OFFICE OF INVESTIGATIONS

Kimberly A. Howell, Director 

Kevin C. Fowler, Deputy Director 

11555 Rockville Pike O-3 F1 

Rockville, MD 20852

(301) 415-2373

FIELD OFFICES

Region I—King of Prussia, PA 

Jeffrey A. Teator

Special Agent in Charge 

(610) 337-5305

Region II—Atlanta, GA 

Steven (Pat) Jefferson 

Special Agent in Charge 

(404) 997-4878

Region III—Lisle, IL 

Scott J. Langan

Special Agent in Charge 

(630) 829-9672

Region IV—Arlington, TX 

Gayle R. Walker

Special Agent in Charge 

(817) 200-1110

www.nrc.gov

Office of

Investigations

Promoting Safety and Security through

Investigative Excellence with Integrity 

and Results

The Commission and NRC headquarters 

are located in Rockville, MD. The four 

regional offices are located in King of 

Prussia, PA; Atlanta, GA; Lisle, IL; and

Arlington, TX.

NUREG/BR-0525

November 2016
U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Office of Investigations

About NRC

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

was created as an independent agency by 

Congress in 1974 to ensure the safe use of 

radioactive materials for civilian purposes while 

also protecting people and the environment. The 

NRC regulates commercial nuclear power plants 

and other uses of nuclear materials, such as in 

nuclear medicine. The NRC is headed by five

Commissioners appointed by the President and

confirmed by the Senate for 5-year terms. One 

Commissioner is designated Chairman by the 

President. The Commission is headquartered in

Rockville, MD.

History

The Energy Reorganization Act, signed into law

October 11, 1974, created the NRC as an

independent agency. The Act simultaneously 

abolished the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC). 

The NRC, which took over the regulatory functions 

of the AEC, formally came into being on January 19, 

1975. The Energy Research and Development 

Administration, also created by the Energy 

Reorganization Act, took over the other functions 

of the AEC and is now part of the U.S. Department 

of Energy.

Today

The NRC regulates the civilian uses of nuclear

materials in the United States to protect public 

health and safety, the environment, and the 

common defense and security. The NRC

accomplishes its mission through the following 

actions: licensing nuclear facilities and the 

possession, use, and disposal of nuclear materials; 

the development and implementation of 

requirements governing licensed activities; and

inspection, investigation, and enforcement 

activities to assure compliance with these

requirements. In addition, the NRC is responsible 

for licensing the export and import of nuclear 

facilities, equipment, and materials.

About the Office of Investigations

In 1982, the NRC established the Office of 

Investigations (OI) as part of an agency effort to 

improve the quality of the agency’s investigative 

work and to support the NRC’s overall mission. OI’s 

investigative authority is derived from Section 161

(c) of the Atomic Energy Act (42 U.S.C.

§ 2201 (c)) and Title 10 of the Code of Federal

Regulations, Part 1, Section 1.36, “Office of 

Investigations.”

The NRC’s Office of Investigations is headed by a 

Director and a Deputy Director who both work at 

NRC Headquarters in Rockville, MD with the 

headquarters staff. Special agents who work as 

Federal criminal investigators (Federal job series 

1811) staff offices in each of NRC’s four regions 

under the supervision of a special agent in charge 

(SAIC). SAICs report directly to OI Headquarters. 

All OI special agents are graduates of the Federal 

Law Enforcement Training Center or other 

Federal Law enforcement training academies and

have extensive prior investigative service with 

other Federal law enforcement agencies.

As the law enforcement arm of the NRC, OI 

conducts and supervises investigations of 

allegations of wrongdoing by persons or entities 

within NRC jurisdiction and maintains proactive 

investigative efforts and liaison with other Federal, 

State, and local law enforcement agencies. 

OI conducts and plans investigations of allegations 

of potential wrongdoing to determine willful or 

deliberate violations, as well as any criminal 

violations of the United States Code. OI conducts 

investigations in accordance with guidelines of the 

Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and

Efficiency (CIGIE) and Quality Standards for 

Investigations.

The Office of Investigations initiate investigations 

after the NRC receives information concerning 

potential wrongdoing. The NRC may receive this 

information either through an allegation from

sources external to the NRC or as a result of 

inspections performed by agency personnel. In a 

typical case, the special agent will obtain 

preliminary information regarding the incident or 

allegation. The special agent will seek technical 

assistance, as needed, from NRC regional or HQ

staff to obtain a thorough understanding of the 

technical and legal issues, and the regulatory 

requirements involved. The special agent will 

develop an investigative plan that is primarily 

comprised of conducting witness interviews, 

employing techniques of investigation, conducting 

extensive reviews of pertinent documents, and the 

collecting of relevant evidence. At times, a member

of the NRC’s technical staff may be called upon to

participate as part of the investigative team to

assist OI in addressing complex technical, safety, or 

security issues. After completing the investigation, 

OI management issues a report of investigation.

NRC staff then reviews the report for civil

enforcement. The agency refers substantiated

willful wrongdoing investigations to the U.S. 

Department of Justice for prosecution

determination.