HomeAbout NRCEmergency Preparedness & ResponseRegulations, Guidance, and Generic Communications

# Generic Communications for Emergency Preparedness and Response

On this page:
        - Administrative Letter (AL)
        - Bulletin
        - Generic Letter (GL)
        - Information Notice (IN)
        - Regulatory Issue Summary (RIS)
        - Emergency Preparedness Position (EPPOS) Paper

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## Administrative Letter (AL)

Transmittals to inform addressees of specific regulatory or administrative information or to clarify this information. Note: Discontinued in September 1999.

## Bulletin

Used to transmit information or to request a specified action or response for significant issues that also have "urgency" (e.g., matters of safety, safeguards, or environmental significance). A bulletin requires a written response by the addressees, usually within a specified time frame, under oath or affirmation in keeping with its urgent nature.

## Generic Letter (GL)

Generic letters are used to request information or action, or both, that is considered "routine." Unlike bulletins, a generic letter is published in the *Federal Register* for public comment and will typically not invoke oath or affirmation requirements.

## Information Notice (IN)

Information notices are used to inform the nuclear industry of recent events. This includes significant, recently identified safety, security, or environmental information. Licensees are expected to review the information for applicability to their facilities and consider actions, as appropriate, to avoid similar problems. Information notices will not convey or imply new requirements or new interpretations and will not request information or actions.

## Regulatory Issue Summary (RIS)

While a Regulatory Issue Summary (RIS) is used to convey new requirements or transmit new interpretations of regulations, it does not require or recommend specific actions. A RIS is used to
        -  Document NRC endorsement of the resolution of issues addressed by industry-sponsored initiatives; 
        -  Solicit voluntary licensee participation in staff-sponsored pilot programs; 
        -  Inform licensees of opportunities to regulatory relief; 
        -  Announce staff technical or policy positions not previously communicated to industry or not broadly understood; and; 
        -  Address all matters previously reserved for administrative letters (e.g., announce events of interest such as workshops or conferences and other purposes strictly of an administrative nature). 

With the exception of requesting voluntary submittal of information of an administrative nature, a RIS may not request specific actions.

## Emergency Preparedness Position (EPPOS) Paper

Emergency Preparedness Position (EPPOS) papers were previously used by the NRC Headquarters EP Section to clarify emergency preparedness issues to ensure a consistent interpretation by NRC staff and inspectors. An EPPOS was considered an internal NRC document and was not an NRC generic communication. Today, an EPPOS is no longer used to provide internal clarification of EP issues. Rather, the EP Section will issue a RIS to provide information to both the industry and the staff.

Page Last Reviewed/Updated Friday, April 05, 2024