising from the storage, handling and transportation of nuclear materials being used in power reactors, hospitals, research laboratories or for any other purpose."

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The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is headod by five Commissioners appointed by the President and confirmed j

by the Senate for five year terms. The Chairman of the Commission is Kenneth M. Carr. The other Commission.

ers are Kenneth C. Rogers. James R. Curtiss, and For.est l

J. Remick. An appointment to the fifth position had not been announced as of early March 1991.

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Per fi n o n d t>y Ayeru y The NRC has about 3300 employees and a budget of about $500 million to carry out the three basic functions hsted below. In addition, the NRC is responsible for hcensing the export and import of nuclear facihties, equipment and materials i

Licensing-The agency tuviews and issues licenses

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for the construction and operation of nuclear power j

plants and other nuclear facilities and it licenses the l

possession and use of nuclear materia!s for medical, j

industrial, educational, research, and other purposes.

Regulatory authority for nuclear materials licensing 3

i has been transferred to 29 states under the NRC's l

Agreement States Program.

l, Inspection and Enforcement-The NRC conducts var-(

ious kinds of inspections and investigations designed I

to assure that licensed activities are conducted in compliance with the agency's regulations and other requirements, and enforces compliance as necessary.

l Regulatory Research and Standards Develop-ment-The NRC is mandated by law to conduct an i

extensive confirmatory research program in the areas i

of safety, safeguards and environmental assessment.

j In addition, the agency establishes regulations, stan.

dards and guidelines governing the various licensed uses, of nuclear facilities and materials.

l The Commission has offices in Rockville and Bethesda, Maryland. Its five regional offices are j

located in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania; Atlanta, Georgia; Glen Ellyn, Illinois; Arlington, Texas; and Walnut Creek. California.

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Beginning in late 1981, the role of the NRC's regional j

offices was expanded in order to bring more of the 1

agency's staff closer to the licensees and public most i

affected by the agency's regulatory responsibilities.

in addition to their inspection and enforcement 4

l responsibilities, the regional offices have responsibili-I ties for reactor operator and materials licensing, i

review and apptoval of reactor operating license amendments and for the issuance of certain orders and fines, 4

1 f u ed ()pm ituiy ( >f f n es ( ointor 1 M,ip o Heyol,iti n y As t witnes 1

The first major reorganiistion of the NRC since it was i

established in 1975 was implemented in April 1987. The reorganization reflected changes which had taken place i

over the previous 12 years-progressively less involvement with the construction of large. complex nuclear facilities and a gree!'y increased involvement with the operation i

and ma;ntenance of these facilities. Preparations also are j

being made to consider applications to renew existing nuclear power plant operating licences and review applica-tions to certify advanced nuclear power reactor designs.

Three operating offices direct the conduct of the NRC's l

major regulatory functions:

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation-The primary r

responsibilities of this office are to conduct the inspec-j tion and licensing activities associated with operating power reactors that are necessary to protect the public health and safety and to establish a sound regulatory framework for the future. The Office also is responsible for evaluating applicatons to build and operate new pow-er reactors, for inspection and licensing activities related to the construction and operation of research and test reactors and for licensing reactor operators in addition, the office is responsible for conducting inspec ions of NRC-licensed activities under its jurisdiction to assure i

that they comply with all NRC regulations and require-l ments, important elements of this program, as it applies to the construction and operation of nuclear power i

plants, include resident inspection and systematic assess-ment of licensee performance (SALP).

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f Office of Nuclear Material Esfety and Safeguards-This office is responsible for licensing rication plants; for licensing the possession and a demic, medical and comme:cial uses of radioactive materials for transport; for developing agency widem policies governing the sa'eguerding of nuclear facilities and materials at f.t xed sites and nuclear materials in transport from indioloD cal sabotage i

physical security ana'en nional Atomic Energyt Agen:.y (IAEA) aaNgn

'7 the use of U.S.-origin nuclear materia!i i la "w. ountries. The office also is responsible fo 'seant, he implamentation of the agency's respoiv,* !i'ius un m Policy Act of 196. e emeno.r the Nuclear Waste 1, which governs the disposal of h'gh it # adm> ive wastes; the Low t.evel Radioactive Wawa Pm cy Act of 1980 and th Low Level Radioacts A e

of 1985 which govern tile disposal of low-level.te Policy Amendments A radioactive wastes; and the Uranium Mill Tailings tion, the office is responsible for inspection poli to assure compliLace with all NRC requirements a regulations and for assuring the implementation of the U.S. IAEA Safeguards Agreement at licensed facilities.

has three primary responsibilities: Office of Nuclear Regula (1) to plan, recom-research, standards development and resolution ofm safety issues of nuclehr power plant and other facili-ties regulated by the NRC:(2) to develop and pro gate all technical regulatiorT; (3) and to coordinate mul-including apresearch activities within and outside the agency conferences.pointment of staff to committees and participation in standards-related activitiet of tneThe office International Atomic Energy Agency and serves as a principal point of contact for the Commiss.on with the American National Standards institute and technical and professional societies on mattets concerning nuclear standards.

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Operatmg Data i nfon ement.

h Spf 4 mi P,olet ts Office for Analysis and Evaluation of Operational Data-This office analyzes and evaluates operational i

safety data associated with NRC-licensed activities to identify issues that require NRC or industry action. It also identifies agency requirements for operational data and related technical information and provides the NRC focal point for coordination of generic opera-l tional safety data and systems with the industry and other agencies, in addition, AEOD manages and con-ducts the support functions for the NRC's Committec to Review Generic Requirements. Its other responsi-bilities include the development and management of i

the reactor performance indicators program and the management and direction of programs for diagnos-tic evaluations and investigations of significant opera-tional events, and the conduct of technical training for the NRC staff throegh the Technical Training Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

1 This ohice also is responsible for developing policy l

and maintaining capability for and initiating the NRC's response to incidents and accidents involving NRC-licensed facilities and materials. When neces-sary, the NRC Operations Center is activated and an emergency response team from a regional office is dispatched to the scene. The NRC's role is to (1) i monitor and evaluate the situation; and (2) provide advice and information to the licensee, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), other Federal agencies, State and local governments and the public.

Office of Enforcement-This of' ice develops policies and programs for enforcement of NRC requirements.

It manages major enforcement actions and assesses the effectiveness and uniformity of enforcement actions taken by the regional offices Enforcement powers include notices of violation, fines, and orders for license modification, suspension or revocation.

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Two separate offices are responsible for investiga-i tions of possible wrongdoing Office of Investigations-This office is responsible for the conduct of investigations of licensees, applica-tions, contractors or vendors. This responsibility includes investigating all allegations of wrongdoing by individuals or organizations other than NRC employees and NRC contractors. In addition, the t

office keeps abreast of inquiries and inspections and advises on the need for formalinvestigations, it also keeps other components of the agency informed of matters under investigation as they affect safety mat-3 ters.

Office of the inspector General-The Inspector General is a statutory post mandated by the inspector General Amendments Act of 1988. It is responsible for conducting independent reviews and appraisals of internal programs and for the conduct of investiga-tions of alleged wrongdoing by NRC employees and contractors.

Four independent groups serve the Commission.

They are:

l Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards-This statutory body of scientists and engineers reviews and makes recommendations to the Commission on all applications to build or operate nuclear power reactors and on related nuclear safety matters.

Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste-This inde-pendent advisory committee provides the Commission with advice and recommendations con-cerning all aspects of nuclear waste management for which the NRC has responsibility.

Atomic Safety and 1.icensing Board Panel-Three-member licensing boards are drawn from this panel.

They are made up of lawyers and others with exper-tise in various technical and environmental fields to conduct public hearings on applications to build and operate nuclear power plants and other matters relat-ed to the possession and use of nuc! car facilities and materials.

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i Office of Governmental & Public Affairs U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission l

Washington, DC 20555 l

(301) 492-0240 Regional Public Affairs Offices t

Region I - 475 Allendale Road j

j King of Prussia, PA 19406 (215) 337 5000 4

Region 11 101 Marietta Street l

Suite 2900 l

Atlanta, GA 30323 f404) 331-4503 i

l Region 111 - 799 Roosevelt Road Glen Ellyn, IL 60137 (708) 790 5500 1

Region IV - 611 Ryan Plaza Drive Suite 1000 Arlington, TX 76011 (817) 860-8100 Region V - 1450 Maria Lane Suite 210 Walnut Creek, CA 94596 5368 (415)975-0200 r

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