The NRC, or Nuclear Regulatory Commission, is a United States government agency that was established by the Energy Reorganization Act in 1974, and was first opened January 19, 1975. The NRC took over the role of oversight of nuclear energy matters from the AEC, or Atomic Energy Commission. The oversight of nuclear weapons, as well as the promotion of nuclear power, was transferred to the Department of Energy by the same act, thereby eliminating the AEC.
Like its predecessor, the AEC, the NRC oversees reactor safety, reactor licensing and renewal, material safety and licensing, and waste management (storage and disposal).
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:
- 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.
Headquartered in Rockville, Maryland, the NRC is broken down into 4 regions:
- Region I, located in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, oversees the north-eastern United States.
- Region II, located in Atlanta, Georgia, oversees the south-eastern United States.
- Region III, located in Lisle, Illinois, oversees the northern mid-western United States
- Region IV, located in Arlington, Texas, oversees the southern midwestern and the western United States.
These four regions oversee the operation of 104 power-producing reactors (for a list of currently licensed power reactors, go to http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/list-power-reactor-units.html ), and 36 non-power-producing reactors (for a list of non-power-producing reactors, go to http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/list-nonpower-reactors.html ). This oversight is done on several levels, for example:
- Each site has Resident Inspectors, who monitor day to day operations
- Numerous special inspection teams, with many different specialties, routinely conduct inspections at each site
- Whistleblower reports are investigated by special teams
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