UNITED STATES 

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 

SECRETARY 

June 15, 2015 

COMMISSION VOTING RECORD 

DECISION ITEM: SECY-15-0032 

TITLE: REVIEWING DOCUMENTS FOR PUBLIC RELEASE USING 

SENSITIVE UNCLASSIFIED NON-SAFEGUARDS 

INFORMATION GUIDANCE 

The Commission (with all Commissioners agreeing) approved the subject paper as recorded in 

the Staff Requirements Memorandum (SRM) of June 15, 2015. 

This Record contains a summary of voting on this matter together with the individual vote 

sheets, views and comments of the Commission. 

Enclosures: 

1. Voting Summary 

2. Commissioner Vote Sheets 

cc: Chairman Burns 

Commissioner Svinicki 

Commissioner Ostendorff 

Commissioner Baran 

OGC 

EDO 

~-~ Annette L. Vietti-Cook 

Secretary of the Commission 
VOTING SUMMARY - SECY-15-0032 

RECORDED VOTES 

NOT 

APRVD DISAPRVD ABSTAIN PARTICIP COMMENTS DATE 

CHRM. BURNS x x 

COMR. SVINICKI x x 

COMR. OSTENDORFF X x 

COMR. BARAN x x 

5/28/15 

6/8/15 

4/8/15 

4/9/15 
TO: 

FROM: 

SUBJECT: 

Approved X 

NOTATION VOTE 

RESPONSE SHEET 

Annette Vietti-Cook, Secretary 

Chairman Burns 

SECY-15-0032: Reviewing Documents for Public 

Release Using Sensitive Unclassified Non-Safeguards 

Information Guidance 

Disapproved Abstain --- ---

Not Participating 

COMMENTS: Below Attached X None 

2i May 2015 

DATE 

Entered in "STARS" Yes X No 
Chairman Burns' Remarks on SECY-15-0032 

Reviewing Documents for Public Release Using 

Sensitive Unclassified Non-Safeguards Information Guidance 

I approve the staff's recommendation to discontinue the presumptive withholding from public 

release of fire protection and emergency planning and response information. Instead, 

consistent with staff's recommendation, beginning six months from the date of the Staff 

Requirements Memorandum (SRM) issued in response to this paper, the staff should 

prospectively and proactively apply the NRC's Sensitive Unclassified Non-Safeguards 

Information (SUNSI) Policy to the review, release, and withholding of fire protection and 

emergency preparedness documentation. In addition I support the staff's efforts to proactively 

review and release, consistent with the NRC's SUNSI Policy, Final Safety Analysis Reports 

(FSARs) and updated FSARs also beginning six months from the date of the SRM issued in 

response to this paper. 

The staff should keep the Commission informed of any significant budget impacts resulting from 

the staff's activities, as well as any negative impacts to staff's efforts to reduce the licensing 

backlog. 
TO: 

FROM: 

SUBJECT: 

NOTATION VOTE 

RESPONSE SHEET 

Annette Vietti-Cook, Secretary 

COMMISSIONER SVINICKI 

SECY-15-0032: Reviewing Documents for Public 

Release Using Sensitive Unclassified Non-Safeguards 

Information Guidance 

App roved _____ x ___ x ___ Disapproved __ Abstain ---

Not Participating __ 

COMMENTS: Below _ XX Attached .......... ___ _ None 

I approve the staffs recommendations. As noted in the paper, at the time the Commission previously directed the 

staff to restrict presumptively the public disclosure of certain categories of sensitive unclassified information 

concerning nuclear power reactors and materials licensees and certificate holders following the terrorist attacks of 

September 11, 2001, the agency had not yet established overarching guidance for the treatment of sensitive 

information. The agency has now developed, and had in place for some time, its generally applicable Sensitive 

Unclassified Non-Safeguards Information (SUNSI) Policy. It is appropriate for this policy to be operative here. 

In light of this activity being unbudgeted and the staffs acknowledgement that resource impacts could be significant 

with respect to review and release of FSARs, updated FSARs, and emergency preparedness documents, I join 

Chairman Burns in stipulating that the staff keep the Commission informed of any significant budget impacts resulting 

from the staffs activities. As a reminder, the term "significant" is defined under established Commission policy as the 

diversion from a planned program of work of an amount greater than $500,000 or 4 Full-Time Equivalents. 

Entered on "STARS" Yes 

GNATURE 

06/y,15 

DATE 

./ No 
TO: 

FROM: 

SUBJECT: 

Approved X 

NOTATION VOTE 

RESPONSE SHEET 

Annette Vietti-Cook, Secretary 

COMMISSIONER OSTENDORFF 

SECY-15-0032: Reviewing Documents for Public 

Release Using Sensitive Unclassified Non-Safeguards 

Information Guidance 

Disapproved -- Abstain --

Not Participating __ 

COMMENTS: Below Attached X None 

SIGNATURE ~~ 

DATE 

Entered on "STARS" Yes X No 
Commissioner Ostendorff's Comments on SECY-15-0032 "Reviewing Documents for 

Public Release Using Sensitive Unclassified Non-Safeguards Information Guidance" 

I approve the staff's recommendation that the Commission revise its policy regarding review of 

documents for public release to the extent that it would apply the NRC's SUNS! Policy to 

documents containing fire protection and emergency preparedness information. These 

documents would be subject to routine review for disclosure consistent with the NRC's SUNS! 

Policy upon receipt from external entities or after preparation by the staff if they do not contain 

sensitive information. I also approve the staff's request to withdraw the direction provided in 

Staff Requirements Memoranda (SRM) SECY-04-0191 and SRM-SECY-05-0101 to the extent 

that those SRMs approved presumptive withholding of these documents. Finally, I agree with 

the staff's recommendation to proactively review and release Final Safety Analysis Reports 

(FSARs) and FSAR updates, also consistent with our SUNS! Policy. These three categories of 

documents are well suited to be proactively reviewed using the now well established NRC 

SUNSI Policy. I commend the staff for acting in an open and transparent manner, consistent 

with our Principles of Good Regulation and the President's January 21 , 2009, memorandum 

regarding disclosure of information. 

These policy revisions should take effect prospectively on the schedule proposed by the staff 

(i.e., 6 months after Commission approval) to allow the staff time to engage industry on this 

matter, inform the public of the policy change, and to develop or finalize guidance on marking 

and releasing these documents. The staff should keep the Commission informed of any 

significant budget impacts of this effort on internal staff resources. 

Page 1 of 1 
TO: 

FROM: 

SUBJECT: 

Approved X 

NOTATION VOTE 

RESPONSE SHEET 

Annette Vietti-Cook, Secretary 

Commissioner Baran 

SECY-15-0032: Reviewing Documents for Public 

Release Using Sensitive Unclassified Non-Safeguards 

Information Guidance 

Disapproved __ Abstain ---

Not Participating __ 

COMMENTS: Below X Attached __ None __ 

I approve the staff's recommendation to discontinue the presumptive restriction on the release 

of fire protection and emergency planning and response information. According to the staff, 

"much of the information that has been presumptively restricted from release is not considered 

to be sensitive information and is not withholdable under FOIA." Starting six months after the 

SRM for this paper is issued, the staff will prospectively and proactively review many emergency 

planning and fire protection documents under the NRC's Sensitive Unclassified Non-Safeguards 

Information (SUNSI) Policy and publicly release the portions of those documents that are not 

redacted under the SUNSI Policy. I also support the staff's efforts to begin publicly releasing 

updates to licensees' Final Safety Analysis Reports. 

I applaud the staff for taking a fresh look at NRC's document disclosure policies in order to 

enhance transparency and openness and for responding to public feedback regarding these 

policies. It is important for the agency to continually look for ways to improve how we interact 

with and make information available to the public. 

DATE 

Entered on "STARS" Yes / No