Nuclear Regulatory Commission Essay, Research Paper
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Nuclear physicist Alvin M. Weinberg told the Senate & # 8217 ; s Special Committee on Atomic Energy in December 1945:
& # 8220 ; Atomic power can bring around every bit good as putting to death. It can fertilise and enrich a part every bit good as devastate it. It can widen adult male & # 8217 ; s skylines every bit good as force him back into the cave. & # 8221 ;
The Atomic Energy Act of 1946 was passed with the purpose of utilizing possible peaceable benefits of atomic power. However, the act emphasized the military facets of atomic energy and farther emphasized the demand for secretiveness of natural stuffs and production of new arms. The 1946 jurisprudence did non let for private or commercial handling of atomic energy. Rather, it created a practical & # 8220 ; authorities monopoly & # 8221 ; of the atomic energy engineering ( Walker, pg. 4 ) . To pull off the state & # 8217 ; s atomic energy plans, the act established the Atomic Energy Commission ( AEC ) . The AEC was created for two intents. It controlled the development and production of atomic arms, and it directed the research and development of peaceable utilizations of atomic energy ( Britannica.com ) .
In 1954, Congress passed new statute law that ( for the first clip ) permitted the broad usage of atomic energy for peaceable intents. The 1954 Atomic Energy Act ended the authorities monopoly and made the growing of a private commercial atomic industry an pressing national end. The step directed the AEC & # 8220 ; to promote widespread engagement in the development and use of atomic energy for peaceable purposes. & # 8221 ; ( Walker, pg. 5 ) At the same clip, it instructed the bureau to do ordinances that would protect public wellness and safety from radiation jeopardies and concerns. Therefore, the 1954 act assigned the AEC three major functions: to go on its arms plan, to advance the private usage of atomic energy for peaceable applications, and to protect public wellness and safety from the jeopardies of commercial atomic power. Those maps were in many respects inseparable and incompatible, particularly when combined in a individual bureau ( Walker, pg. 5 ) . Therefore, the AEC had the double duty of production & A ; development and ordinance. This led to controversy among members of Congress.
Because these functions conflicted with each other, Congress passed the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974. This Act redirected federal energy attempts that had been traveling nowhere under the disposal of Richard Nixon. Congress, and President Ford specifically, determined that the public involvement would best be served by dividing the licensing and related maps of the Atomic Energy Commission from energy development and related maps. To accomplish this Congress replaced the AEC with the NRC and a 2nd bureau called the Energy Research and Development Administration ( ERDA ) . This bureau subsequently became the Department of Energy under the Department of Energy Organization Act of 1977 ( Encarta Online, 1999-2000 ) .
Harmonizing to its home page, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission & # 8217 ; s mission is to & # 8220 ; guarantee equal protection of the public wellness and safety, the common defence and security, and the environment in the usage of atomic stuffs in the United States. The NRC & # 8217 ; s range of duty includes ordinance of commercial atomic power reactors ; nonpower research, trial, and preparation reactors ; fuel rhythm installations ; medical, academic, and industrial utilizations of atomic stuffs ; and the conveyance, storage, and disposal of atomic stuff
s and waste ( www.nrc.gov ) .” In kernel, so, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission plays an of import function in about every facet of the usage of atomic energy engineering in the United States.
The NRC fulfills its duties through a system of licensing and regulative activities that include:
+ Licensing the building and operation of atomic reactors and other atomic installations, such as atomic fuel rhythm installations and nonpower trial and research reactors, and supervising their decommissioning
+ Licensing the ownership, usage, processing, handling, and export of atomic stuff
+ Licensing the siting, design, building, operation, and closing of low-level radioactive waste disposal sites under NRC legal power and the building, operation, and closing of the geologic depository for high-ranking radioactive waste
+ Licensing the operators of atomic power and nonpower trial and research reactors
+ Inspecting licensed installations and activities
+ Conducting the chief U.S. Government research plan on light-water reactor safety
+ Conducting research to supply independent expertness and information for doing timely regulative judgements and for expecting jobs of possible safety significance
+ Developing and implementing regulations and ordinances that govern licensed atomic activities
+ Investigating atomic incidents and allegations refering any affair regulated by the NRC
+ Enforcing NRC ordinances and the conditions of NRC licences
+ Conducting public hearings on affairs of atomic and radiological safety, environmental concern, common defence and security, and antimonopoly affairs
+ Developing effectual working relationships with the States sing reactor operations and the ordinance of atomic stuff
+ Keeping the NRC Incident Response Program, including the NRC Operations Center
+ Collecting, analysing, and circulating information about the operational safety of commercial atomic power reactors and certain nonreactor activities ( www.nrc.gov ) .
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is headed five Commissioners appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate for 5-year footings. One of them is designated by the President to be the Chairman, functioning as the chief executive officer and official interpreter of the Commission. Currently, The NRC & # 8217 ; s Chairman is Richard A. Meserve. Serving alongside him are Commissioner Greta J. Dicus, Commissioner Nils J. Diaz, Commissioner Edward McGaffigan, Jr. , and Commissioner Jeffrey S. Merrifield. The staff is headed by the Executive Director for Operations, who carries out the policies and determinations made by the Commission. The current Executive Director for Operations is Dr. William Travers ( www.nrc.gov ) .
Walker, Dr. J. Samuel, & # 8220 ; A Short History of Nuclear Regulation, 1946-1999 & # 8243 ; , NUREG/BR-0175 Rev. 1, Office of the Secreatary, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission Homepage, www.nrc.gov.
Internet site, www.britannica.com, Atomic Energy Commission
Internet site, www.osti.gov/html/doe. Department of Energy
Internet site, www.tis-nt.eh.doe.gov/oepa/law. Atomic Energy Act and Related Legislation
Internet site, www.library.thinkquest.org/politics/energy_reorganization. Energy Reoganization Act
