UNITED STATES 

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 

June 24, 2016 

SECRETARY 

COMMISSION VOTING RECORD 

DECISION ITEM: SECY-16-0007 

TITLE: PROPOSED REVISIONS TO POLICY STATEMENT ON 

ENHANCING PULBIC PARTICIPATION IN NRC MEETINGS 

The Commission acted on the subject paper as recorded in the Staff Requirements 

Memorandum (SRM) of June 24, 2016. 

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

sheets, views and comments of the Ci~ C _ &of 

Enclosures: 

1. Voting Summary 

2. Commissioner Vote Sheets 

cc: Chairman Burns 

Commissioner Svinicki 

Commissioner Ostendorff 

Commissioner Baran 

OGC 

EDO 

PDR 

Rochelle C. Bavol 

Acting Secretary of the Commission 
VOTING SUMMARY - SECY-16-0007 

RECORDED VOTES 

NOT 

APPROVED DISAPPROVED ABSTAIN PARTICIPATING COMMENTS DATE 

Chrm. Burns x x 06/06/16 

Cmr. Svinicki x x 06/08/16 

Cmr. Ostendorff x x 02/03/16 

Cmr. Baran x x 05/13/16 
TO: 

FROM: 

SUBJECT: 

NOTATION VOTE 

RESPONSE SHEET 

Annette Vi~tti-Cook , Secretary 

Chairman Burns 

SECY-16-0007: PROPOSED REVISIONS TO POLICY 

STATEMENT ON ENHANCING PUBLIC 

PARTICIPATION IN NRC COMMISSION MEETINGS 

Approved X Disapproved Abstain Not Participating 

COMMENTS: Below Attached X None 

Entered in 

STARS 

Yes X 

No 6 June 2016 

Date 
Chairman Burns Comments on SECY-16-0007, "Proposed Revisions to Policy Statement 

on Enhancing Public Participation in the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

Meetings" 

I approve publication in the Federal Register of the proposed revised policy statement on 

enhancing participation in NRC public meetings subject to the following comments and attached 

edits. 

I agree with the staff that the current categories of NRC public meetings should be revised to 

provide greater clarity as what to expect from a public meeting. Nonetheless, I am concerned 

that the proposed rebranding does not convey the differences in the level of public participation 

the public can expect for the two categories of meeting: "Information Public Meeting," and 

"Commenting Public Meeting." I have adapted the meeting titles suggested by Commissioner 

Baran to address this concern. Because the policy addresses public meetings, I do not believe it 

is necessary to include the term "public" in the meeting description itself. 

I agree with Commissioners Ostendorff and Baran regarding the placement of the paragraph on 

civility during NRC public meetings. Based on comments received, staff should consider 

whether more specific guidance on this issue should be included in the policy statement. 

Finally, I suggest that NRC hold a public meeting related to the revised policy statement to have 

a dialogue on the clarity of expectations for and by our stakeholders at NRC public meetings 

rather than solely soliciting comments in writing . 
SGB edits 

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 

[NRC-20YY-XXXX] 

Enhancing Participation in NRC Public Meetings 

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 

ACTION : Proposed revision to policy statement; request for comments. 

[7590-01-P) 

SUMMARY: To further clarify and enhance participation in public meetings conducted by the 

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) ans in SllJJJJOrt of the OJ)enness~ 

stakeholsers strategy from its Strategis Plan, _the NRC is proposing to revise ans retitle its 

public meeting policy. The proJ)oses revisediGRs policy statement iflGIOO&fedefinesifi9 the three 

categories of public meetings and slarifying identifies the level of public participation offered at 

each type of meeting. The revised policy statement also clarifies notification expectations for 

meetings that include physical presence in the meeting room and meetings that rely solely on 

remote access technology such as teleconferencing. These proposed revisions setailes here 

~will improve the consistency of the NRC's public meetings and help participants better 

prepare for NRC meetings. 

DATES: Submit comments by [INSERT DATE 75 DAYS FROM DATE OF PUBLICATION 

IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER] . Comments received after this date will be considered if it is 

practical to do so, but the Commission is able to ensure consideration only for comments 

received on or before this date. 

+- - - -{ Formatted: Left 
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods (unless this 

dosument dessril:les a different method for submitting somments on a spesifis sul:ljest): 

Federal Rulemaking Web Site: Go to http://www.regufations.gov and search for 

Docket ID NRC-20YY-XXXX. Address questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; 

telephone: 301-415-3463; e-mail: Carol.Gallagher@nrc.gov. For technical questions contact 

the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document. 

Mail comments to: Cindy Bladey, Office of Administration, Mail Stop: 

OWFN-12-H08, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, be 20555-0001 . 

For additional direction on obtaining information and submitting comments , see 

"Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments" in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 

section of this document. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lance Rakovan, Office of the Executive Director 

for Operations, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001 ; telephone: 

301-415-2589; e-mail: Lance. Rakovan@nrc.gov. 

2 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments. 

A. Obtaining Information. 

Please refer to Docket ID NRC-20YY-XXXX when contacting the NRG about the 

availability of information for this action. You may obtain publicly available information related to 

this action by any of the following methoas: 

Federal Rulemaking Web Site: Go to http://www.regulations .gov and search for 

Docket ID NRC-20YY-XXXX. 

NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS): 

You may obtain publicly available documents online in the ADAMS Public Documents collection 

at http://www.nrc.gov/readinq-rm/adams.html. To begin the search, select "ADAMS Public 

Documents" and then select "Begin Web-based ADAMS Search." For problems with ADAMS, 

please contact the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 

301-415-4 737, or by e-mail to pdr.resource@nrc.gov. The NRC's Strategic Plan for fiscal years 

2014-2018 is available on the NRC's public Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doccollections/nuregs/staff/sr1614/v6/. 

NRC's PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public documents at the 

NRC's PDR, Room 01-F21 , One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 

20852. 

B. Submitting Comments. 

Please include Docket ID NRC-20YY-XXXX in your comment submission. 

The NRC cautions you not to include identifying or contact information that you do not 

want to be publicly disclosed in your comment submission. The NRC will post all comment 

3 
submissions at http://www.regulations.gov as well as enter the comment submissions into 

ADAMS. The NRC does not routinely edit comment submissions to remove identifying or 

contact information. 

If you are requesting or aggregating comments from other persons for submission to the 

NRC, then you should inform those persons not to include identifying or contact information that 

they do not want to be publicly disclosed in their comment submission. Your request should 

state that the NRC does not routinely edit comment submissions to remove such information 

before making the comment submissions available to the public or entering the comment into 

ADAMS. 

II. Further Information. 

The entire text of the proposed revision of the policy statement, "Enhancing Public 

Participation in NRC Meetings," is available as an attachment to this document. 

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this xxth day of Xxxxx, 201X. 

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 

Annette Vietti-Cook, 

Secretary of the Commission. 

4 
Attachment -- Commission Policy Statement on Staff Meetings Open to the Public 

A. Purpose. 

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) longstanding practice is to provide the 

public with substantial information on its activities, to conduct business in an open manner, and 

to balance openness and transparency with the need to exercise regulatory and safety 

responsibilities without undue administrative burden. The NRC's policy is to open meetings 

between the agency staff and one or more outside persons to observation and participation to 

the extent possible. The NRC has had a formal policy regarding open (public) meetings since 

He1ai ________ ___ _____ ____ ______ ______________________________ _ _ Commented [SGB1]: Staff should include a statement and 

reference to the current 2002 policy statement. --' 

This policy establishes three public meeting categories based on the level of 

participation offered to attendees. The policy provides information such as applicability and 

exceptions, descriptions of each category, information on how public meetings are announced, 

guidelines concerning public meeting etiquette, and post-meeting activities. 

8 . Participation in NRC Public Meetings. 

NRC staff-sponsored public meetings are open to everyone. The ~JRC is committed to 

previding an atmosphere of civility and incl1Jsion at its p1Jl:Jlic meetings. All participants aro 

expectod to l:Je respectf1JI to others and refrain from disr1Jplions d1JrinQ tho meeting follow 

estal:Jlished gro1Jnd r1Jles to S1Jpport thisan atmosphere of ci'Jility and incl1Jsion regardless of 

personal viewpoints. If the actions of one or more participants significantly impact this 

atmosphere, and therefore other participants' al:Jility to ol:Jserve or participate in a meeting, the 

NRG staff shall take appropriate actions to restore a more respectful environment, including 

ending a meeting, if necessary. 

In order to fulfill the NRC's commitment to openness, the level of participation, purpose, 

and description for each category of public meeting are described below. When assigning a 
category to a meeting, NRC staff will consider the objective of the meeting and the extent of 

known public interest in the topic. 

The three meeting categories are based on the level of public participation to be 

provided at each type of meeting. Thus, some categories may support multiple meeting formats 

(for example, a town hall meeting could be aA lnf-OrFAation Discussion Public Meeting or 

CoFAFAenting Consultation Public Meeting). The label for each category provides an indication 

of the level of participation meeting attendees can expect. 

The NRC is committed to providing an atmosphere of civility and inclusion at its public meetings. 

All participants are expected to be respectful to others and refrain from disruptions during the 

meeting to support an atmosphere of civility and inclusion regardless of personal viewpoints. If 

the actions of one or more participants significantly adversely affect this atmosphere, and 

therefore other participants' ability to observe or participate in a meeting, the NRC staff shall 

take appropriate actions to restore a more respectful environment. including ending a meeting, if 

necessary. 

Observation POO!iG-Meeting 

Meeting Purpose - The purpose of this type of meeting is for the NRC to meet with 

representatives from one or more groups in an open and transparent manner to discuss 

regulatory and technical matters. Other Agttendees will obtain faGttlal...information to assist 

in their understanding of applicable regulatory issues and NRC actions primarily by 

observing. 

Level of Participation - AllOther aAttendees besides the representatives noted above are 

invited to observe the meeting and discuss regulatory issues with NRC representatives at a 

designated point or points identified on the agenda. Meetings tt'lat tt'le ~IRC staff believes 

vAll generate t'ligt'l public interest and/or exceed two hours st'lould provide FAore than one 

2 
opportunity for mooting attendees to provide comments and ask 11uosliens er an extended 

opportunity. 

Description - Meetings in this category feature the NRG meeting with representati•1es of one 

or more industry 9.[Q!!Q§_reprosontatives, licensees, vendors, applicants, potential 

applicants, or non-government organizations, to discuss regulatory issues regarding a 

specific facility (or facilities ), certificates of compliance, licenses, or license applications. 

This category of meeting could also feature tho involve an NRG meeting with 

representatives of task force groups, industry groups, or public interest and citizen groups. 

The primary discussions are expected to occur between the NRG and representatives of 

those groups. 

The following description will be included in an Observation Publi&-Meeting notice: 

This is a technical meeting in which meeting attendees will have an opportunity 

to observe the NRG performing its regulatory R'Hs6ioo function or discussing 

regulatory issues. Attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions of the 

NRG staff or make comments about the issues discussed following the business 

portion of the meeting, but the NRG is not soliciting comments towams- on 

regulatory decisions. 

Meetings of this category may include meetings with licensees (or applicants) to discuss 

license renewal.-amendment anG/or exemption requests; meetings with applicants fer 

related to topical reports reviews, combined licenses, early site permits, anG-..QLdesign 

certifications ; annual public meetings to discuss plant performance as part of the Reactor 

Oversight Process; and meetings held le discuss issues associated with licensing actions 

3 
(or applications), renewals, aM-_QLamendments. Certain inspection exit meetings, such as 

those for Incident Investigation Teams aM-or, Augmented Inspection Teams or others, as 

appropriate, would l:Je are included under this category. 

Information _Publi&-Meeting with Questions and Answer Session 

Meeting Purpose - The purpose of this type of meeting is for the NRC to share fa6Wal 

information and discuss applicable regulatory issues and NRC actions with meeting 

attendees. Attendees will obtain faGttlal.-information to assist in their understanding of 

applicable regulatory issues and NRC actions through NRC presentations and discussions 

with NRC staff during this type of meeting. 

Level of Participation - Participation is sought at this type of meeting, which is tailored to 

inform attendees and allow them to ask questions. 

Description - Meetings in this category are held with interested parties, including 

representatives of non-government organizations, private citizens , or various businesses or 

industries, to engage them in a discussion of regulatory issues. 

The following description will be included in the notice for an Information Publi&-Meeting 

with Questions and Answer SessionAetiGe: 

The purpose of this meeting is for the NRC staff to meet directly with individuals 

to provide an opportunity to discuss regulatory and technical issues, ask 

questions, and ensure that attendees are educated and informed . Attendees will 

have an opportunity to ask questions of the NRC staff or make comments about 

4 
the issues discussed throughout the meeting, however the NRC is not actively 

soliciting comments towards regulatory decisions at this meeting. 

Meetings of this category may include town hall and roundtable discussions, and ~ 

alooe--Open house meetings (organized, yet informal opportunities to interact with and ask 

questions of the NRC staff not associated with a more traditional public meeting format.} 

CammeRtiRg Comment--Gathering PYbli&-Meeting 

Meeting Purpose - The purpose of this type of meeting is for the NRC to share factllal 

iRfGrmatioR, disclJss, aRd obtain feedback if:wol.viA§..Q!l. -regulatory issues and NRC actions. 

In most cases, the meeting will include a presentation by the NRC to help attendees obtain 

tacwal information. The feedback received at these meetings is used to support actions 

such as licensing and §€RE!fi&-rulemaking activities. 

Level of Participation - Particif)ation and inf)lll is sollght at ti his type of meeting~ is 

tailored for fill_ attendees to ask questions and provide opinions, perspectives, and feedback 

tyf)isally throllghollt the meeting. Participation and inpllt is Wpically sollght throllahollt the 

~ 

Description - This type of meeting would be held with the greatest a broad number of 

interested parties possible, including representatives of non-government organizations, 

private citizens, or various businesses or industries, to fully engage them in a discussion of 

a specific regulatory issue. 

5 
The following description will be included in the notification of a CommeRtiRg CommentGathering PubliG-Meeting ooti6e: 

The purpose of this meeting is for NRC staff to meet directly with individuals to 

receive comments from pmvise an oppor:bmity to 8iscuss a specific regulatory 

issue or issues, as well as allow participants to make comments on NRC 

decisions and actions and to ensure that NRC staff understands their views and 

concerns. 

The notice of-for such meetings a CommeRtiRg PubliG MeetiRg should include details as to 

how comments will be taken at the meeting (e.g., NRC staff taking infor:mal notes . ..Q.[ 

creating transcription) a transcript of the meeting) , and how NRC will use the comments 

(e.g., to inform NRC discussions,..Q.[ as official comments towaffis related to a formal NRC 

regulatory decision), as well as 300 to clarify whether participants will need to also submit 

comments made at the meeting in writing to receive formal consideration. 

Meetings of this category may include~ - town hall and roundtable discussions, 

environmental impact statement scoping meetings, and workshops . 

C. Notice and Access. 

Although the extent of meeting outreach and preparation by NRC staff can be different 

for each meeting, certain steps shoul8 always tie are usually taken . Meeting information will be 

announced as soon as the NRC staff is reasonably confident that a meeting will be held and 

firm date, time. and facility arrangements have been made. This will generally occur no fewer 

than 1 O days before a meeting that includes face to face interaction physical presence. For 

meetings that do not inYOl'le face to face interaction physical presence (i.e., meetings that rely 

6 
solely on remote access technology such as a teleconference), the NRC staff should provide 

meeting information publicly no fewer than 5 days before the meeting. When a meeting must be 

scheduled but cannot be announced within these timeframes, the NRC staff will provide as 

much advance notice as possible. 

Public notice of meetings will be made through the NRC's Public Meetings & 

Involvement Webpage at http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve.html. Meeting changes or 

cancellations will also be announced promptly on this Webpage. Individuals who cannot access 

the NRC's public Web site can contact the NRC's PDR staff via a toll-free number (1-800-397-

4209) or by e-mail (pdr.resource@nrc.gov) for information on scheduled NRC meetings. Some 

meetings, specifically meetings with a high level of public interest, may also be noticed in the 

Federal Register aAGl-Or through other means such as a press release, blog post, or paid 

advertisement in local newspapers. 

Meeting details and materials such as an agenda, names of participants, and 

background documents will be entered into the NRC's Public Meeting Schedule Web Site. A 

link to the materials as well as the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System 

(ADAMS) accession number for additional meeting materials such as presentations will, when 

possible, be provided in the meeting notice on the NRC's public Web site under the "Public 

Meetings & Involvement" page at http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve.html. 

Audio teleconferencing and other partiGipation technologies that allow participation from 

locations other than a meeting room , will be used whenever possible to help ensure widespread 

involvement in meetings. If information on how to participate remotely in a meeting is not 

provided in the meeting notice, individuals may request the use of such technology through the 

meeting contact listed on the meeting notice. Such requests may be granted to the extent 

budgeted resources are available and technical factors can be accommodated. 

AElministmtive details, incl~ding visitor registration and l:ladging, parking, prehil:lited 

artiGles, etG., Gan l:le fe~nd [appropriate reference will l:le pro'lided l:lefore finalizing]. 

7 
D. After-Meeting Activities . 

. The NRC staff will provide answers to questions as appropriate during the public 

meeting and will inform attendees at the meeting how it plans to address questions that cannot 

be answered at the meeting. Informal follow-up (telephone or e-mail) may be appropriate. 

Individuals also have the option of calling, writing, or e-mailing the NRC staff about particular 

concerns . NRC staff will provide feedback forms at all public meetings so that comments can 

be reviewed and offices can track any planned improvements or resulting actions, as 

appropriate. NRC staff will make meeting summaries publicly available in ADAMS following the 

meeting. 

E. Innovation. 

The NRC staff will make efforts, as appropriate, to find new and innovative ways to 

interact with individuals, including exploring new alternative varied meeting formats and other 

ways to incorporate participation technologies that allow participants from locations other than a 

meeting room . Experiences with new methods will be shared across the agency for information 

and consideration by other NRC staff. 

F. Applicability and Exceptions. 

This policy applies to planned , formal encounters between one or rnore NRC staff 

members and one or rnore outside individuals or entities, with an expressed intent of discussing 

substantive issues directly associated with the NRC's regulatory and safety responsibilities . 

Such meetings will be designated in advance as public meetings, open for public attendance 

and categorized in accordance with this policy, subject to the following conditions and 

exceptions: 

1. This policy applies solely to NRC staff-sponsored and conducted meetings with an 

8 
outside individual or entity. It does not apply to a meeting conducted by an outside 

individual or entity where an NRC staff member might participate, nor when an NRC 

employee attends a meeting outside of his or her official capacity. 

2. This policy does not apply to meetings between the NRC staff and outside individuals or 

entities who are: 

a. Under contract to the NRC; 

b. Acting as an official consultant to the NRC; 

c. Acting as an official representative of an agency of the executive, legislative, or 

judicial branch of the U.S. Government (except on matters where the agency is 

subject to NRC regulatory oversight); 

d. Acting as an official representative of a foreign government or representing an 

international organization such as the International Atomic Energy Agency; or 

e. Acting as an official representative of a State or local government or Tribal 

official. 

3. Meetings between the NRC staff and one or rnore outside individuals or entities will not 

be designated as public meetings if the NRC staff determines that the subject matter or 

information to be discussed in the meeting: 

a. Is specifically authorized by an Executive Order to be withheld in the interests of 

national defense or foreign policy (classified information); 

b. Is specifically exempt from public disclosure by statute (e.g., safeguards or 

proprietary information); 

c. Is of a personal nature where such disclosure would constitute a clearly 

unwarranted invasion of personal privacy; 

9 
d. Is related to a planned , ongoing , or completed investigation, aRGtor contains 

information compiled for law enforcement purposes; 

e. Could compromise the ongoing reviews and inspections associated with an open 

allegation; 

f. Could result in the inappropriate disclosure and dissemination of preliminary, predecisional, or unverified information; 

g. Is for general information exchange having no direct, substantive connection to a 

specific NRC regulatory decision or action; however, should discussions in a 

closed meeting approach issues that might lead to a specific regulatory decision 

or action, the NRC staff may advise the meeting attendees that such matters 

cannot be discussed and propose discussing the issues in a future public 

meeting; or 

h. Indicates that the administrative burden associated with public attendance at the 

meeting could interfere with the NRC staffs execution of its safety and regulatory 

responsibilities , such as when the meeting is an integral part of the execution of 

the NRC inspection program . 

4. This policy does not apply to Commission meetings (which are conducted in accordance 

with the Commission's Internal Procedures, which can be found here: 

http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/policy-making/intemal.html), advisory committee meetings, 

QLmeetings related to financial assistance or acquisition requirements, or to meetings 

sponsored ey offises that report direstly to the Commission (for example, the Offise of 

the General Cololnsel or the Offise of the Chief finansial Offiser). Similarly, it does not 

apply to "government-to-government" meetings: meetings between NRC staff and 

representatives of State governments, including Agreement State representatives , 

relating to NRC Agreement State activities or to State regulatory actions or to other 

10 
matters of general interest to the State or to the Commission, as well as meetings 

between NRC staff and representatives of local or Tribal governments. Also, the policy 

is not intended to apply to or supersede any existing law, rule or regulation that 

addresses public attendance at a specific type of meeting. For example, Part 7 of Title 

10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (1 O CFR), "Advisory Committees," and 1 O CFR 

Part 9, "Public Records ," will continue to be applicable to advisory committee meetings 

and Commission meetings, respectively. 

5. This policy does not cover the hearings associated with adjudicatory proceedings under 

the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure set forth in 10 CFR Part 2. The term 

"hearings" relates primarily to Commission adjudicatory proceedings on various types of 

license applications and licensing actions (e.g., applications for initial issuance of a 

license, amendment of an existing license, renewal of a license) or to enforcement 

actions involving the imposition of civil penalties or orders to modify, suspend, or revoke 

a license or take other appropriate action. Specific requirements regarding participation 

in and the conduct of adjudicatory proceedings (including the settlement of such 

proceedings) are provided in the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure set 

forth in 10 CFR Part 2. This policy does not cover meetings concerning the settlement of 

enforcement matters. 

6. Certain meetings that would normally be closed under section Scf.,_3.b. above may be 

opened to cleared members of the public who also have a need-to-know. A cleared 

member of the public is a person who holds a U.S. Government security clearance or 

has been granted access to Safeguards Information in accordance with 

10 FR Part 73. 22(b). 

7. This policy may be applicable to only part of a meeting. For example, an NRC meeting 

11 
may have a portion that is open to the public and a portion that is closed to the public 

due to any of the exceptions listed above. In these cases , this policy statement is 

applicable to the public portion of the meeting only. 

8. This policy is a matter of NRC discretion; the NRC reserves the right to depart from any 

stated conditions as circumstances may warrant. 

G. Contact. 

The primary point of contact in the agency for general issues related to this policy will be 

the Deputy Assistant for Operations, Gammunications ans Perfmmance Management, Office of 

the Executive Director for Operations. The Office of Public Affairs is also available to receive 

questions and suggestions. There are also opportunities for comment on our public 

participation policies, or on many of our programs through the NRC's Web site under the "Public 

Meetings & Involvement" page at http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve.html. 

12 
TO: 

FROM: 

SUBJECT: 

NOTATION VOTE 

RESPONSE SHEET 

Annette Vietti-Cook, Secretary 

COMMISSIONER SVINICKI 

SECY-16-0007: PROPOSED REVISIONS TO POLICY 

STATEMENT ON ENHANCING PUBLIC 

PARTICIPATION IN NRC COMMISSION MEETINGS 

Approved XX Disapproved Abstain Not Participating -- --

COMMENTS: Below XX Attached XX None 

I approve publication in the Federal Register of the proposed revised policy statement, subject 

to the attached edits, for the purpose of receiving public comment. 

/16 

Entered on "STARS" 
KLS Edits 

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 

[NRC-20YY-XXXX] 

Enhancing Participation in NRC Public Meetings 

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 

ACTION: Proposed revision to policy statement; request for comments. 

[7590-01-P] 

SUMMARY: To further clarify and enhance participation in public meetings conducted by the 

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and in support of the openness strategy from its 

Strategic Plan, the NRC is proposing to revise and retitle its public meeting policy. The 

proposed revisio.ns include redefining the three categories of public meetings and clarifying the 

level of public participation offered at each type of meeting. The proposed revisions detailed 

here would improve the consistency of the NRC's public meetings and help participants better 

prepare for NRC meetings. 

DATES: Submit comments by [INSERT DATE 75 DAYS FROM DATE OF PUBLICATION 

IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER] . Comments received afte~ this date will be considered if it is 

practical to do so, but the Commission is able to ensure consideration only for comments 

received on or before this date. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods (unless this 

document describes a different method for submitting comments on a specific subject): 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments. 

A. Obtaining Information. 

Please refer to Docket ID NRC-20YY-XXXX when contacting the NRC about the 

availability of information for this action. You may obtain publicly available information related to 

this action by any of the following methods: 

• Federal Rulemaking Web Site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for 

Docket ID NRC-20YY-XXXX. 

• NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS): 

You may obtain publicly available documents online in the ADAMS Public Documents collection 

at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the search, select "ADAMS Public 

Documents" and then select "Begin Web-based ADAMS Search." For problems with ADAMS, 

please contact the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 

301-415-4737, or by e-mail to pdr.resource@nrc.gov. The NRC's Strategic Plan for fiscal years 

2014 2018 is available on the NRC's public Web site at http://w'l.w.nrc.gowreading rm/doc 

collections/nuregs/staff/sr16141¥6/. 

• NRC's PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public documents at the 

NRC's PDR, Room 01-F21 , One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 

20852. 

B. Submitting Comments. 

Please include Docket ID NRC-20YY-XXXX in your comment submission. 

The NRC cautions you not to include identifying or contact information that you do not 

want to be publicly disclosed in your comment submission. The NRC will post all comment 

3 
Attachment -- Commission Policy Statement on Staff Meetings Open to the Public 

A. Purpose. 

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) longstanding practice is to provide the 

public with substantial information on its activities, to conduct business in an open manner, and 

to balance openness and transparency with the need to exercise regulatory and safety 

responsibilities without undue administrative burden. The NRC's policy is to open meetings 

between the agency staff and one or more outside persons to observation and participation to 

the extent possible. The NRC has had a formal policy regarding open (public) meetings since 

1978. 

This policy establishes three public meeting categories based on the level of 

participation offered to attendees. The policy provides information such as applicability and 

exceptions, descriptions of each category, information on how public meetings are announced , 

guidelines concerning public meeting etiquette, and post-meeting activities, and applicability and 

exceptions. 

B. Participation in NRC Public Meetings. 

NRC staff-sponsored public meetings are open to everyone. The NRC is committed to 

providing an atmosphere of civility and inclusion at its public meetings. All participants are 

expected to follow established ground rules. including those provided in the applicable meeting 

notice posted on the NRC's public wesbite. to support this atmosphere of civility and inclusion 

regardless of personal viewpoints . If the actions of one or more participants significantly impact 

this atmosphere, and therefore other participants' ability to observe or participate in a meeting, 

the NRC staff shall take appropriate actions to restore a more respectful environment, including 

ending a meeting early, if necessary. 
In order to fulfill the NRC's commitment to openness, the level of participation, purpose, 

and description for each category of public meeting are described below. When assigning a 

category to a meeting, NRC staff will consider the objective of the meeting and the extent of 

known public interest in the topic. 

The three meeting categories are based on the level of public participation to be 

provided at each type of meeting. Thus, some categories may support multiple meeting formats 

(for example, a town hall meeting could be an Information Public Meeting or Commenting Public 

Meeting). The label for each category provides an indication of the level of participation meeting 

attendees can expect. 

Observation Public Meeting 

Meeting Purpose - The purpose of this type of meeting is for the NRC to meet with 

representatives from one or more groups in an open and transparent manner to discuss 

regulatory and technical matters. Attendees will obtain factual information to assist in their 

understanding of applicable regulatory issues and NRC actions primarily by observing. 

Level of Participation - Attendees are invited to observe the meeting and discuss regulatory 

issues with NRC representatives at a designated point or points identified on the agenda. 

Meetings that the NRG staff believes will generate high public interest and/or exceed two 

hours should provide more than one opportunity for meeting attendees to provide comments 

and ask questions or an extended opportunity. This does not preclude the licensee from 

responding to questions if they choose to do so. 

Description - Meetings in this category feature include the NRC meeting with representatives 

of one or more industry representatives, licensees, vendors, applicants, potential applicants, 

2 
or non-government organizations, to discuss regulatory issues regarding a specific facility 

(or facilities), certificates of compliance, licenses, or license applications. This category of 

meeting could also feature the NRC meeting with representatives of task force groups, 

industry groups, or public interest and citizen groups. The primary discussions are expected 

to occur between the NRC and representatives of those entities or groups. 

The following description will be included in an Observation Public Meeting notice: 

This is a technical meeting in which meeting attendees will have an opportunity 

to observe the NRC performing its regulatory mission or discussing regulatory 

issues. Attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions of the NRC staff or 

make comments about the issues discussed following the business portion of the 

meeting , but the NRC is not soliciting comments towards regulatory decisions. 

Examples - Meetings of this category may include meetings with licensees to discuss 

license amendment and/or exemption requests; meetings with applicants for topical reports 

reviews , combined licenses, early site permits, and design certifications; annual public 

meetings to discuss plant performance as part of the Reactor Oversight Process; and 

meetings held to discuss issues associated with licensing actions (or applications), 

renewals, and amendments. Certain inspection exit meetings such as those for Incident 

Investigation Teams, Augmented Inspection Teams ... or others, as appropriate, would be 

included under this category. 

Information Public Meeting 

3 
Meeting Purpose - The purpose of this type of meeting is for the NRC to share factual 

information and discuss applicable regulatory issues and NRC actions with meeting 

attendees. Attendees will obtain factual information to assist in their understanding of 

applicable regulatory issues and NRC actions through NRC presentations and discussions 

with NRC staff during this type of meeting. 

Level of Participation - Participation is sought at this type of meeting, which is tailored to 

inform attendees and allow them to ask questions. 

Description - Meetings in this category are held with interested parties, including 

representatives of non-government organizations, private citizens, or various businesses or 

industries, to engage them in a discussion of regulatory issues. 

The following description will be included in an Information Public Meeting notice: 

The purpose of this meeting is for the NRC staff to meet directly with individuals 

to provide an opportunity to discuss regulatory and technical issues, ask 

questions, and ensure that attendees are educate(} and informoo. Attendees will 

have an opportunity to ask questions of the NRC staff throughout the meeting, 

however the NRC is not soliciting comments towards regulatory decisions at this 

meeting. 

Examples - Meetings of this category may include town hall and roundtable discussions, and 

stand-alone open house meetings. 

Commenting Public Meeting 

4 
Meeting Purpose - The purpose of this type of meeting is for the NRC to share factual 

information, discuss regulatory issues and NRC actions, and obtain feedback involving 

regulatory issues and NRC actions. In most cases , the meeting will include a presentation 

by the NRC to help attendees obtain factual information. The feedback received at these 

meetings is used to support actions such as licensing and generic rulemaking activities. 

Level of Participation - Participation and input is sought at this type of meeting, which is 

tailored for attendees to ask questions and provide opinions, perspectives, and feedback ... 

typically throughout the meeting. 

Description - This type of meeting would be held with the greatest number of interested 

parties possible, including representatives of non-government organizations, private 

citizens, or various businesses or industries, to fully engage them in a discussion of a 

specific regulatory issue. 

The following description will be included in a Commenting Public Meeting notice: 

The purpose of this meeting is for NRC staff to meet directly with individuals to 

provide an opportunity to discuss a specific regulatory issue or issues, as well as 

allow participants to make comments to ensure that NRC staff understands their 

views and concerns. 

The notice of a Commenting Public Meeting should include details as to how comments 

will be taken at the meeting (e.g., NRC staff taking informal notes, transcription), how NRC 

will use the comments (e.g., to inform NRC discussions, as official comments towards a 

5 
formal NRC regulatory decision), and clarify whether participants will need to also submit 

comments made at the meeting in writing to receive formal consideration. 

Examples - Meetings of this category may include - town hall and roundtable discussions, 

environmental impact statement scoping meetings, and workshops. 

C. Notice and Access. 

Although the extent of meeting outreach and preparation by NRC staff can be different 

for each meeting, certain steps should always be taken. Meeting information will be announced 

as soon as the NRC staff is reasonably confident that a meeting will be held and firm date, time, 

and facility arrangements have been made. This will generally occur no fewer than 10 days 

before a meeting that includes face-to-face interaction. For meetings that do not involve faceto-face interaction (i.e., meetings that rely solely on technology such as a teleconference), the 

NRC staff should provide meeting information publicly no fewer than 5 days before the meeting. 

When a meeting must be scheduled but cannot be announced within these timeframes, the 

NRC staff will provide as much advance notice as possible. 

Public notice of meetings will be made through the NRC's Public Meetings & 

Involvement Webpage at http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve.html. Meeting changes or 

cancellations will also be announced promptly on this Webpage. Individuals who cannot access 

the NRC's public Web site can contact the NRC's PDR staff via a toll-free number (1-800-397-

4209) or by e-mail (pdr.resource@nrc.gov) for information on scheduled NRC meetings. Some 

meetings, specifically meetings with a high level of public interest, may also be noticed in the 

Federal Register and/or through other means such as a press release, blog post, or paid 

advertisement in local newspapers. 

Meeting details and materials such as an agenda, names of participants, ancj 

background documents will be entered into the NRC's Public Meeting Schedule Web Site. A 

6 
link to the materials as well as the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System 

(ADAMS) accession number for additional meeting materials such as presentations will, when 

possible, be provided in the meeting notice on the NRC's public Web site under the "Public 

Meetings & Involvement" page at http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve.html. 

Audio teleconferencing and other participation technologies will be used whenever 

possible to help ensure widespread involvement in meetings. If information on how to 

participate remotely in a meeting is not provided in the meeting notice, individuals may request 

the use of such technology through the meeting contact listed on the meeting notice. Such 

requests may be granted to the extent budgeted resources are available and technical factors 

can be accommodated. 

The meeting notice will state that A§.dministrative details, including limitations on 

recording devices. restrictions on signs and banners. procedures for visitor registration and 

badging, availability of parking, prohibited articles, etc., can be found [appropriate reference 

will be provided before finalizing]. 

D. After-Meeting Activities. 

The NRC staff will provide answers to questions as appropriate during the public 

meeting and will inform attendees at the meeting how it plans to address questions that cannot 

be answered at the meeting. Informal follow-up (telephone or e-mail) may be appropriate. 

Individuals also have the option of calling, writing, or e-mailing the NRC staff about particular 

concerns. NRC staff will provide feedback forms at all public meetings so that comments can 

be reviewed and offices can track any planned improvements or resulting actions, as 

appropriate. NRC staff will make meeting summaries publicly available in ADAMS following the 

meeting. 

7 
TO: 

FROM: 

SUBJECT: 

NOTATION VOTE 

RESPONSE SHEET 

Annette Vietti-Cook, Secretary 

COMMISSIONER OSTENDORFF 

SECY-16-0007: PROPOSED REVISIONS TO POLICY 

STATEMENT ON ENHANCING PUBLIC 

PARTICIPATION IN NRC COMMISSION MEETINGS 

Approved XX Disapproved Abstain Not Participating -- --

COMMENTS: Below XX Attached XX None 

I approve publication of a revised public meeting policy statement in the 

Federal Register for public comment subject to the attached edits. I 

appreciate the staff's efforts to identify and propose revisions that should 

improve the clarity of expectations for and by our stakeholders. The paper 

alludes to potential resources needed to revise the public ~eeting 

notification system but does not identify the amount of resources or how 

the resources will be provided, so the staff should provide this information 

to the Commission through a Commissioner Assistants Note prior to 

publication of the draft revised policy statement. 

Entered in 

STARS 

Yes --- No 

Signat;J;1 

Date 
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 

[NRC-20YY-XXXX] 

Enhancing Participation in NRC Public Meetings 

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 

ACTION : Proposed revision to policy statement; request for comments. 

[7590-01-P] 

SUMMARY: To further clarify and enhance participation in public meetings conducted by the 

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and in support of the openness strategy from its 

Strategic Plan, the NRC is proposing to revise and retitle its public meeting policy. The 

fJFSflSSed revisediefls policy statement iRGIOO&-redefi nesifl9 the three categories of public 

meetings and slafif~ the level of public participation offered at each type of meeting. 

The revised policy statement also clarifies notification expectations for meetings that include 

face-to-face interactions and meetings that rely solely on remote access technology such as a 

teleconference. These proposed revisions detailed heFe weuldwill improve the consistency of 

the NRC's public meetings and help participants better prepare for NRC meetings. 

DATES: Submit comments by [INSERT DATE 75 DAYS FROM DATE OF PUBLICATION 

IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER]. Comments received after this date will be considered if it is 

practical to do so, but the Commission is able to ensure consideration only for comments 

received on or before this date. 
Attachment -- Commission Policy Statement on Staff Meetings Open to the Public 

A. Purpose. 

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) longstanding practice is to provide the 

public with substantial information on its activities, to conduct business in an open manner, and 

to balance openness and transparency with the need to exercise regulatory and safety 

responsibilities without undue administrative burden. The NRC's policy is to open meetings 

between the agency staff and one or more outside persons to observation and participation to 

the extent possible. The NRC has had a formal policy regarding open (public) meetings since 

1978. 

This policy establishes three public meeting categories based on the level of 

participation offered to attendees. The policy provides information such as applicability and 

exceptions, descriptions of each category, information on how public meetings are announced, 

guidelines concerning public meeting etiquette, and post-meeting activities. 

B. Participation in NRC Public Meetings. 

NRC staff-sponsored public meetings are open to everyone. ~R9 ~JRC 1s &8FfHfl1llee le 

tRi& il~86JiR9F9 1 9R& tR&F&fers etR&F part1eif}SRtS' a8itj~· ts &9'8F¥9 SF paJ;t;&ipats iR a JMS&tiRg; 

9Fl€JIR!i ii ffiB9tifl§r4f Fl96BSSiil)'l ________________________________________ - -

In order to fulfill the NRC's commitment to openness, the level of participation. purpose, 

and description for each category of public meeting are described below. When assigning a 

Comment9d [BU]: Given our desire for openness, ij .-ns 

that us mentioning ending a mMling prematurely shouldn't be 

the lnform1llon we lead with. 
category to a meeting, NRC staff will consider the objective of the meeting and the extent of 

known public interest in the topic. 

The three meeting categories are based on the level of public participation to be 

provided at each type of meeting. Thus, some categories may support multiple meeting formats 

(for example, a town hall meeting could be an Information Public Meeting or Commenting Public 

Meeting). The label for each category provides an indication of the level of participation meeting 

attendees can expect. 

The NRC is committed to providing an atmosphere of civility and inclusion at its public 

TM1ings All participants are expected to follow established ground rules to support this 

atmosphere of civility and inclusion regardless of personal yiewpoints. If the actions of one or 

more participants significantly impact this atmosphere and therefore other participants' ability to 

observe or participate in a meeting, the NRC staff shall take appropriate actions to restore a 

more respectful environment including ending a meeting. if necessarv. 

Observation Public Meeting 

Meeting Purpose - The purpose of this type of meeting is for the NRC to meet with 

representatives from one or more groups in an open and transparent manner to discuss 

regulatory and technical matters. Attendees will obtain factual information to assist in their 

understanding of applicable regulatory issues and NRC actions primarily by observing. 

Level of Participation - Attendees are invited to observe the meeting and discuss regulatory 

issues with NRC representatives at a designated point or points identified on the agenda . 

jlAeetings that the l>IRC staff believes will geneFate high pl-lbliG inteFest amlloF exGeea two 

hol-JFS shol-119 pr·El'liae moFe than one 013poltl-Jnity for meeting attenaees to 13ro•Jiae oomments 

'"' k · -+ '"' '"' .. ... L Commented [81!2]: This level of detal is not necessary for a anu as (jl-JOStions or an emenueu Of:IJlOttl-ln1,,.. ____________________________ , , - policy statemen~ partlculany for just an obsetVation ~ting. 

2 
The notice of a Commenting Public Meeting should include details as to how comments 

will be taken at the meeting (e.g., NRC staff taking informal notes , transcription), how NRC 

will use the comments (e.g., to inform NRC discussions, as official comments towards a 

formal NRC regulatory decision), and clarify whether participants will need to also submit 

comments made at the meeting in writing to receive formal consideration. 

Meetings of this category may include - town hall and roundtable discussions, environmental 

impact statement scoping meetings, and workshops. 

C. Notice and Access. 

Although the extent of meeting outreach and preparation by NRC staff can be different 

for each meeting, certain steps should always be taken. Meeting information will be announced 

as soon as the NRC staff is reasonably confident that a meeting will be held and firm date, time, 

and facility arrangements have been made. This will generally occur no fewer than 10 days 

before a meeting that includes face-to-face interaction. For meetings that do not involve faceto-face interaction (i.e., meetings that rely solely on remote access technology such as a 

teleconference), the NRC staff should provide meeting information publicly no fewer than 5 days 

before the meeting . When a meeting must be scheduled but cannot be announced within these 

timeframes, the NRC staff will provide as much advance notice as possible. 

Public notice of meetings will be made through the NRC's Public Meetings & 

Involvement Webpage at http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve.html. Meeting changes or 

cancellations will also be announced promptly on this Webpage. Individuals who cannot access 

the NRC's public Web site can contact the NRC's PDR staff via a toll-free number (1-800-397-

4209) or by e-mail (pdr.resource@nrc.gov) for information on scheduled NRC meetings. Some 

meetings, specifically meetings with a high level of public interest, may also be noticed in the 

6 
meeting; or 

h. Indicates that the administrative burden associated with public attendance at the 

meeting could interfere with the NRC staffs execution of its safety and regulatory 

responsibilities , such as when the meeting is an integral part of the execution of 

the NRC inspection program . 

4. This policy does not apply to Commission meetings (which are conducted in accordance 

with the Commission's Internal Procedures. which can be found here: 

http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/policy-making/internal.html), advisory committee meetings, 

QLmeetings related to financial assistance or acquisition requirements, or to meetings 

s19onsoreEI 13y offises that re19ort Elirestly to the Cornffiission (for exaR'l19le, the Offise of 

the General Cmmsol or tho Offise of the Chief finansial Offisor). Similarly, it does not 

apply to "government-to-government" meetings: meetings between NRC staff and 

representatives of State governments, including Agreement State representatives , 

relating to NRC Agreement State activities or to State regulatory actions or to other 

matters of general interest to the State or to the Commission, as well as meetings 

between NRC staff and representatives of local or Tribal governments. Also, the policy 

is not intended to apply to or supersede any existing law, rule or regulation that 

addresses public attendance at a specific type of meeting. For example, Part 7 of Title 

10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), "Advisory Committees," and 10 CFR 

Part 9, "Public Records," will continue to be applicable to advisory committee meetings 

and Commission meetings, respectively. 

5. This policy does not cover the hearings associated with adjudicatory proceedings under 

the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure set forth in 10 CFR Part 2. The term 

"hearings" relates primarily to Commission adjudicatory proceedings on various types of 

10 
TO: 

FROM: 

SUBJECT: 

NOTATION VOTE 

RESPONSE SHEET 

Annette Vietti-Cook, Secretary 

Commissioner Baran 

SECY-16-0007: PROPOSED REVISIONS TO POLICY 

STATEMENT ON ENHANCING PUBLIC 

PARTICIPATION IN NRC COMMISSION MEETINGS 

Approved X Disapproved Abstain Not Participating -- --

COMMENTS: Below X Attached X None 

I approve publication in the Federal Register of the proposed revised policy 

statement on enhancing participation in NRC public meetings, subject to the attached 

edits. 

I think we should maintain NRC's current approach of providing notice of a public 

meeting at least 10 days before the event, regardless of whether it is a face-to-face 

meeting or a telephonic or online interaction. Even if members of the public are not 

traveling to the public meeting, two weeks of notice likely will result in higher overall 

public participation by making it easier for interested individuals to set aside time to 

participate. The policy statement will continue to provide flexibility to the staff to 

announce a public meeting on shorter notice when it is necessary to do so. 

I agree with the staff that we should move away from the non-descriptive, 

numeric categorization of meetings but am concerned that the proposed names of two 

categories of meetings - "information public meeting" and "commenting public meeting" 

- will be confusing. As the paper explains, all three types of meetings will provide 

information and allow members of the public to make comments so those are not the 

distinguishing characteristics of these two categories of meetings. I recommend refining 

the names of the two categories of meetings to "information public meeting with Q&A" 

and "comment-gathering public meeting." The names are slightly longer, but they also 

are more descriptive and better reflect the purpose and content of the different types of 

meetings. 

Entered in 

STARS 

Yes XX 

No 

Date 
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 

[NRC-20YY-XXXX] 

Enhancing Participation in NRG Public Meetings 

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 

ACTION: Proposed revision to policy statement; request for comments. 

[7590-01-P] 

SUMMARY: To further clarify and enhance participation in public meetings conducted by the 

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and in support of tRe-openness with its 

stakeholders strategy from its Strategic Plan, the NRC is proposing to revise and retitle its publi c 

meeting policy. The proposed revisedieAs policy statement iflGll:lOO redefinesffi§ the three 

categories of public meetings and clarifyiesffi§ the level of public participation offered at each 

type of meeting. The proposed revisions detailed here ~will improve the consistency of the 

NRC's public meetings and help participants better prepare for NRC meetings. 

DATES: Submit comments by [INSERT DATE 75 DAYS FROM DATE OF PUBLICATION 

IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER] . Comments received after this date will be considered if it is 

practical to do so, but the Commission is able to ensure consideration only for comments 

received on or before this date. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods (unless this 

document describes a different method for submitting comments on a specific subject): 
Federal Rulemaking Web Site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for 

Docket ID NRC-20YY-XXXX. Address questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; 

telephone: 301 -415-3463; e-mail: Carol.Gallaqher@nrc.gov. For technical questions contact 

the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document. 

Mail comments to: Cindy Bladey, Office of Administration, Mail Stop: 

OWFN-12-H08, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001 . 

For additional direction on obtaining information and submitting comments, see 

"Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments" in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 

section of this document. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lance Rakovan, Office of the Executive Director 

for Operations, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001 ; telephone: 

301-415-2589; e-mail : Lance.Rakovan@nrc.gov. 

2 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION : 

I. Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments. 

A. Obtaining Information. 

Please refer to Docket ID NRC-20YY-XXXX when contacting the NRC about the 

availability of information for this action. You may obtain publicly available information related to 

this action by any of the following methods: 

Federal Rulemaking Web Site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for 

Docket ID NRC-20YY-XXXX. 

• NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS): 

You may obtain publicly available documents online in the ADAMS Public Documents collection 

at http://www.nrc.gov/readinq-rm/adams.html. To begin the search, select "ADAMS Public 

Documents" and then select "Begin Web-based ADAMS Search." For problems with ADAMS, 

please contact the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 

301 -415-4737, or by e-mail to pdr.resource@nrc.gov. The NRC's Strategic Plan for fiscal years 

2014-2018 is available on the NRC's public Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doccollections/nuregs/staff/sr1614/v6/. 

NRC's PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public documents at the 

NRC's PDR, Room 01-F21 , One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 

20852. 

B. Submitting Comments. 

Please include Docket ID NRC-20YY-XXXX in your comment submission. 

The NRC cautions you not to include identifying or contact information that you do not 

want to be publicly disclosed in your comment submission. The NRC will post all comment 

3 
submissions at http://www.requlations .gov as well as enter the comment submissions into 

ADAMS. The NRC does not routinely edit comment submissions to remove identifying or 

contact information. 

If you are requesting or aggregating comments from other persons for submission to the 

NRC, then you should inform those persons not to include identifying or contact information that 

they do not want to be publicly disclosed in their comment submission. Your request should 

state that the NRC does not routinely edit comment submissions to remove such information 

before making the comment submissions available to the public or entering the comment into 

ADAMS. 

II. Further Information. 

The entire text of the proposed revision of the policy statement, "Enhancing Public 

Participation in NRC Meetings," is available as an attachment to this document. 

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this xxth day of Xxxxx, 201X. 

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 

Annette Vietti-Cook, 

Secretary of the Commission. 

4 
Attachment -- Commission Policy Statement on Staff Meetings Open to the Public 

A. Purpose. 

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRG) longstanding practice is to provide the 

public with substantial information on its activities, to conduct business in an open manner, and 

to balance openness and transparency with the need to exercise regulatory and safety 

responsibilities without undue administrative burden. The NRG's policy is to open meetings 

between the agency staff and one or more outside persons to observation and participation to 

the extent possible. The NRG has had a formal policy regarding open (public) meetings since 

1978. 

This policy establishes three public meeting categories based on the level of 

participation offered to attendees. The policy provides inferrnalion such as applical:Jilily and 

exceptions, descriptions of each category, information on how public meetings are announced, 

guidelines concerning public meeting etiquette, and post-meeting activities. 

B. Participation in NRC Public Meetings. 

NMC staff sfrnRssrse J'i.llillie ~eeliR§B ere Bf.lBR le BVBF)'BR8. TRe MRC is BBR'IR'litlse ts 

J)H)VidiRg aft.=atm9SJ}~e~e r:Jf ei·1ility aR~ iRslt:1sieR at its fJ~blis meeti~gs. All ~aRieiJ.1eu1ts are 

8HJl80l8S I@ fBll@¥i estal:lliSR8B §FBYFIB FYies te SYJlJlflFI U'liS atFl'IBSJlR8F8 Bf 0iHilitr 8FIB iFllllYSi@FI 

~less B~FSBFl!ll \'i8WJl@iFltSr-4f4R8 aeti@RS @I BFl8 Bf Fl'l8f8 Jl8FlieiJJ8FllS sigAifteaFlll~· iFl'IJJBBI 

Yilis a~es~l-lere 1 aRB iRerefsre etRer ~aFtieipaRts ' a6ility ts eB&BPw'B er paRiei~ete iR a R=leetiRg, 

IR@~ staff-sl:lalHel1e a~l'iat~Glioos ttl F8618F8 a Fl'l@FB F8SJl8iltlt11-@r;wiF@FlF1'18F1t;-ioo~ 

~~ R868SS8~. 

In order to fulfill the NRG's commitment to openness, the level of participation, purpose, 

and description for each category of public meeting are described below. When assigning a 
category to a meeting, NRC staff will consider the objective of the meeting and the extent of 

known public interest in the topic. 

The three meeting categories are based on the level of public participation to be 

provided at each type of meeting. Thus, some categories may support multiple meeting formats 

(for example, a toWfl hall meeting sould l:le an Information Pul:llis Meeting or Commenting Pul:llis 

Meeting). The label for each category provides an indication of the level of participation meeting 

attendees can expect. 

NRC...siaff-sponsored public meetings are open to everyone, The NBC is committed to 

providing an atmosphere of ciyilitv and jnclusjon at its publjc meetings. All participants are 

~~tablished ground rules to suoport thjs atmosphere of ciyilitl( WJ.d jnclu~ 

regardles.s..of personal viewpoints If the actions of one or more participants si,Qr)ific~ntly impact 

this atm~~ere, and therefore other participants' ability to observe or participate in a meetiJJ,g. 

the NRC staff §ball take appropriate actions to restore a more respectful environment. including 

Observation Public Meeting 

Meeting Purpose - The purpose of this type of meeting is for the NRG to meet with 

representatives from one or more groups in an open and transparent manner to discuss 

regulatory and technical matters. The meeting will inform the public by providing information 

to help them understand the applicable regulatorv issues and NRC actions. Attendees will 

ol:ltain factual infoFFRation to assist in their understanding of applisal:lle regulatory issues and 

NRG actions primarily l:ly ol:lseFVing. 

Level of Participation - Attendees are invited to observe the meeting and discuss regulatory 

issues with NRC representatives at a designated point or points identified on the agenda. 

2 
Meetings that the NRC staff believes will generate high public interest and/or exceed two 

hours should provide more than one opportunity for meeting attendees to provide comments 

and ask questions or an extended opportunity. 

Description - Meetings in this category teawfeinclude the NRC meeting with re13resentatives 

ef one or more industry representatives , licensees, vendors, applicants, potential applicants, 

or non-government organizations, to discuss regulatory issues regarding a specific facility 

(or facilities), certificates of compliance, licenses, or license applications. This category of 

meeting could also teawfeinclude the NRC meeting with representatives of task force 

groups, industry groups, or public interest and citizen groups. The primary discussions are 

expected to occur between the NRC and representatives of those groups. 

The following description will be included in an Observation Public Meeting notice: 

This is a teohnioal regulatory meeting in which meetifl§ attendees will have an 

opportunity to observe the NRC performing its regulatory mission or discussing 

regulatory issues. Attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions of the 

NRC staff or make comments about the issues discussed following the business 

portion of the meeting, but the NRC is not actively soliciting comments towards 

regulatory decisions. 

Meetings of this category may include meetings with licensees to discuss license 

amendment and/or exemption requests ; meetings with applicants for topical reports reviews , 

combined licenses. early site permits , and design certifications; annual public meetings to 

discuss plant performance as part of the Reactor Oversight Process; and meetings held to 

discuss issues associated with licensing actions (or applications), renewals , and 

3 
amendments. Certain inspection exit meetings such as those for Incident Investigation 

Teams, Augmented Inspection Teams or others, as appropriate, would be included under 

this category. 

Information Public Meeting with Q&A 

Meeting Purpose • The purpose of this type of meeting is for the NRC to share factual 

information and discuss applicable regulatory issues and NRC actions with meeting 

attendees. The meeting will inform the public by providing information to help them 

understand the applicable regulatory issues and NRC actions through NRC presentations 

and discussions with NRC staff. Attendees will obtain fastual infomialion to assist in tl:ieir 

understanding of applisable regulatory issues and ~JRG astions through NRG presentations 

and dissussions with NRG staff during this type of meeting. 

Level of Participation· Participation is sought at this type of meeting, which is tailored to 

inform attendees and allow them to ask questions. 

Description • Meetings in this category are held with interested parties, including 

representatives of non-government organizations, private citizens , or various businesses or 

industries, to engage them in a discussion of regulatory issues. 

The following description will be included in an Information Public Meeting- with Q&A 

notice: 

The purpose of this meeting is for the NRC staff to meet directly with individuals 

to provide an opportunity to discuss regulatory and technical is su es .,ask 

4 
11uestieRs, aRd eRsuFe that alleRdees aFe educated aRd iRfeFA'led. Attendees will 

have an opportunity to ask questions of the NRC staff or make comments about 

the issues discussed throughout the meeting, however the NRC is not actively 

soliciting comments towards regulatory decisions at this meeting. 

Meetings of this category may include town hall and roundtable discussions, and standalone open house meetings. 

Commentiflg:Gathering Public Meeting 

Meeting Purpose - The purpose of this type of meeting is for the NRC to share factual 

information , discuss, and obtain feedback involving regulatory issues and NRC actions. In 

most cases , the meeting will include a presentation by the NRC to explain the regulatory 

issue. help atteRdees eetaiR factual iRfeFFRalieR. The feedback received at these meetings 

is used to support actions such as licensing and generic rulemaking activities. 

Level of Participation - Participation and input is sought at this type of meeting, which is 

tailored for attendees to ask questions and provide opinions, perspectives, and feedback 

typically throughout the meeting. 

Description - This type of meeting would be held with the greatest number of interested 

parties possible, including representatives of non-government organizations, private 

citizens, or various businesses or industries, to fully engage them in a discussion of a 

specific regulatory issue. 

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The following description will be included in a CommentiRg-Gathering Public Meeting 

notice: 

The purpose of this meeting is for NRC staff to meet directly with individuals to 

provide an opportunity to discuss a specific regulatory issue or issues, as well as 

allow participants to make comments to ensure that NRC staff understands their 

views and concerns . 

The notice of a CommentiRg-Gathering Public Meeting should include details as to how 

comments will be taken at the meeting (e.g., NRC staff taking informal notes, transcription), 

how NRC will use the comments (e.g., to inform NRC discussions, as official comments 

towards a formal NRC regulatory decision), and clarify whether participants will need to also 

submit comments made at the meeting in writing to receive formal consideration. 

Meetings of this category may include - town hall and roundtable discussions, environmental 

impact statement scoping meetings, and workshops. 

C. Notice and Access. 

Although the extent of meeting outreach and preparation by NRC staff can be different 

for each meeting, certain steps si=lel:llewill always be taken. Meeting information will be 

announced as soon as the NRC staff is reasonably confident that a meeting will be held and 

firm date, time, and facility arrangements have been made. This will generally occur no fewer 

than 10 days before a meeting~ that insludes fase to fase inteFastion. FOF meetings that do not 

invol·1e fase to fase inteFastion (i.e., meetings that rnly solely on teshnology sush as a 

telesonfeFense), the ~JRG staff should pmvide meeting infoFmation publisly no feweF than a days 

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before the meeting. When a meeting must be scheduled but cannot be announced within these 

10--<lay timeframes, the NRC staff will provide as much advance notice as possible. 

Public notice of meetings will be made through the NRC's Public Meetings & 

Involvement Webpage at http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve.html. Meeting changes or 

cancellations will also be announced promptly on this Webpage. Individuals who cannot access 

the NRC's public Web site can contact the NRC's PDR staff via a toll-free number (1-800-397-

4209) or by e-mail (pdr.resource@nrc.gov) for information on scheduled NRC meetings. Some 

meetings, specifically meetings with a high level of public interest, may also be noticed in the 

Federal Register and/or through other means such as a press release, blog post, or J*iiEl 

advertisement in local newspapers. 

Meeting details and materials such as an agenda, names of participants, and 

background documents will be entered into the NRC's Public Meeting Schedule Web Site. A 

link to the materials as well as the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System 

(ADAMS) accession number for additional meeting materials such as presentations will, when 

possible, be provided in the meeting notice on the NRC's public Web site under the "Public 

Meetings & Involvement" page at http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve.html. 

Audio teleconferencing and other participation technologies will be used whenever 

possible to help ensure widespread involvement in meetings. If information on how to 

participate remotely in a meeting is not provided in the meeting notice, individuals may request 

the use of such technology through the meeting contact listed on the meeting notice. Such 

requests may be granted to the extent budgeted resources are available and technical factors 

can be accommodated. 

Administrative details , including visitor registration and badging, parking, prohibited 

articles, etc., can be found [appropriate reference will be provided before finalizing]. 

D. After-Meeting Activities. 

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The NRC staff will provide answers to questions as appropriate during the public 

meeting and will inform attendees at the meeting how it plans to address questions that cannot 

be answered at the meeting. Informal follow-up (telephone or e-mail) may be appropriate. 

Individuals also have the option of calling, writing, or e-mailing the NRC staff about particular 

concerns . NRC staff will provide feedback forms at all public meetings so that comments can 

be reviewed and offices can track any planned improvements or resulting actions, as 

appropriate. NRC staff will make meeting summaries publicly available in ADAMS following the 

meeting. 

E. Innovation. 

The NRC staff will make efforts, as appropriate, to find new and innovative ways to 

interact with individuals, including exploring new meeting formats and other ways to incorporate 

participation technologies. Experiences with new methods will be shared across the agency for 

information and consideration by other NRC staff. 

F. Applicability and Exceptions. 

This policy applies to planned, formal encounters between one or more NRC staff 

members and one or more outside individuals or entities, with an expressed intent of discussing 

substantive issues directly associated with the NRC's regulatory and safety responsibilities . 

Such meetings will be designated in advance as public meetings, open for public attendance 

and categorized in accordance with this policy, subject to the following conditions and 

exceptions: 

1. This policy applies solely to NRC staff-sponsored and conducted meetings with an 

outside individu<;il or entity. It does not apply to a meeting conducted by an outside 

individual or entity where an NRC staff member might participate, nor when an NRC 

employee attends a meeting outside of his or her official capacity. 

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2. This policy does not apply to meetings between the NRC staff and outside individuals or 

entities who are: 

a. Under contract to the NRC; 

b. Acting as an official consultant to the NRC; 

c. Acting as an official representative of an agency of the executive, legislative, or 

judicial branch of the U.S. Government (except on matters where the agency is 

subject to NRC regulatory oversight); 

d. Acting as an official representative of a foreign government or representing an 

international organization such as the International Atomic Energy Agency; or 

e. Acting as an official representative of a State or local government or Tribal 

official. 

3. Meetings between the NRC staff and one or more outside individuals or entities will not 

be designated as public meetings if the NRC staff determines that the subject matter or 

information to be discussed in the meeting: 

a. Is specifically authorized by an Executive Order to be withheld in the interests of 

national defense or foreign policy (classified information); 

b. Is specifically exempt from public disclosure by statute (e.g., safeguards or 

proprietary information); 

c. Is of a personal nature where such disclosure would constitute a clearly 

unwarranted invasion of personal privacy; 

d. Is related to a planned, ongoing, or completed investigation and/or contains 

information compiled for law enforcement purposes; 

e. Could compromise the ongoing reviews and inspections associated with an open 

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allegation; 

I. Could result in the inappropriate disclosure and dissemination of preliminary, predecisional, or unverified information; 

g. Is for general information exchange having no direct, substantive connection to a 

specific NRC regulatory decision or action; however, should discussions in a 

closed meeting approach issues that might lead to a specific regulatory decision 

or action, the NRC staff may advise the meeting attendees that such matters 

cannot be discussed and propose discussing the issues in a future public 

meeting; or 

h. Indicates that the administrative burden associated with public attendance at the 

meeting could interfere with the NRC staffs execution of its safety and regulatory 

responsibilities, such as when the meeting is an integral part of the execution of 

the NRC inspection program . 

4. This policy does not apply to Commission meetings, advisory committee meetings, QI 

meetings related to financial assistance or acquisition requirements, or to meetings 

sponsore8 l:Jy offises that report 8irestly to the Commission (for m<ample, the Offise of 

the General Counsel or the Offise of the Chief Financial Offiser). jsimilarly, it does not 

apply to "government-to-government" meetings: meetings between NRC staff and 

representatives of State governments, including Agreement State representatives, 

relating to NRC Agreement State activities or to State regulatory actions or to other 

matters of general interest to the State or to the Commission, as well as meetings 

between NRC staff and representatives of local or Tribal governments. ~~o_, ~h~ .Ps>llcy ___ - commented [SRlJ: Some of this text is redundant with 2 

and should be deleted. 

is not inlen8e8 lo does not apply to or supersede any existing law, rule or regulation that 

addresses public attendance at a specific type of meeting. For example, Part 7 of Title 

10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), "Advisory Committees," and 10 CFR 

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Part 9, "Public Records." will continue to be applicable to advisory committee meetings 

and Commission meetings, respectively. 

5. This policy does not cover the hearings associated with adjudicatory proceedings under 

the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure set forth in 10 CFR Part 2. The term 

"hearings" relates primarily to Commission adjudicatory proceedings on various types of 

license applications and licensing actions (e.g. , applications for initial issuance of a 

license, amendment of an existing license, renewal of a license) or to enforcement 

actions involving the imposition of civil penalties or orders to modify, suspend, or revoke 

a license or take other appropriate action. Specific requirements regarding participation 

in and the conduct of adjudicatory proceedings (including the settlement of such 

proceedings) are provided in the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure set 

forth in 10 CFR Part 2. This policy does not cover meetings concerning the settlement of 

enforcement matters. 

6. Certain meetings that would normally be closed under section F.3.a or-Bf.3.b. above 

may be opened to cleared members of the public who also have a need-to-know. A 

cleared member of the public is a person who holds a U.S. Government security 

clearance or has been granted access to Safeguards Information in accordance with 

10 FR Part 73. 22(b). 

7. This policy may be applicable to only part of a meeting. For example, an NRG meeting 

may have a portion that is open to the public and a portion that is closed to the public 

due to any of the exceptions listed above. In these cases , this policy statement is 

applicable to the public portion of the meeting only. 

8. This policy is a matter of NRC discretion; the NRC reserves the right to depart from any 

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stated conditions as circumstances may warrant. 

G. Contact. 

The primary point of contact in the agency for general issues related to this policy will be 

the Deputy Assistant for Operations, Communications and Performance Management, Office of 

the Executive Director for Operations. The Office of Public Affairs is also available to receive 

questions and suggestions. There are also opportunities for comment on our public 

participation policies, or on many of our programs through the NRC's Web site under the "Public 

Meetings & Involvement" page at http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve.html. 

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