Nuclear Regulatory Commission

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is an independent U.S. government agency responsible for licensing and regulating civilian use of nuclear energy. Created by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974, the NRC opened on January 9, 1975. The NRC took over the role of oversight of nuclear energy matters from the Atomic Energy Commission. Its mission is to regulate U.S. civilian use of by-products, sources, and special nuclear materials to ensure adequate protection of public health and safety, to promote the common defense and security, and to protect the environment.

The NRC has three basic responsibilities: (1) to oversee nuclear reactor safety, reactor licensing and renewal, material safety and licensing, and waste management including storage and disposal; (2) to license and regulate civilian use of nuclear energy to protect public health and safety and the environment; and (3) to conduct public hearings on nuclear and radiological safety and on environmental and antitrust issues relevant to nuclear energy. The NRC is capable of imposing civil penalties for violations of its regulations.

NRC-regulated civilian nuclear reactors include those for electric power generation, those for research, and other test reactors for research, development, training, and testing. Reactors are required to meet construction, licensing, security, and operational specifications. The NRC is authorized to shut down [Page 1533]nuclear facilities until violations have been corrected. Military nuclear reactors and radiological material are regulated by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Radiological materials other than those used in reactors are also overseen by the NRC. The uses of nuclear materials in medical, industrial, and academic settings and facilities that produce nuclear fuel are regulated for proper acquisition, handling, use, and disposal. In the disposal processes, the NRC supervises the transportation, storage, and disposal of nuclear materials and waste, and the decommissioning of nuclear facilities from service.

The NRC is headed by a five-member commission, each appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate for 5-year terms. With more than 2,900 employees in 2004, the NRC is headquartered in Rockville, Maryland. There are four regional offices designated to conduct inspections, investigate nuclear incidents, and conduct emergency response programs.

The NRC is important because it deals with “extreme scientific uncertainty, conflicting interests, and growing public fears,” and there are problems with the development of feasible scientific knowledge and determining scientific estimates of safety (in the absence of certainty). Radiation exposure standards were developed, but because of the uncertainty and risk of radiation exposure, they are still debated. Reactor safety is still a controversial subject and a complex public policy issue as there are concerns over the reliability of emergency core cooling systems, vessel integrity, quality assurance, and the possibilities of a major accident or terrorist attack.

An accident at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania on March 28, 1979, melted down the reactor's core. There was no major release of radiation to the community and no need for evacuation, but the accident manifested the public concern over nuclear power safety. Afterward, the NRC put more emphasis on operator training and the human factors, protection from natural disasters and equipment failures, and emergency planning among other issues.

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