View source for Nuclear Regulatory Commission

{{Organization
|OrganizationName=U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
|OrganizationType=Regulatory Commissions
|Mission=To license and regulate the Nation's civilian use of radioactive materials to provide reasonable assurance of adequate protection of public health and safety, promote the common defense and security, and protect the environment.
|CreationLegislation=Energy Reorganization Act of 1974
|Employees=2900
|Budget=$9.949 million (Proposed FY 2024)
|OrganizationExecutive=Chair
|Services=Reactor licensing; Materials safety; Waste management; Nuclear security; Research; Enforcement
|Regulations=10 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations, Title 10 - Energy); Nuclear Material Safety; Nuclear Reactor Regulation; Incident Response
|HeadquartersLocation=39.04699, -77.11179
|HeadquartersAddress=11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852, USA
|Website=https://www.nrc.gov/
}}
{{Short description|Government agency of the United States}}

{{Infobox government agency
|agency_name     = Nuclear Regulatory Commission
|nativename      =
|nativename_a    =
|nativename_r    =
|logo            = US-NuclearRegulatoryCommission-Logo.svg
|logo_width      = 200px
|logo_caption    =
|seal            = Seal of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission.png
|seal_width      = 140px
|seal_caption    =
|image           = Nuclear Regulatory Commission North Bethesda MD 2021-11-26 11-04-51 1.jpg
|formed          = {{start date and age|1975|1|19}}
|preceding1      = [[United States Atomic Energy Commission|Atomic Energy Commission]]
|headquarters    = [[North Bethesda, Maryland]]
|employees       = 2,868 (2021)<ref name="Nuclear Regulatory Commission">{{Cite web |title=NRC at a glance |url=https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML2130/ML21300A283.pdf |website=Nuclear Regulatory Commission}}</ref>
|budget          =  $879 million (2021) <ref name="Nuclear Regulatory Commission"/>
|chief1_name     = [[Christopher T. Hanson]]
|chief1_position = Chairman
|website         = {{URL|http://www.nrc.gov}}
|footnotes       =
}}

The '''United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission''' ('''NRC''') is an [[Independent agencies of the United States government|independent agency of the United States government]] tasked with protecting public health and safety related to nuclear energy. Established by the [[Energy Reorganization Act of 1974]], the NRC began operations on January 19, 1975, as one of two successor agencies to the [[United States Atomic Energy Commission]]. Its functions  include overseeing [[Nuclear reactor safety system|reactor safety]] and security, administering reactor licensing and renewal, licensing [[radioactive materials]], [[radionuclide]] safety, and managing the storage, security, recycling, and disposal of [[spent fuel]].

==History==
[[File:NRC Briefing on Human Capital and EEO (51245895192).jpg|thumb|The commission meets in 2021]]
Prior to 1975 the [[United States Atomic Energy Commission|Atomic Energy Commission]] was in charge of matters regarding radionuclides. The AEC was dissolved, because it was perceived as unduly favoring the industry it was charged with regulating.<ref name=atom19>John Byrne and Steven M. Hoffman (1996). ''Governing the Atom: The Politics of Risk'', Transaction Publishers, p. 163.</ref> The NRC was formed as an independent commission to oversee [[Nuclear power in the United States|nuclear energy]] matters, oversight of [[nuclear medicine]], and [[nuclear safety and security]].

The U.S. AEC became the [[Energy Research and Development Administration]] (ERDA) in 1975, responsible for development and oversight of [[nuclear weapon]]s. Research and promotion of civil uses of radioactive materials, such as for nuclear [[non-destructive testing]], nuclear medicine, and [[nuclear power]], was split into the Office of Nuclear Energy, Science & Technology within ERDA by the same act. In 1977, ERDA became the [[United States Department of Energy]] (DOE). In 2000, the [[National Nuclear Security Administration]] was created as a subcomponent of DOE, responsible for nuclear weapons.<ref name=wellc/>

Following the [[Fukushima nuclear disaster]] in 2011, the NRC developed a guidance strategy known as "Diverse and Flexible Coping Strategies (FLEX)" which requires licensee nuclear power plants to account for beyond-design-basis external events (seismic, flooding, high-winds, etc.) that are most
impactful to reactor safety through loss of power and loss of ultimate heat sink. FLEX Strategies have been implemented at all operating nuclear power plants in the United States.<ref>{{cite web |title=DIVERSE AND FLEXIBLE COPING STRATEGIES (FLEX) IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE |url=https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML1635/ML16354B421.pdf |website=NEI 12-06 Rev 4 |publisher=Nuclear Energy Institute |access-date=12 July 2022}}</ref>

The origins and development of NRC regulatory processes and policies are explained in five volumes of history published by the [[University of California Press]]. These are:<ref name=wellc/>
* ''Controlling the Atom: The Beginnings of Nuclear Regulation 1946–1962'' (1984).
* ''Containing the Atom: Nuclear Regulation in a Changing Environment, 1963–1971'' (1992).
* ''Permissible Dose: A History of Radiation Protection in the Twentieth Century'' (2000)
* ''[[Three Mile Island: A Nuclear Crisis in Historical Perspective]]'' (2004)
* ''The Road to Yucca Mountain:  The Development of Radioactive Waste Policy in the United States'' (2009).

The NRC has produced a booklet, ''A Short History of Nuclear Regulation 1946–2009'', which outlines key issues in NRC history.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/nuregs/brochures/br0175/|title=NRC: A Short History of Nuclear Regulation, 1946–2009 (NUREG/BR-0175, Revision 2)|website=www.nrc.gov|language=en|access-date=2018-03-04}}</ref> [[Thomas Wellock]], a former academic, is the NRC historian. Before joining the NRC, Wellock wrote ''[[Critical Masses: Opposition to Nuclear Power in California, 1958–1978]]''.<ref name=wellc>{{cite web |url=https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/history.html#nrctoday |title=NRC history |author=NRC |year=2013 |work= NRC website}}</ref>

==Mission and commissioners==
The NRC's mission is to regulate the nation's civilian use of byproduct, source, 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's regulatory mission covers three main areas{{citation needed|date=May 2014}}:
* ''Reactors'' – Commercial reactors for generating electric power and research and test reactors used for research, testing, and training
* ''Materials'' – Uses of nuclear materials in medical, industrial, and academic settings and facilities that produce nuclear fuel
* ''Waste'' – Transportation, storage, and disposal of nuclear materials and waste, and decommissioning of nuclear facilities from service.

The NRC is headed by five commissioners appointed by the [[president of the United States]] and confirmed by the [[United States Senate]] for five-year terms. One of them is designated by the president to be the chairman and official spokesperson of the commission. The chairman is the principal executive officer of the NRC, who exercise all of the executive and administrative functions of the commission.

The current chairman is [[Christopher T. Hanson]]. [[President Biden]] designated Hanson as chairman of the NRC effective January 20, 2021.<ref name=nei-20210128/>

===Current commissioners===
The current commissioners as of September 24, 2024:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/organization/commfuncdesc.html |title=The Commission |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=November 6, 2023 |website=NRC.gov |publisher=Nuclear Regulatory Commission |access-date=September 24, 2024}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! Position
! Name
! Party
! Took office
! Term expires
|-
! Chair
| {{sortname|Christopher T.|Hanson}}
| {{party shading/Democratic}} | Democratic
| {{dts|2020|06|08}}
| {{dts|2029|06|30}}
|-
! Member
| {{sortname|David A.|Wright}}
| {{party shading/Republican}} | Republican
| {{dts|2018|05|30}}
| {{dts|2025|06|30}}
|-
! Member
| {{sortname|Annie|Caputo}}
| {{party shading/Republican}} | Republican
| {{dts|2022|08|09}}
| {{dts|2026|06|30}}
|-
! Member
| {{sortname|Bradley|Crowell}}
| {{party shading/Democratic}} | Democratic
| {{dts|2022|08|26}}
| {{dts|2027|06|30}}
|-
! Member
| ''Vacant''
|
|
| {{dts|2028|06|30}}
|}

===Nominations===
President [[Joe Biden|Biden]] has nominated the following to fill a seat on the commission. They await Senate confirmation.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.congress.gov/quick-search/nominations?wordsPhrases=Nuclear+Regulatory+Commission&wordVariants=on&congressGroups%5B0%5D=0&congresses%5B0%5D=118&nomCivil=on&nomOther=on&pnNumbers=&nomineeNames=&positions=&organizations=&stateTerritories%5B0%5D=any&nominationAction=&dates=datesReceivedInSenate&dateOperator=equal&startDate=&endDate=&dateIsOption=yesterday&qs_expand=false |title=Quick Search Nuclear Regulatory Commission |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=<!--Not stated--> |website=Congress.gov |publisher=Library of Congress |access-date=September 24, 2024}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Name !! Party !! Term expires !! Replacing
|-
| {{sortname|Matthew James|Marzano}} || {{party shading/Democratic}} | Democratic || {{dts|2028|06|30}} || {{sortname|Jeffrey Martin|Baran|Jeff Baran}}
|}

===List of chairmen<ref name="NRC-FormerChairmen">{{cite web | url=https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/organization/commission/former-commissioners/former-commissioners.html|title=Former NRC Chairman|publisher=Nuclear Regulatory Commission|access-date=6 April 2017}}</ref>===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!rowspan="1"|No.
!rowspan="1"|Name (chair)
!colspan="2"|Term of office
!rowspan="1"|Appointed by
|-
|1
|[[Bill Anders]]
|January 19, 1975
|April 20, 1976
|!style="font-weight:normal" rowspan="2"|[[Gerald Ford]]
|-
|2
|[[Marcus A. Rowden]]
|January 19, 1975
|January 15, 1977
|-
|3
|[[Joseph M. Hendrie]]
|March 3, 1977
|December 7, 1979
|!style="font-weight:normal" rowspan="2"|[[Jimmy Carter]]
|-
|4
|[[John F. Ahearne]]
|December 7, 1979
|March 2, 1981
|-
|5
|[[Nunzio J. Palladino]]
|July 1, 1981
|June 30, 1986
|!style="font-weight:normal" rowspan="2"|[[Ronald Reagan]]
|-
|6
|[[Lando W. Zech Jr.]]
|July 1, 1986 
|June 3, 1989
|-
|7
|[[Kenneth Monroe Carr]]
|July 1, 1989
|June 30, 1991
|!style="font-weight:normal" rowspan="2"|[[George H.W Bush]]
|-
|8
|[[Ivan Selin]]
|July 1, 1991
|June 30, 1995
|-
|9
|[[Shirley Ann Jackson]]
|July 1, 1995
|June 30, 1999
|!style="font-weight:normal" rowspan="2"|[[Bill Clinton]]
|-
|10
|[[Richard Meserve]]
|October 29, 1999
|March 31, 2003
|-
|11
|[[Nils J. Diaz]]
|April 1, 2003 
|June 30, 2006
|!style="font-weight:normal" rowspan="2"|[[George W. Bush]]
|-
|12
|[[Dale E. Klein]]
|July 1, 2006
|May 13, 2009
|-
|13
|[[Gregory Jaczko]]
|May 13, 2009
|July 9, 2012
!style="font-weight:normal" rowspan="3"|[[Barack Obama]]
|-
|14
|[[Allison Macfarlane]]
|July 9, 2012
|December 31, 2014
|-
|15
|[[Stephen G. Burns]]<ref name="burns">{{cite web|url=https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/organization/commission/burns.html|title=Stephen G. Burns|access-date=6 April 2017}}</ref>
|January 1, 2015
|January 23, 2017
|-
|16
|[[Kristine Svinicki]]<ref name="svnicki">{{cite web |url=https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/organization/commission/svinicki.html |title=Chairman Kristine L. Svinicki |access-date=6 April 2017}}</ref>
|January 23, 2017
|January 20, 2021
!style="font-weight:normal" rowspan="1"|[[Donald Trump]]
|-
|17
|[[Christopher T. Hanson]]<ref name=nei-20210128>{{cite news |url=https://www.neimagazine.com/news/newsbiden-appoints-new-head-of-nrc-8476871 |title=Biden appoints new head of NRC |publisher=Nuclear Engineering International |date=28 January 2021 |access-date=1 February 2021}}</ref>
|January 20, 2021
|Incumbent
!style="font-weight:normal" rowspan="1"|[[Joe Biden]]
|-
|}

===List of commissioners<ref name="NRC-FormerComm">{{cite web | url=https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/organization/commission/former-commissioners/former-commissioners.html|title=Former NRC Commissioners|publisher=Nuclear Regulatory Commission|access-date=6 April 2017}}</ref>===
{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center"
|-
!Commissioner
!Took office
!Left office
|-
|[[Marcus A. Rowden]]
|January 19, 1975
|April 20, 1977
|-
|[[Edward A. Mason]]
|January 19, 1975
|January 15, 1977
|-
|[[Victor Gilinsky]]
|January 19, 1975
|June 30, 1984
|-
|[[Richard T. Kennedy]]
|January 19, 1975
|June 30, 1980
|-
|[[Joseph Hendrie]]
|August 9, 1977
|June 30, 1981
|-
|[[Peter A. Bradford]]
|August 15, 1977
|March 12, 1982
|-
|[[John F. Ahearne]]
|July 31, 1978
|June 30, 1983
|-
|[[Nunzio J. Palladiono]]
|July 1, 1981
|June 30, 1986
|-
|Thomas M. Roberts
|August 3, 1981
|June 30, 1990
|-
|[[James K. Asselstine]]
|May 17, 1982
|June 30, 1987
|-
|[[Frederick M. Bernthal]]
|August 4, 1983
|June 30, 1988
|-
|[[Lando W. Zech Jr.]]
|July 3, 1984
|June 30, 1989
|-
|[[Kenneth Monroe Carr]]
|August 14, 1986
|June 30, 1991
|-
|[[Kenneth C. Rogers]]
|August 7, 1987
|June 30, 1997
|-
|James R. Curtiss
|October 20, 1988
|June 30, 1993
|-
|[[Forrest J. Remick]]
|December 1, 1989
|June 30, 1994
|-
|[[Ivan Selin]]
|July 1, 1991
|June 30, 1995
|-
|[[E. Gail de Planque]]
|December 16, 1991
|June 30, 1995
|-
|[[Shirley Ann Jackson]]
|May 2, 1995
|June 30, 1999
|-
|[[Greta J. Dicus]]
|February 15, 1996
|June 30, 2003
|-
|[[Nils J. Diaz]]
|August 23, 1996
|June 30, 2006
|-
|[[Edward McGaffigan Jr.]]
|August 28, 1996
|September 2, 2007
|-
|[[Jeffrey S. Merrifield]]
|October 23, 1998
|June 30, 2007
|-
|[[Richard Meserve]]
|October 29, 1999
|March 31, 2003
|-
|[[Gregory Jaczko]]
|January 21, 2005
|July 9, 2012
|-
|[[Peter B. Lyons]]
|January 25, 2005
|June 30, 2009
|-
|[[Dale E. Klein]]
|July 1, 2006
|March 29, 2010
|-
|[[Kristine Svinicki]]
|March 28, 2008
|January 20, 2021
|-
|[[George Apostolakis]]
|March 29, 2010
|June 30, 2014
|-
|[[William D. Magwood IV]]
|March 29, 2010
|August 31, 2014
|-
|[[William C. Ostendorff]]
|March 29, 2010
|June 30, 2016
|-
|[[Allison Macfarlane]]
|July 9, 2012
|December 31, 2014
|-
|[[Jeff Baran]]
|October 14, 2014
|June 30, 2023
|-
|[[Stephen G. Burns]]
|November 4, 2014
|April 30, 2019
|-
|[[Annie Caputo]]
|May 29, 2018
|June 30, 2021
|-
|[[David A. Wright]]
|May 30, 2018
|Present
|-
|[[Christopher T. Hanson]]
|June 8, 2020
|Present
|-
|[[Annie Caputo]]
|August 9, 2022
|Present
|-
|[[Bradley Crowell]]
|August 26, 2022
|Present
|-
|}

==Organization==
[[File:NRC Organizational Chart (32234530897).jpg|thumb|NRC Organizational Chart in February 2019]]
[[File:NRC Headquarters Campus site in Rockville, Md. (7845755802).jpg|thumb|The three building that comprise NRC's North Bethesda campus, with [[North Bethesda station]] in the right bottom corner]]
The NRC consists of the commission on the one hand and offices of the executive director for Operations on the other.<ref name=org>{{cite web|title=Organization & Functions|url=https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/organization.html|work=website|publisher=NRC|access-date=21 May 2014|date=27 November 2013}}</ref>

The commission is divided into two committees (Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards and Advisory Committee on the Medical Uses of Isotopes) and one Board, the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel, as well as eight commission staff offices (Office of Commission Appellate Adjudication, Office of Congressional Affairs, Office of the General Counsel, Office of International Programs, Office of Public Affairs, Office of the Secretary, Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Office of the Executive Director for Operations).

[[Christopher T. Hanson]] is the chairman of the NRC.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/organization/commfuncdesc.html|title=NRC: The Commission|website=www.nrc.gov|access-date=February 24, 2021}}</ref> 

=== Operations offices ===
There are 14 Executive Director for Operations offices:

# [[Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards]]
# [[Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation]]
# [[Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research]]
# [[Office of Enforcement (Nuclear Regulatory Commission)|Office of Enforcement]], which investigates reports by [[nuclear power whistleblowers]], specifically the Allegations Program<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/regulatory/allegations-resp.html |title= Allegations |date=28 June 2013|publisher=NRC}}</ref> 
# [[Office of Investigations (Nuclear Regulatory Commission)]]
# [[Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response (Region I)]]
# [[Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response (Region II)]]
# [[Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response (Region III)]]
# [[Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response (Region IV)]]
# [[Office of the Chief Information Officer (Nuclear Regulatory Commission)]]
# [[Office of Administration (Nuclear Regulatory Commission)]]
# [[Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (Nuclear Regulatory Commission)]]
# [[Office of Small Business and Civil Rights (Nuclear Regulatory Commission)]]

Of these operations offices, NRC's major program components are the first two offices mentioned above. NRC's proposed FY 2015 budget is $1,059.5&nbsp;million, with 3,895.9 full-time equivalents (FTE), 90 percent of which is recovered by fees. This is an increase of $3.6&nbsp;million, including 65.1 FTE, compared to FY 2014.<ref name="budget">{{cite web|title=Congressional Budget Justification: Fiscal Year 2015 (NUREG-1100, Volume 30)|url=https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/nuregs/staff/sr1100/v30/|work=NUREG-1100, Volume 30|publisher=NRC|access-date=21 May 2014|date=March 2014}}</ref>

=== Headquarters ===
NRC headquarters offices are located in unincorporated [[North Bethesda, Maryland]] (although the mailing address for two of the three main buildings in the complex list the city as [[Rockville, MD]]), and there are four regional offices.

===Regions===
{{main|Regions of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission}}
[[File:Figure 2- Map of Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Regions and 37 Agreement States (14450812744) (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|Map of the NRC regions]]

The NRC territory is broken down into four geographical regions; until the late 1990s, there was a Region V office in [[Walnut Creek, California]] which was absorbed into Region IV, and Region V was dissolved.

* [[:Nuclear Regulatory Commission Region I|Region I]], located in [[King of Prussia, Pennsylvania]], oversees the [[northeastern United States|northeastern states]].
* [[:Nuclear Regulatory Commission Region II|Region II]], located in [[Atlanta, Georgia]], oversees most of the [[southeastern United States|southeastern states]].
* [[:Nuclear Regulatory Commission Region III|Region III]], located in [[Lisle, Illinois]], oversees the [[midwestern United States|Midwest]].
* [[:Nuclear Regulatory Commission Region IV|Region IV]], located in [[Arlington, Texas]], oversees the  [[western United States|western]] and [[South Central United States|south central states]].

In these four regions NRC oversees the operation of [[List of nuclear reactors#United States|US nuclear reactors]], namely 94 power-producing reactors,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/power.html|title=Power Reactors}}</ref> and 31 non-power-producing, or research and test reactors.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/map-nonpower-reactors.html|title = Map of Research and Test Reactor Sites}}</ref> Oversight is done on several levels. For example:

* Each power-producing reactor site has resident inspectors, who monitor day-to-day operations.
* Numerous special inspection teams, with many different specialties, routinely conduct inspections at each site.

==Recordkeeping system==
NRC has a library, which also contains online document collections.<ref>{{cite web|title=NRC Document Collections|url=https://forms.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/|work=website|publisher=NRC|access-date=21 May 2014}}</ref> In 1984 it started an electronic repository called ADAMS, the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System,<ref>{{cite web|title=FAQ About the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System|url=https://forms.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams/faq.html#1|work=website|publisher=NRC|access-date=21 May 2014}}</ref> for its public inspection reports, correspondence, and other technical documents written by NRC staff, contractors, and licensees. It was upgraded in October 2010 and is now web-based. Of documents from 1980 to 1999 only some have abstracts and/or full text; most are citations. Documents from before 1980 are available in paper or microfiche formats. Copies of these older documents or classified documents can be applied for with a [[Freedom of Information Act (United States)|FOIA]] request.

==Training and accreditation==
[[Image:Agency headquarters Graphic.jpg|thumb|right|260px|Commission headquarters]]
NRC conducts audits and training inspections, observes the National Nuclear Accrediting Board meetings, and nominates some members.

The 1980 Kemeny Commission's report<ref name=KC>{{cite web|title=Kemeny Commission findings: Oversight|work=Committee Report|publisher=U.S. Govt. Print. Off.|access-date=21 May 2014|author=US Congress. House Committee on Science and Technology. Subcommittee on Energy Research and Production, US President's Commission on the Accident at Three Mile Island|pages=40–129|date=1980|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d0jRAAAAMAAJ&q=Kemeny+Commission+Findings}}</ref> after the [[Three Mile Island accident]] recommended that the nuclear energy industry "set and police its own standards of excellence".<ref name=BAS>{{cite journal|last=Lanouette|first=William|title=The Kemeny Commission Report|journal=Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists|volume=36|issue=1|date=January 1980|pages=20–24|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZAoAAAAAMBAJ&q=Kemeny+Commission&pg=PA47|access-date=21 May 2014|bibcode=1980BuAtS..36a..20L|doi=10.1080/00963402.1980.11458680}}</ref> The nuclear industry founded the [[Institute of Nuclear Power Operations]] (INPO) within 9 months to establish personnel training and qualification. The industry through INPO created the 'National Academy for Nuclear Training Program' either as early as 1980<ref>{{cite web|title=National Academy for Nuclear Training Program|url=http://www.nei.org/Careers-Education/Education-Resources/Resources-for-Teachers-and-Students/Scholarships-Internships-and-Fellowships/Industry-Scholarships-and-Fellowships-in-Nuclear-E/National-Academy-for-Nuclear-Training-Program|work=websute|publisher=Nuclear Energy Institute nei.org|access-date=21 May 2014|author=NEI|year=2014}}</ref> or in September 1985 per the [[International Atomic Energy Agency]].<ref name=IAEA>{{cite journal|last=Pate|first=Zack T.|title=INPO's impact in the USA|journal=International Atomic Energy Agency Bulletin|date=Autumn 1986|pages=60–62|publisher=International Atomic Energy Agency}}</ref> INPO refers to NANT as "our National Academy for Nuclear Training" on its website.<ref name=inpo>{{cite web|url=https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc.html|title=About us|work=website|publisher=Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO)|author=Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO)|year=2012}}</ref> NANT integrates and standardizes the training programs of INPO and US nuclear energy companies, offers training scholarships and interacts with the 'National Nuclear Accrediting Board'. This Board is closely related to the National Academy for Nuclear Training, not a government body, and referred to as independent by INPO,<ref name=inpo /> the Nuclear Energy Institute, and nuclear utilities.<ref>{{cite web|title=PG&E Senior Vice President Appointed to National Nuclear Accrediting Board|url=http://www.pge.com/myhome/edusafety/systemworks/dcpp/newsmedia/pressrelease/archive/pge_senior_vice_president_appointed_to_national_nuclear_accrediting_board.shtml|work=website|publisher=Pacific Gas and Electric Corporation|access-date=21 May 2014|date=11 February 2013|quote=The independent National Nuclear Accrediting Board evaluates operator and technical training programs for nuclear plants throughout the industry, ensuring that accredited training programs meet the highest standards for excellence and incorporate best practices.}}</ref> but not by the NRC, all of whom are represented on the board.

The 1982 [[Nuclear Waste Policy Act]] directed NRC in Section 306 to issue regulations or "other appropriate regulatory guidance" on training of nuclear plant personnel. Since the nuclear industry already had developed training and accreditation, NRC issued a policy statement in 1985, endorsing the INPO program. NRC has a memorandum of agreement with INPO and "monitors INPO activities by observing accreditation team visits and the monthly NNAB meetings".<ref>{{cite web|title=The United States of America National Report for the Convention on Nuclear Safety|url=https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/nuregs/staff/sr1650/initial/|work=NUREG-1650|publisher=NRC|access-date=21 May 2014|author=NRC|pages=11–15|date=September 2001|quote=In accordance with its memorandum of agreement with the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO), the NRC monitors INPO accreditation activities as part of its assessment of the effectiveness of the industry's training programs. (The NRC also monitors the selected performance areas of its licensees as part of its assessment.) The NRC monitors INPO activities by observing accreditation team visits and the monthly National Nuclear Accrediting Board meetings.}}</ref>

In 1993, NRC endorsed the industry's approach to training that had been used for nearly a decade through its 'Training Rule'.<ref name=nrc>{{cite web|url=https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operator-licensing/related-documents.html|author= NRc|work=website|title= Related Documents and Other Resources}}</ref> In February 1994, NRC passed the 'Operator Requalification Rule' 59 FR 5938, Feb. 9, 1994,<ref>{{cite web|title=Renewal of Licenses and Requalification Requirements for Licensed Operators|url=http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-1994-02-09/html/94-2927.htm|work=Federal Register Volume 59, Number 27|publisher=Government Printing Office|access-date=21 May 2014|author=NRC|date=February 9, 1994}}</ref> allowing each nuclear power plant company to conduct the operator licensing renewal examination every six years, eliminating the requirement of NRC-administered written requalification examination.

In 1999, NRC issued a final rule on operator initial licensing examination,<ref>{{cite web|title=Initial Licensed Operator Examination Requirements|url=https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operator-licensing/op-licensing-files/v64n78p19868.txt|publisher=Government Printing Office|access-date=21 May 2014|author=NRC|date=23 April 1999|work=Federal Register Volume 64, Number 78}}</ref> that allows companies to prepare, proctor, and grade their own operator initial licensing examinations. Facilities can "upon written request" continue to have the examinations prepared and administered by NRC staff, but if a company volunteers to prepare the examination, NRC continues to approve and administer it.<ref>{{cite web|title=Subpart E—Written Examinations and Operating Tests|url=https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/cfr/part055/part055-0040.html|work=NRC Regulations (10 CFR) PART 55—Operators licenses, § 55.40 Implementation.|publisher=NRC|access-date=21 May 2014|author=NRC|date=23 April 1999}}</ref>

Since 2000 meetings between NRC and applicants or licensees have been open to the public.<ref>{{cite web|title=Staff Meetings Open to the Public: Final Policy Statement|url=http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2000-09-20/html/00-24161.htm|work=Federal Register Volume 65 Number 183|publisher=Government Printing Office|access-date=21 May 2014|author=NRC|date=20 September 2000}}</ref>

==Prospective nuclear units==
{{Main|Nuclear renaissance in the United States}}
Between 2007 and 2009, 13 companies applied to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for construction and operating licenses to build 25 new [[nuclear power]] reactors in the [[United States]].
However, the case for widespread nuclear plant construction was eroded due to abundant natural gas supplies.<ref>{{Cite web |title=MIT: Cheap gas, not renewables, caused nuclear woes |url=https://www.utilitydive.com/news/mit-cheap-gas-not-renewables-caused-nuclear-woes/514310/ |access-date=2022-09-08 |website=Utility Dive |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="us12">{{cite web |author=Ayesha Rascoe |date=Feb 9, 2012 |title=U.S. approves first new nuclear plant in a generation |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-nuclear-nrc-idUSTRE8182J720120209 |work=Reuters}}</ref> Many license applications for proposed new reactors were suspended or cancelled.<ref name=eo>Eileen O'Grady. [https://web.archive.org/web/20100528141827/http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE64N5S420100524 Entergy says nuclear remains costly] ''Reuters'', May 25, 2010.</ref><ref>Terry Ganey. [http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2009/apr/23/amerenue-pulls-plug-callaway-2/ AmerenUE pulls plug on project] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120713074254/http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2009/apr/23/amerenue-pulls-plug-callaway-2/ |date=2012-07-13 }} ''Columbia Daily Tribune'', April 23, 2009.</ref> These will not be the cheapest energy options available, therefore not an attractive investment.<ref>{{Cite web |title=10 Reasons Not to Invest in Nuclear Energy |url=https://www.americanprogress.org/article/10-reasons-not-to-invest-in-nuclear-energy/ |access-date=2022-09-08 |website=Center for American Progress |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/12/business/energy-environment/nuclear-powers-future-may-hinge-on-georgia-project.html?ref=matthewlwald |title=Atomic Power's Green Light or Red Flag |author=Matthew Wald |date=June 11, 2013 |work=New York Times }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.marketwatch.com/story/experts-even-higher-costs-and-more-headaches-ahead-for-nuclear-power-in-2012-2011-12-28 |title=Experts: Even higher costs and more headaches for nuclear power in 2012 |date=28 December 2011 |work=MarketWatch }}</ref> In 2013, four reactors were permanently closed: San Onofre 2 and 3 in California, Crystal River 3 in Florida, and Kewaunee in Wisconsin.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thebulletin.org/nuclear-aging-not-so-graceful |title= Nuclear aging: Not so graceful |author=Mark Cooper |date=18 June 2013 |work=Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists }}</ref><ref name=mw11111>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/15/business/energy-environment/aging-nuclear-plants-are-closing-but-for-economic-reasons.html?ref=matthewlwald |title=Nuclear Plants, Old and Uncompetitive, Are Closing Earlier Than Expected  |author=Matthew Wald |date=June 14, 2013 |work=New York Times }}</ref> [[Vermont Yankee]], in Vernon, was shut down on December 29, 2014. New York state eventually closed [[Indian Point Energy Center]], in Buchanan, 30 miles from New York City, on April 30, 2021.<ref name=mw11111/>

In 2019 the NRC approved a second 20-year license extension for [[Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Station|Turkey Point]] units 3 and 4, the first time NRC had extended licenses to 80 years total lifetime. Similar extensions for about 20 reactors are planned or intended, with more expected in the future. This will reduce demand for replacement new builds.<ref name=wnn-20191206>{{cite news |url=http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Turkey-Point-licensed-for-80-years-of-operation |title=Turkey Point licensed for 80 years of operation |publisher=World Nuclear News |date=6 December 2019 |access-date=9 December 2019}}</ref>

==See also==
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[International Atomic Energy Agency]]
* [[International Nuclear Regulators' Association]]
* [[List of canceled nuclear plants in the United States]]
* [[Nuclear power in the United States]]
* [[Nuclear renaissance in the United States]]
* [[Nuclear safety in the United States]]
* [[Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations]]
* [[Atomic Safety and Licensing Board]]
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Nuclear Regulatory Commission}}
* [https://www.nrc.gov/ Nuclear Regulatory Commission] (official website)
* [https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/nuclear-regulatory-commission Nuclear Regulatory Commission] in the [[Federal Register]]
* [http://public-blog.nrc-gateway.gov/ NRC public blog]
* [https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/list-power-reactor-units.html NRC list of power-producing nuclear reactors]
* [https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/non-power.html NRC list of non-power-producing reactors]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071011083513/http://www.homestead.com/clonemaster/files/cancel.htm Canceled Nuclear Units Ordered in the US]
* [https://purl.fdlp.gov/GPO/gpo38828 The Nuclear Regulatory Commission: Policy and Governance Challenges: Joint Hearing before the Subcommittee on Energy and Power and the Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, First Session, February 28, 2013]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080917222325/http://www.thebulletin.org/web-edition/roundtables/the-future-of-the-nuclear-regulatory-commission The future of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission] in the [[Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists]]
* [http://www.technicalreports.org/ Technical Report Archive and Image Library (TRAIL)] from technicalreports.org

{{Presidency of Gerald Ford}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Nuclear Regulatory Commission| ]]
[[Category:Governmental nuclear organizations]]
[[Category:Independent agencies of the United States government]]
[[Category:Nuclear energy in the United States]]
[[Category:Nuclear regulatory organizations]]
[[Category:Nuclear history of the United States]]
[[Category:1974 establishments in the United States]]
[[Category:Government agencies established in 1974]]
[[Category:Rockville, Maryland]]