Alphabet Soup, part 1 – Government Agencies

As I was working with some clients and friends of the nuclear industry, I realized that the alphabet soup of organizations associated with the industry can be confusing. To help to remedy the problem, I’ve started a simple spreadsheet with a list of acronyms, organization names, website links (where available), what role they play and a brief comment. I will be updating the spreadsheet as I add more information and keep this link fresh.

OK, let’s pick some key letters in the alphabet soup and talk about those organizations. For this round, I’m limiting the discussion to government agencies

NRC – The US Nuclear Regulatory Agency.  In the US, the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 created the Atomic Energy Commission which was responsible both for the development and production of nuclear weapons and for both the development and regulation of the civilian uses of nuclear materials. The potential conflict of interest was recognize and the NRC is was created by congress in 1974 when the AEC was split into the NRC and the DOE. The NRC was assigned to the regulation of civilian uses of nuclear materials. It does not regulate defense nuclear facilities nor does it regulate the DOE’s facilities.

DOE -The Department of Energy. When the NRC and the DOE were created, the DOE was given the responsibility for development and production of nuclear weapons, and the promotion of nuclear power. This role in the development and production of weapons has tainted much of the public’s understanding of the DOE. The national labs and their research, both military and civilian are under the control of the DOE. Much of the DOE’s work is not regulated by the NRC, except where mandated by congress (Yucca Mountain, for example). The DOE acts as a bridge between the NRC and industry when developing new technology. For example, Gen IV reactor development work is funded through the DOE, who works with the NRC on the potential licensing of future designs. The DOE does have some export control oversight of the nuclear industry. More on that in a later post.

IAEA – The International Atomic Energy Agency. Technically, not a government agency, they report to the United Nations. Their website talks about their mission in three pillars, Safeguards and Verification, Safety and Security, and Science and Technology. The one most of us are familiar with is safeguards and verification. This is the part of the organization that goes out and inspects facilities to ensure nuclear material is not diverted to military use. The Safety and Security pillar works to upgrade nuclear safety and emergency response in all countries. And the third pillar, is to aid cooperation in development of peaceful uses of nuclear science.

Next post, Industry Groups