U.S. Energy Law: Nuclear
The focus of this guide is the U.S. federal regulation of nuclear energy.
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Current Regulations
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission develops regulations and guidance for nuclear facility applicants and licensees.
- 10 C.F.R. Parts 1 - 199, Nuclear Regulatory Commission
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- 10 C.F.R. Part 53, Risk Informed, Technology-Inclusive Regulatory Framework for Advanced Reactors, Preliminary Proposed Rule
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Consistent with Section 103 of the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act (NEIMA), NRC staff are engaged in efforts to establish a "Risk Informed, Technology-Inclusive Regulatory Framework for Advanced Reactors" for optional use by applicants for new commercial advanced nuclear reactor licenses by December 31, 2027. - 40 C.F.R. Chapter 1, Environmental Protection Agency, Subchapter F, Radiation Protection Programs
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- Federal Register (Fed. Reg.)
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The Federal Register (Fed. Reg.) is the official publication for notifying the public of proposed regulations, temporary and final regulations, notices of federal agencies, presidential executive orders and other presidential documents, and other documents required to be published by law. It is published Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays, by the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration.
Policy/Guidance
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):
- Federal Guidance for Radiation Protection
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U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC):
- Commission Policy Statements
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Statements of policy by the NRC on matters such as administration, enforcement, licensing and environment, radioactive waste, etc. Commission policy statements are published in the Federal Register. - Interim Staff Guidance
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Clarifies or addresses issues not discussed in a Standard Review Plan (SRP). - Commission Action Memoranda (COMs and COMSECYs)
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Written exchanges among Commissioners about agency issues or NRC staff requests to the Commission for guidance. - Enforcement Policy
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Deals with enforcement matters involving the radiological health and safety of the public, including employee health and safety, defense and security, and the environment. - NRC Enforcement Manual
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First published in June 1990 as a tool to assist the NRC staff in implementing the Commission's enforcement program. Revised periodically, the manual contains procedures, requirements, and background information used by the staff that develop or review enforcement actions.
Other Regulatory Documents
- NRC Regulatory Guides
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The Regulatory Guide series provides guidance to licensees and applicants on implementing specific parts of the NRC's regulations, techniques used by the NRC staff in evaluating specific problems or postulated accidents, and data needed by the staff in its review of applications for permits or licenses. - NUREG - Series Publications
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Reports or brochures on regulatory decisions, results of research, results of incident investigations, and other technical and administrative information.
Rulemaking Dockets
- Regulatlons.gov
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Provides access to federal agency's rulemaking dockets. Included in dockets are regulatory materials related to a federal rulemaking, e.g., posted public comments, supporting analyses, FR notices, and rules. - NRC Rulemaking Dockets
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Lists NRC rulemaking dockets by year and directly links to the full text dockets in regulations.gov.
Related Guides
- Federal Regulations
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(GW Law Library) - How to Trace Federal Regulations – A Research Guide (2014)
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(Law Library of Congress)