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The NRC Approach to Open Government

As an independent regulatory agency that prides itself on openness, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is pleased to take an active role in President Barack Obama’s Open Government Initiative, with its focus on open, accountable, and accessible government. The NRC has a long history of, and commitment to, transparency, participation, and collaboration in our regulatory activities.

For details on these and other aspects of the NRC Approach to Open Government, please see the following pages:

For more information, see Selected NRC Information Resources, NRC's High-Value Datasets, and Other Federal Open Government Initiatives (below).

  • Selected NRC Information Resources
  • NRC's High-Value Datasets
The Commission

The NRC is headed by five Commissioners appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate for 5-year terms. One of them is designated by the President to be the Chairman and official spokesperson of the Commission.

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Commission Meeting Schedule
Speeches/Testimony by Chairman Macfarlane
Commission Direction-Setting and Policymaking Activities

Plans, Budget, and Performance
Congressional Affairs
(Reports, Testimony, and Correspondence)

An overview of the responsibilities and activities of the Office of Congressional Affairs, the NRC’s main conduit for NRC communications with Congress

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Access Our Related Documents:

News, Information, & Media Resources/Policies

The latest clear, accurate, and complete information about NRC programs, policy decisions, and activities:

News Releases
For the Record (NRC response to controversial reports)
Commission Speeches, Documents, and Testimony
Public Affairs (& media/publications policy)
Media Resources
Fact Sheets and Brochures
Information Digest
Photo/Video Gallery and Guidelines for Use
New on Our Site
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Operating Reactor Correspondence

Rulemaking

Information about the NRC’s regulations, the rulemaking process, and how the public can comment on rulemakings through Regulations.gov.exit icon

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NRC Library

The public portal to many of the NRC’s key Web-based information dissemination channels, including basic references, document collections, and the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS), among others

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Records Management

Basic information about how the agency meets its Federal records management requirements. Includes NRC’s internal records management policy that outlines how the NRC complies with the regulations governing Federal records including the transfer of permanent records to the National Archives.

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Declassification Program

Information about the NRC’s declassification program, how to access declassified records, and how to provide input about what types of information should be prioritized for declassification

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Inspector General Program and Reports

An overview of the responsibilities and activities of the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), the independent and objective unit that conducts audits and investigations to prevent and detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, and promote economy, efficiency, and effectiveness in NRC programs and operations.

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Access the OIG Reports
Contact the OIG Hotline

FOIA/Privacy Act Requests/Reports

Information about the NRC’s Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Programs, including what to include in a request, how to submit it, and how the NRC will process the request. Also provides the Open Government Assessment of the NRC’s FOIA Process, a subject list of recent requests, and the NRC’s annual reports.

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Access Our Related Reports:

If you’d like to rate our High-Value Datasets, please visit Data.gov exit icon. To tell us your related “success stories” or provide other information to help us assess the impact of our datasets, please use our Online Comment Form, and select “Dataset Success Stories” as the Type of Input. For more information, see Key External Audience Needs for NRC High-Value Datasets PDF Icon and NRC High-Value Dataset Metrics.

Power Reactors

Demographic data on U.S. commercial nuclear power reactors, including: plant name/unit number, docket number, location, licensee, reactor/containment type, nuclear steam system supplier/design, architect-engineer, constructor, important dates, capacities, and links to plant-specific pages

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Data Dictionary/Variable List

Power Reactors Formerly Licensed to Operate

Demographic data on U.S. commercial nuclear power reactors that were formerly licensed to operate, but are now permanently shutdown. The available data include plant name/unit number, location, reactor type, nuclear steam supply system vendor, capacity, important dates, decommissioning alternative selected, current status, and related notes.

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Data Dictionary/Variable List

Canceled U.S. Commercial Nuclear
Power Reactors

Demographic data on U.S. commercial nuclear power reactors for which licensing activities have been canceled. The available data include plant name/unit number, utility, location, containment type, capacity, cancellation date, and current status.

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Data Dictionary/Variable List

Research & Test Reactors

Demographic data on U.S. research and test reactors, including: licensee, location, reactor type, power level, licensee/docket number, and license date

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Data Dictionary/Variable List

Research & Test Reactors under
Decommissioning

Demographic data on U.S. research and test reactors that are currently under decommissioning. The available data include licensee, location, reactor type, decommissioning alternative selected, power level, license/shutdown dates, and current status.

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Data Dictionary/Variable List

Reactor Status

Daily power reactor status for the past year, for each of the operating commercial nuclear power reactors in the United States

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Data Dictionary/Variable List

Reactor Event Notification Report

A summary of event notification reports for the past month, as they relate to operating nuclear power reactors in the United States. This summary includes the event number, description, and date; site/licensee names and locations (City, State, County, NRC region); license/docket number; unit number; how/when the NRC was notified; and other details regarding the state of the plant at the time of the event.

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Data Dictionary/Variable List

Reactor Inspection Reports for the Last Year

Information regarding inspection reports for the past year, as they relate to operating nuclear power reactors in the United States. This information includes the document title and date, associated docket number and plant name, number of pages, and the author’s affiliation. Web links to the inspection reports are also provided for the viewer’s convenience.

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Data Dictionary/Variable List

Operating Reactor Performance Indicators

Raw data for the Plant Performance Indicator (PI) values for each of the operating commercial nuclear power reactors in the United States.  Available data include the plant name, indicator code, year and month in which the PI was reported, and value of the PI based on its type.
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Data Dictionary/Variable List

Fire Events Data from Licensee Event Reports

A summary of fire-related events at operating nuclear power reactors since October 1998. Available data include the number of the specific Event Notification or Licensee Event Report (LER) in which the fire event was reported to the NRC, as well as the event date, operating mode and power reactor operating capacity at the time of the fire, the area of the plant where the fire occurred, the Event Notification, and whether an Alert or Notice of Unusual Event was declared as a result of the fire.

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Data Dictionary/Variable List

Findings from Fire Inspections

A summary of findings from fire inspections conducted by the NRC. Available data include the plant name, cognizant NRC regional office, event date, type of finding that was issued to the licensee and the specific violation for which the finding was issued, report number and comments associated with each finding, year in which the finding was first observed, and type of report in which the finding was identified.

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Data Dictionary/Variable List

Reactor Materials Embrittlement Data

Information on surveillance capsule reports, which include reactor materials embrittlement data from the Nation’s fleet of operating nuclear power reactors. Specifically, this dataset lists each plant name and reactor type, designer, and manufacturer; the plant’s license term, date on which the license will expire, and whether the plant was licensed to operate as of January 1, 2011; and the filename for the plant’s surveillance capsule report, report date, and surveillance capsule ID. The Data Dictionary provides instructions for accessing the surveillance capsule reports.

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Data Dictionary/Variable List

New Reactor Licensing Application Schedules

Estimated review schedules for new reactor applications, showing reactor design type, schedule duration, beginning and ending dates, and current status. Schedules depicted for non-docketed applications represent the nominal anticipated review durations. Actual schedules will be established after the applications are docketed.

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Data Dictionary/Variable List

Expected New Nuclear Power Plant Applications

A catalog of new nuclear power plant applications that the NRC expects to receive during each calendar year. This catalog shows the applicant’s name, project or docket number, reactor design type, dates on which the NRC received and accepted the application, proposed number of units, name and State of the proposed site location, whether the site currently has an operating unit, and the current status of the application. The information for future applications is based solely on letters of intent submitted by prospective applicants.

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Data Dictionary/Variable List

Tribes Physically Located Within 50 Miles
of a Nuclear Power Plant

Demographic data on Tribal lands that are physically located within 50 miles of a nuclear power plant. The available data include the Tribal land, State, and plant site in proximity.

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Data Dictionary/Variable List

Dry Spent Fuel Storage Designs

A catalog of dry spent fuel storage designs that the NRC has approved for use by general licensees. The available data include vendor, docket number, and storage design model.

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Data Dictionary/Variable List

Dry Spent Fuel Storage Licensees

Demographic data on spent fuel storage licensees, including: plant name/unit number, license type/date, vendor, storage design model, docket number, utility, and related notes

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Data Dictionary/Variable List

Spent Fuel Storage: Estimated Schedules for Licensing and Certification

Estimated schedules for licensing actions and Certificates of Compliance (COCs) associated with spent fuel storage casks and independent spent fuel storage facilities. The available information includes the applicant’s name, facility/cask name, type of action, docket number, and estimated dates of key activities leading to completion of the associated rulemaking action.

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Data Dictionary/Variable List

Emergency Preparedness:
NRC Biennial Evaluated Exercise Schedule

A list of full-scale Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and NRC evaluated exercises required of nuclear facilities is provided. The list includes identification of the date and type of exercise (e.g., plume, ingestion, partial), and the participants. NRC Headquarters and Regional staff members typically participate in four full-scale emergency response plume exercises each year and also participate in select ingestion exposure exercises. Exercise participants may include licensee, State, county and local governmental and emergency response agencies, NRC, FEMA and other appropriate Federal agencies.

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Data Dictionary/Variable List

Materials Licensing Actions Received

Information about materials licensing actions received by the NRC, including the applicant/licensee name and location, license/docket numbers, date received, and type of action.

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Data Dictionary/Variable List

Materials Environmental Reviews Under NEPA

Information about materials environmental reviews conducted by the NRC, as required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), to evaluate the environmental impacts of proposed licensing, decommissioning, and other actions. The available information includes the facility name, type, and location; application type; review type; and current status.

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Data Dictionary/Variable List

Uranium Recovery Facility Applications

Information about the status of uranium recovery facility applications, reviews, and letters of intent (including expected applications, as well as applications currently under review). The available information includes the company name, site, location, design type, date of application and/or letter of intent, and current status.

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Data Dictionary/Variable List

Uranium Enrichment Facility Application Review Schedules

Estimated license application review schedules for new uranium enrichment facilities. The available information for each facility includes the license review activities, current status, and estimated completion dates.

Access the AREVA Schedule Dataset
Access the GE Schedule Dataset
Data Dictionary/Variable List

NRC-Regulated Complex Materials Sites
Undergoing Decommissioning

A status summary for decommissioning of NRC-regulated complex materials sites in the United States. Available information includes site name, location, and State; current compliance criteria; whether the decommissioning plan (DP) has been submitted to the NRC and, if so, the original submission date; whether the NRC has approved the DP; and the estimated closure date. This information is current as of September 30, 2010, and summarizes the related information presented in the Status of the Decommissioning Program 2010 Annual Report.

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Data Dictionary/Variable List

Waste Incidental to Reprocessing (WIR)
Documents

A catalog of documents related to the NRC’s role in the disposal process for waste incidental to reprocessing (WIR), including the category, title, date, and accession number by which the document can be retrieved from the NRC’s Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS)

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Data Dictionary/Variable List

Significant NRC Enforcement Actions

A comprehensive listing of significant (“escalated”) enforcement actions that the NRC has issued to reactor licensees, materials licensees, fuel cycle facilities, non-licensees, and individuals. These actions include Notices of Violation for Severity Level I, II, or III violations; Notices of Violation associated with inspection findings that the Significance Determination Process categorizes as White, Yellow, or Red; Civil Penalties; and Orders. Available information includes action number, recipient’s name, type, issue date, and summary.

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Generic Issues

A comprehensive record of the status of issues identified since 1978, which involve public health and safety, the common defense and security, or the environment, and which could affect multiple entities under NRC jurisdiction. Available information includes the issue number, title, description, issue revision number, multi-plant action number; responsible project manager and affiliation; date of identification and resolution; status/priority ranking; related technical area and facility types; resolution result and product category; related generic issues, generic communications, industry documents, and events; and additional information.

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Data Dictionary/Variable List

Contract Awards

A detailed listing of current active commercial contracts exceeding $100,000, including contract numbers, project titles, award dates, contractors, and other valuable data

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Data Dictionary/Variable List

Other Federal Open Government Initiatives

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Page Last Reviewed/Updated Tuesday, December 18, 2012