Allegations

The NRC regulates the operation of commercial nuclear power plants and thousands of materials 

licensees in the United States. While the agency’s inspections and oversight ensure protection of the 

public health and safety, the knowledge, operating experience and insight of workers in the nuclear 

industry are the first line of defense against accidents. The NRC believes that all workers should feel 

free to raise safety issues with their employers or to bring their concerns directly to the NRC. 

The NRC, the nuclear industry and the public have benefitted from issues raised by employees of 

licensees and their contractors. Because licensees, not the NRC, have the first responsibility for safety, 

the NRC encourages employees to raise safety concerns first with their employer or the licensee. 

Members of the public or people working in NRC-regulated activities may also report safety concerns 

directly to the NRC by discussing the issues with an NRC staff member, calling the NRC's Safety 

Hotline 1-800-695-7403, sending an email to allegation@nrc.gov or writing a letter to the NRC.

The NRC’s allegation program strives to review all allegations to ensure that safety concerns are 

addressed thoroughly, accurately, and in as timely a manner as possible. More information on the 

allegation program is available on the NRC’s website.

i

Discussion

An allegation is a declaration, statement, or assertion of impropriety or inadequacy associated 

with NRC-regulated activities, the validity of which has not been established. Allegations may cover 

many different concerns, including potential safety issues, non-conformance with licensee or certificate 

holder requirements, discrimination, and concerns about the ability of employees to raise safety issues. 

The NRC has several Allegation Coordinators at headquarters and each regional office assigned 

to coordinate the evaluation of safety concerns reported to the agency. Any NRC employee who receives 

an allegation is required to forward the safety concern promptly to an Allegation Coordinator. 

The Allegation Coordinator convenes an Allegation Review Board to look into the claims. The 

board may perform an inspection or investigation, refer the issue to another federal or state agency, 

request that the licensee review the concern, or determine that no action is necessary. 

If an allegation raises a significant safety concern requiring immediate action to protect the 

health and safety of the public, the NRC immediately asks the licensee to investigate the matter and take 

prompt corrective action. 

For allegations that do not involve wrongdoing or a concern of discrimination, or for safety 

concerns that are not complex, the NRC’s goal is to complete its evaluation within six months. 

Complex safety concerns may require more time to resolve. 
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Once the NRC completes its evaluation, the person who raised the concern is notified of the 

agency’s conclusions. If the review takes longer than six months, the NRC will update the alleger on the 

status of the review.

Discrimination

Retaliation by employers against workers who report safety concerns can create a “chilling 

effect” that discourages workers from raising other safety issues. If this happens, a valuable source of 

information for improving safety is potentially lost. The NRC’s regulatory process seeks to protect 

nuclear industry employees from being subjected to retaliation for raising safety concerns to a licensee 

or the NRC. Discrimination against an employee for raising safety concerns is prohibited by NRC 

regulations.ii Discrimination includes firing and other actions that relate to compensation or terms, 

conditions, and privileges of employment. Employers under the agency’s authority are subject to 

enforcement action by the NRC for violations of these prohibitions by the licensee or its contractors and 

subcontractors.

If the Allegation Review Board determines that an alleger has raised a discrimination concern 

that warrants NRC evaluation, the agency may offer the alleger and the licensee mediation through 

Alternative Dispute Resolution. The NRC believes using ADR early in the process promotes a safety 

conscious work environment by helping resolve concerns quickly. If both the alleger and the employer 

agree to participate, a neutral mediator will help them settle the dispute. The aim is to reach settlement 

within 90 days of agreeing to mediate. The process is completely voluntary and any party may withdraw 

at any time. If the parties reach a settlement, the NRC, subject to certain conditions, will not conduct an 

investigation or take enforcement action relating to the discrimination allegation. 

Should any party not wish to participate in ADR, the NRC Office of Investigations will look into 

the discrimination allegation. An investigator will interview the alleger and other witnesses and review 

relevant documentation. A report of the investigation’s findings is provided to responsible NRC staff for 

a final agency decision. 

Even if a discrimination complaint is substantiated, the NRC does not have authority to provide a 

personal remedy, such as reinstatement or back pay, to an employee. An employee who believes 

discrimination has occurred may seek a personal remedy by filing a complaint within 180 days of the 

discriminatory act or of being informed about the discriminatory act (whichever occurred first) with the 

Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Remedies may also be available 

through state regulations.

Protection of an Alleger's Identity

The identity of an individual submitting an allegation to the NRC is not disclosed publicly and is 

treated within the agency as need-to-know information, so only those NRC staff with an actual need 

have access to the information. Files containing an alleger’s identity are under the control of the 

Allegation Coordinator Additionally, alleger names are generally not used during the Allegation Review 

Board meetings, and NRC employees who receive the names of the allegers are advised of the 

importance of protecting their identity.
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Rarely, the identity of an individual providing an allegation is released. Specifically, an alleger’s 

identity may be disclosed if:

• disclosure is necessary to ensure public health and safety;

• disclosure is necessary due to an order of a court or NRC adjudicatory authority or to inform 

Congress, state, or federal agencies;

• disclosure is mandated by the Freedom of Information Act;

• disclosure is necessary to support a hearing on an enforcement matter; or

• the individual goes public with the safety claims.

Additionally, for allegations involving wrongdoing, the individual’s identity may be disclosed at 

the NRC’s discretion in order to pursue the investigation. For discrimination allegations, the NRC 

discloses the alleger’s identity during any related NRC investigation as it would otherwise be impossible 

to pursue the concern. Therefore, the NRC normally does not investigate a discrimination concern if the 

alleger requests that his or her name be kept confidential or refuses to disclose his or her identity.

Waste, Fraud, or Abuse by NRC Employees

If a member of the public or someone working in NRC-regulated activities believes an NRC 

employee is involved with waste, fraud, or abuse, the matter should be reported to the Office of the 

Inspector General through its Hotline, 1-800-233-3497. If a concern of waste, fraud, or abuse is reported 

to an NRC staff member outside the OIG, it is referred to OIG and is not processed as an allegation. 

Only OIG can provide the status of a concern involving waste, fraud, or abuse.

March 2023

i The NRC’s guidance for tracking and resolving allegations is described in Management Directive 8.8, 

“Management of Allegations.”

ii 10 CFR 19.20, 30.7, 40.7, 50.7, 52.5, 60.9, 61.9, 63.9, 70.7, 71.9, 72.10, 76.7 and 150.20.