NRC NEWS

 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 

 Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200

 Washington, D.C. 20555-0001 E-mail: opa@nrc.gov 

Web Site: http://www.nrc.gov

 

No. 06-122 October 4, 2006

NRC IMPLEMENTS REORGANIZATION OF MATERIALS

AND AGREEMENT STATE PROGRAMS

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has reorganized its nuclear materials and Agreement State

programs into two new program offices, completing a restructuring approved by the Commission in

June to help the agency approach new challenges in the materials, waste and environmental areas.

The NRC’s Agreement State program has grown to 34 states, with three more in the process of

negotiating agreements to regulate the industrial, academic and medical uses of radioactive materials.

Currently, the Agreement States maintain approximately 18,000 licenses, while the NRC has

jurisdiction over approximately 4,400 licenses in the remaining states.

“The increase in the number of Agreement States, along with the expected wave of applications

for new nuclear power plants, spent fuel reprocessing plants and a high-level waste repository at Yucca

Mountain, have created new challenges and demands on the agency’s resources,” said Martin J.

Virgilio, NRC’s deputy executive director for materials, research, state and compliance programs.

“This reorganization will help us meet these demands while maintaining our ability to protect public

health and safety and the environment.”

The newly created Office of Federal and State Materials and Environmental Management

Programs (FSME) officially began operations Oct. 1. The new office is comprised of the former Office

of State and Tribal Programs, two of the technical divisions from the Office of Nuclear Material Safety

and Safeguards (NMSS) and a small program support staff. FSME is headed by Director Charles L.

Miller, with George Pangburn as deputy director. 

Other senior FSME staff include Janet R. Schleuter as director, Division of Materials Safety

and State Agreements; Dennis K. Rathbun, director of the Division of Intergovernmental Liaison and

Rulemaking; Larry W. Camper, director of the Division of Waste Management and Environmental

Protection; and Joseph J. Holonich, director of the Program Planning, Budgeting and Program Analysis

Staff.

A refocused NMSS also began operations effective Oct. 1, concentrating on the nuclear fuel

cycle, from uranium conversion and enrichment to fuel manufacturing and high-level waste storage,

transportation and disposal. The office is headed by Jack R. Strosnider, director, and Margaret V.

Federline, deputy director. Other senior staff include E. William Brach, director of the Division of

Spent Fuel Storage and Transportation; Robert C. Pierson, director of the Division of Fuel Cycle Safety
and Safeguards; Lawrence E. Kokajko, director of the Division of High-Level Waste and Repository

Safety, and Mark J. Flynn, director of the Program Planning, Budgeting and Program Analysis Staff.

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