U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission 

Open Government 

Plan 

April 7, 2010
Message from the Chairman 

I am pleased to present the first Open Government Plan for 

the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Our agency has a 

long history of, and commitment to, openness with the public 

and transparency in its regulatory process. We welcome the 

opportunity to support President Obama’s Open Government 

Initiative and to implement the Directive issued by the Office 

of Management and Budget on December 8, 2009. 

As you will read in our plan, we are committed to continuing to 

improve transparency and more fully integrating public 

participation and collaboration into our activities. 

New technologies provide the means for the NRC to take our 

practices to the next level. Web-based technologies have the 

potential to transform the way we interact with the public and 

our many stakeholders. From increased use of Webcasting and Web conferencing, to the 

introduction of Web-based tools to engage our stakeholders in public dialogue, the NRC is fully 

committed to using technology to help the public better understand and participate in our work. 

Please join me in helping the NRC, and the Federal government as a whole, advance the 

principles of open government. I encourage you to review our Open Government Plan and 

continue to share your ideas with us. Our goal is to incorporate your feedback to help us 

continue to improve the way we regulate nuclear materials to protect people and the 

environment. We will be sure to keep you up-to-date with our progress. 

Chairman, Gregory B. Jaczko 

 

 
Table of Contents 

Executive Summary ......................................................................................................................1 

I. Introduction ...............................................................................................................................2 

II. Leadership, Governance, and Change Management ..............................................................3 

A. History of Openness at the NRC .........................................................................................3 

1. Principles of Good Regulation..........................................................................................3 

2. Strategic Plan...................................................................................................................3 

3. Organizational Values......................................................................................................4 

4. Open, Collaborative Working Environment ......................................................................4 

B. Taking Openness to the Next Level.....................................................................................4 

1. Leadership and Governance.............................................................................................4 

2. Change Management........................................................................................................5 

III. Transparency..........................................................................................................................6 

A. What We’re Doing Now .......................................................................................................6 

1. Policies, Performance Measures, and Management Controls .........................................6 

2. The NRC’s Key Information Dissemination Channels......................................................7 

3. Participation in Federal Transparency Initiatives ...........................................................11 

B. Action Plan for Improving Transparency............................................................................13 

1. High-Value Datasets ......................................................................................................13

2. Policy Changes ..............................................................................................................15 

3. Expansion of Webstreaming ..........................................................................................15 

4. Public Communications..................................................................................................15 

5. Improvements to ADAMS...............................................................................................15 

6. Improvements to the NRC Public Web Site ...................................................................16 

IV. Participation..........................................................................................................................16 

A. What We’re Doing Now .....................................................................................................17

1. Public Meetings and Outreach.......................................................................................17 

2. Hearings.........................................................................................................................17 

3. Conferences, Symposia, and Workshops......................................................................18 

4. NRC Web Sites Promoting Public Participation.............................................................19 

B. Action Plan for Improving Participation..............................................................................19 

1. Public Meetings..............................................................................................................19 

2. New Communications Tools for the ADAMS User Group..............................................20 

V. Collaboration ..........................................................................................................................21 

A. What We’re Doing Now .....................................................................................................21

1. Federal Regulatory Partnerships ...................................................................................21 

2. States and Native American Tribal Governments..........................................................24 

3. International Activities ....................................................................................................26 

4. Nonprofit and Private Entities.........................................................................................27 

B. Action Plan for Improving Collaboration ............................................................................28 

1. Using Technology Platforms to Improve Collaboration ..................................................28 

2. Innovative Methods To Increase Collaboration..............................................................29 

VI. Flagship Initiative— Enhancing Stakeholder Engagement....................................................30 

A. Overview of the Initiative....................................................................................................30 

B. Engagement of the Public and Interested Parties .............................................................33 

C. Collaboration with External Partners .................................................................................34 

D. Measuring Improved Transparency, Participation, and Collaboration...............................34 

E. Sustaining the Initiative and Allowing for Continued Improvement....................................34 

VII. Public and Agency Involvement ..........................................................................................35

A. Public Involvement ............................................................................................................35 

 i
 ii

B. Employee Involvement ......................................................................................................36 

C. How the NRC Will Use the Ideas.......................................................................................36 

Appendix A: The NRC’s Key Web Pages Supporting Open Government .................................37 

Appendix B: Compliance with Legal Requirements for Information Dissemination ...................44 

Appendix C: High-Value Datasets .............................................................................................46

Appendix D: NRC Open Government Milestone Table..............................................................50 

Appendix E: List of Web Addresses for Hyperlinks Used in the Plan ........................................51 

Appendix F: Summary of Public Comments ..............................................................................54
Executive Summary 

On December 8, 2009, Peter R. Orszag, Director of the Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB), sent a memorandum to the heads of executive departments and agencies directing 

them to take specific actions to implement the principles of transparency, participation, and 

collaboration set forth in the President’s Memorandum on Transparency and Open Government, 

dated January 21, 2009. Because of its long history of openness, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission (NRC) welcomes this opportunity and plans to participate fully in the President’s 

Open Government Initiative. 

One of the actions identified by OMB was the development and publication of Open 

Government Plans describing how each agency will “improve transparency and integrate public 

participation and collaboration into its activities.”1 In response, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission (NRC) has developed this plan and published it on its NRC Open Government 

Web page. 

The plan has seven sections: an introduction; a section on the leadership, governance, and 

change management; one section each on transparency, participation, and collaboration; a 

section describing the agency’s flagship initiative for open government; and a section describing 

how the NRC has engaged and will continue to engage the public and agency employees to 

achieve continuous improvement of the plan. Six appendices cover the NRC’s key Web pages 

supporting open government, how the agency complies with the information dissemination 

requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act, current and planned publication of high-value 

datasets, the key milestones in the NRC’s Open Government Plan, the list of Web addresses for 

hyperlinks used in the plan, and a summary of public comments as of March 19, 2010, the 

closing date of the Federal pilot of the citizen-engagement tool, IdeaScale. 

Since its creation in 1975, the NRC has viewed openness as a critical element for achieving the 

agency’s mission to regulate the Nation’s civilian use of radioactive materials and thereby 

protect people and the environment. As a result, the agency has built a strong foundation of 

openness policies and practices that guide its regulatory activities. New technologies now 

provide the means for the NRC to take these practices to the next level. While still in the early 

stages of this evolution, the NRC recognizes the potential of these Web-based technologies to 

transform the way it interacts with the public and its many stakeholders to advance the 

principles of open government. 

 

1

 Open Government Directive, Section 3a, page 4. 

 1
I. Introduction 

On December 8, 2009, Peter R. Orszag, Director of the Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB), sent a memorandum to the heads of executive departments and agencies directing 

them to take certain actions to implement the principles of transparency, participation, and 

collaboration set forth in the President’s Memorandum on Transparency and Open Government 

dated January 21, 2009. Although independent agencies are not strictly bound by the OMB 

Open Government Directive, the President’s January 21 memorandum states that “independent 

agencies should comply” with it. Because of its long history of openness, the U.S. Nuclear 

Regulatory Commission (NRC) welcomes this opportunity and plans to participate fully in the 

President’s Open Government Initiative. 

The Open Government Directive addresses four general subjects: (1) publishing government 

information online; (2) improving the quality of government information; (3) creating and 

institutionalizing a culture of open government; and (4) creating a policy framework to better 

enable open government. To create and institutionalize a culture of open government (item 3 

above), the memorandum states that “within 120 days [April 7, 2010] each agency shall develop 

an Open Government Plan that describes how the agency will improve transparency and 

integrate public participation and collaboration into its activities.” Consistent with the Open 

Government Directive, the NRC has developed this Open Government Plan and has made it 

available on the NRC's Open Government Web page in an open format that enables the public 

to download, analyze and visualize the document. 

The NRC intends to build upon the foundation of this plan as it continues to enhance its levels of 

transparency, participation, and collaboration with its employees, stakeholders, and the public. 

In accordance with the Open Government Directive, the NRC will update this plan every 

2 years. 

The plan has seven sections: an introduction; a section on the leadership, governance, and 

change management; one section each on transparency, participation, and collaboration; a 

section describing the agency’s flagship initiative for open government; and a section describing 

how the NRC has engaged and will continue to engage the public and agency employees to 

achieve continuous improvement of the plan. Six appendices cover the NRC’s key Web pages 

supporting open government, how the agency complies with the information dissemination 

requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act, current and planned publication of high-value 

datasets, the key milestones in the NRC’s Open Government Plan, the list of Web addresses for 

hyperlinks used in the plan, and a summary of public comments. 

To complete the plan, the NRC created an interdisciplinary Open Government Working Group 

with participants from each major office across the agency. This group included representatives 

with public affairs, information technology (IT), human resources, financial, legal, and policy 

expertise. To support collaboration by working group members and facilitate broader staff 

involvement in developing the agency’s Open Government Plan, the working group created a 

team collaboration site accessible by all NRC staff. 

For more information about the NRC’s Open Government initiatives, please contact Francine 

Goldberg, Senior Advisor for IT Strategy and Communications, Office of Information Services at 

Francine.Goldberg@nrc.gov, or Elizabeth Hayden, Senior Advisor to the Director, Office of 

Public Affairs at Elizabeth.Hayden@nrc.gov. 

 2
II. Leadership, Governance, and Change Management 

This section covers the NRC’s history of openness and the overarching leadership, governance, 

and change management framework needed to build on this foundation to take openness to the 

next level. 

A. History of Openness at the NRC 

The Open Government Directive states: “To create an unprecedented and sustained level of 

openness and accountability in every agency, senior leaders should strive to incorporate the 

values of transparency, participation, and collaboration into the ongoing work of their agency.” 

For the past 35 years, the NRC has demonstrated a commitment to the values underlying an 

open government. This is illustrated through its emphasis on openness in its “Principles of Good 

Regulation,” its Strategic Plan, its organizational values, and its overall commitment to 

maintaining an open, collaborative working environment. 

1. Principles of Good Regulation 

In 1977, the NRC issued a document entitled “Principles of Good Regulation,” that has guided 

the agency in conducting its regulatory activities. One of these principles, openness, states that 

“nuclear regulation is the public's business, and it must be transacted publicly and candidly. The 

public must be informed about and have the opportunity to participate in the regulatory 

processes as required by law. Open channels of communication must be maintained with 

Congress, other government agencies, licensees, and the public, as well as with the 

international nuclear community.” 

2. Strategic Plan 

The following excerpt from the NRC’s Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2008-2013 demonstrates 

the importance of open government principles in achieving the agency’s mission and strategic 

goals. 

“The NRC views nuclear regulation as the public’s business and, as such, believes it 

should be transacted as openly and candidly as possible to maintain and enhance the 

public’s confidence. Ensuring appropriate openness explicitly recognizes that the public 

must be informed about, and have a reasonable opportunity to participate meaningfully 

in, the NRC’s regulatory processes. At the same time the NRC must also control 

sensitive information so that security goals are met.” 

Additionally the Strategic Plan contains five openness strategies: 

 Enhance awareness of the NRC’s independent role in protecting public health and 

safety, the environment, and the common defense and security; 

 Provide accurate and timely information to the public about the NRC’s mission, 

regulatory activities, and performance and about the uses of, and risks associated with, 

radioactive materials; 

 3
 Provide for fair, timely, and meaningful stakeholder involvement in NRC decision-making 

without disclosing classified, safeguards, proprietary, and sensitive unclassified 

information; 

 Communicate about the NRC’s role, processes, activities, and decisions in plain 

language that is clear and understandable to the public; and 

 Initiate early communication with stakeholders on issues of substantial interest. 

3. Organizational Values 

Openness is also one of the agency’s seven organizational values. These values, adopted by 

the NRC in 1995, are significant contributors to the organizational culture that has helped the 

NRC to be ranked first in the “Best Places to Work in the Federal Government"2

 in each of the 

past two surveys (2007 and 2009). The NRC’s openness value means that while conducting 

work, agency employees are expected to be transparent and forthright in all of their actions. 

4. Open, Collaborative Working Environment 

A free and open discussion of differing professional views is essential to the development of 

sound regulatory policy and decisions. As such, the NRC strives to establish and maintain an 

open, collaborative working environment (OCWE) that encourages all employees and 

contractors to promptly voice differing views without fear of retaliation. At the NRC, 

management encourages trust, respect, and open communication to promote a positive work 

environment that maximizes the potential of all individuals and improves regulatory decisionmaking. 

The NRC Open Door Policy (first communicated to agency employees in 1976), the NRC 

Differing Professional Opinions Program (formally established in 1980), and the NRC NonConcurrence Process (established in 2006) illustrate the NRC’s commitment to the free and 

open discussion of professional views. These policies permit employees at all levels in all areas 

to provide professional views on virtually all matters pertaining to the agency’s mission. 

B. Taking Openness to the Next Level 

As discussed above, the NRC has a firm foundation of openness in its regulatory processes dating from 

its inception in 1975. More information about the NRC’s many accomplishments in implementing the 

core principles of openness (i.e., transparency, participation, and collaboration) are addressed 

throughout this plan. Today’s challenge is to modify existing stakeholder engagement processes by 

effectively applying new technologies to increase transparency, broaden participation, and strengthen 

collaboration. Taking openness to this next level will require leadership, governance, and a change 

management process that effectively engages both NRC employees and stakeholders. 

1. Leadership and Governance

The NRC has designated its Deputy Executive Director for Corporate Management, Darren Ash, as the 

agency lead for open government and the high-level senior official accountable for the quality the 

 

2

 Produced by the Partnership for Public Service and American University's Institute for the Study of 

Public Policy Implementation (See http://data.bestplacestowork.org/bptw/index) 

 4
Federal spending information publicly disseminated by the NRC through such venues as 

USASpending.gov or other similar Web sites. 

A structured open government framework will be used to implement the open government principles. As 

a small agency, the NRC will leverage existing governance structures and councils, such as the 

agency’s IT Senior Advisory Council (ITSAC) to communicate and obtain buy-in for open government 

innovations. Chaired by the Deputy Director for Corporate Management , the ITSAC is composed of 

senior executives from the major NRC organizational components, including the programmatic areas, 

the General Counsel, human resources, and financial management organizations. The ITSAC will be 

periodically briefed and consulted on open government policy issues, priorities, measures, and major 

initiatives. The NRC’s IT Business Council will play their normal role in reviewing the business case for 

any new technologies the agency may decide to acquire. Various other NRC technology, security, and 

communications councils, working groups, and organizations will manage the following key open 

government processes: 

 systematically inventory, prioritize, and assist with the publication of high-value data sets based 

on input from NRC stakeholders; 

 systematically screen potential high-value datasets for security impacts arising from aggregation 

of NRC data with the data of other agencies; 

 moderate the forum for receipt of open government ideas from the NRC staff and the public; 

 review the ideas with the most promise and decide how to address them; 

 measure and report progress on the Open Government plan; and 

 maintain the agency’s public open government Web site. 

2. Change Management 

The NRC recognizes that without a change management process, systemic change will not happen. 

Although the NRC has a strong culture of openness, infusing the use of new technologies into the 

agency’s existing public outreach and engagement activities will require a concerted focus on change 

management. Examples of change management activities include the following: 

 implement communications plans to inform and engage the staff and the public about the new 

approaches and the benefits they can bring; 

 identify useful Web-based tools to enhance existing practices for achieving transparency, 

participation, and collaboration; 

 help the NRC program staff to pilot the new tools for use in openness processes that support the 

agency’s strategic goals; 

 institutionalize new policies and practices, where necessary; and 

 acquire the best tools for agencywide use and provide the necessary training and support. 

 5
III. Transparency 

The NRC has a long-standing practice of conducting its regulatory responsibilities in an open 

and transparent manner to keep the public informed of 

the agency's regulatory, licensing, and oversight 

activities. Section III.A describes what the NRC is 

already doing to promote transparency in its operations, 

including: (1) its policies, management controls, and 

performance measures; (2) its key information 

dissemination channels; and (3) its participation in 

Federal transparency initiatives. Section III.B provides 

an action plan for improving transparency through the publication of high-value datasets, policy 

changes, expansion of Web streaming, use of new tools for public communication, and 

improvements to the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) and 

the NRC public Web site. 

“Transparency promotes 

accountability by providing 

the public with information 

about what the Government 

is doing.” (Open 

Government Directive)

A. What We’re Doing Now

As part of the agency’s commitment to be an open and transparent regulator, the NRC strives to 

meet both the letter and the spirit of Federal information dissemination requirements. This 

commitment requires disciplined policies, performance measures and management controls, 

easy-to-access information, and support of Federal initiatives promoting transparency. The 

following sections address each of these areas. 

1. Policies, Performance Measures, and Management Controls 

The NRC values openness in its interactions with its employees, stakeholders, and the public. 

To translate this commitment into action, the NRC has implemented specific policies, 

management controls, and performance measures. It is NRC policy to make nonsensitive 

documents public unless there is a specific reason not to do so. In addition, the agency policy 

stated in NRC Management Directive 3.4, “Release of Information to the Public,” dated 

February 6, 2009, requires most documents to be released to the public within 6 business days 

after issuance. 

The NRC is committed to ensuring that its information, most of which is in the form of 

documents, is complete, accurate, and of the highest quality. One way the agency does this is 

through practices that require capture of agency records in a centralized system known as 

ADAMS. The agency has stringent policies and management controls to ensure that this 

system captures the final record copy of internally generated documents. Once an internally 

generated document has been finalized and has met all publication criteria, it is automatically 

copied into the ADAMS public record library accessible from the NRC public Web site. In 

addition, the vast majority of externally generated documents sent to the NRC (e.g., from 

licensees and others) are entered into ADAMS through a centralized intake process. This 

process provides a high degree of assurance that these documents are captured, screened for 

any security or privacy issues or proprietary data, and made available to the public in a timely 

manner. Furthermore, the NRC’s public Web site policy requires that, to the extent possible, 

 6
NRC document Web addresses point to the document in the ADAMS public library rather than 

to a duplicate (and possibly erroneous) copy. 

The agency’s practices for ensuring the quality and integrity of its information are consistent with 

OMB and NRC-specific information quality guidelines, as required by Section 515(a) of the 

Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2001 (Public Law 106-

554). Members of the public who believe they have found an error in NRC-published 

information may use the procedures in the NRC’s Information Quality Guidelines to seek a 

correction. 

One of the ways the NRC holds itself accountable for ensuring transparency is by including a 

composite information dissemination timeliness measure in its annual performance report to 

Congress. This measure is composed of four submeasures related to the timeliness of the 

agency’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) responses, issuance of public meeting notices, 

public release of internally generated public documents, and public release of externally 

generated documents. The agency improved on all four of these measures in FY 2009 and met 

the agency-established targets for the first three. For additional discussion on the fourth 

measure, see section III. B. 2. 

2. The NRC’s Key Information Dissemination Channels 

The most important NRC information dissemination channels are the agency’s public document 

system (ADAMS), the NRC public Web site, Web-based access to public meetings and 

hearings, the NRC’s Public Document Room, and the FOIA program. These channels are 

described below. 

a. The NRC’s Public Document System 

The NRC was the first Federal agency to provide the public with electronic access to all of its 

public documents through its groundbreaking deployment of the ADAMS Publicly Available 

Records System (PARS). Since the inception of ADAMS in 1999, the agency has made public 

more than 500,000 full-text documents and is currently publishing 200-300 documents daily. 

To ensure that user feedback on ADAMS is received and incorporated, the NRC works with an 

ADAMS User Group made up of members of the public who use ADAMS on a routine basis. 

The schedule of upcoming meetings and minutes of past meetings are posted on the ADAMS 

User Group Web page. 

The NRC’s goal is to release most documents within 6 business days. Exceptions apply to 

larger incoming documents, such as major license applications, which require more than 6 days 

to complete the security review. Some internally generated NRC documents, such as FOIA 

responses, fall into the exception category because they require more than 6 days to process 

and assemble for release. 

b. Public Web Site 

The NRC makes extensive use of its public Web site to share information with stakeholders and 

the public. The Web site contains information on Commission decisions, hearing transcripts, 

inspection reports, enforcement actions, petitions, event reports, daily plant status, a facility 

information finder, and detailed information on the performance of reactor licensees. It provides 

information and links to broaden the public’s understanding of the NRC’s mission, goals, and 

 7
performance, as well as access to tools and information that help licensees and private entities 

conduct business with the agency. 

Last year, the agency added the capability for Web site users to subscribe to desired content. 

On the e-subscriptions page, users can sign up to receive documents such as generic 

communications, new rulemaking dockets, news releases, speeches, and reports issued by the 

NRC’s Inspector General. In addition, the agency is moving to Web-based distribution of 

agency correspondence related to operating reactors. Through this new distribution method, 

the public can subscribe to correspondence on a facility-by-facility basis through an interactive 

Web site, making it easier and faster to obtain the desired information. In a recent 30-day 

period, the agency distributed more than 17,000 pieces of correspondence to recipients in 16 

different countries. 

On February 4th 2010, the NRC launched its Open Government Web site at www.nrc.gov/open, 

including links to the NRC’s high-value datasets, quick access to key information resources, 

information on the NRC’s long-standing open government philosophy, pages on transparency, 

participation, and collaboration, and an on-line brainstorming tool through which the public can 

provide their ideas about how the NRC can improve transparency, participation, and 

collaboration. Figure 1 is a screen-shot of this page as of April 7, 2010. 

To more fully describe the breadth of the NRC Web site, Appendix A provides the name, Web 

address, and brief description of some of the most frequently used categories of information 

published on the site, as well as of pages providing information about how the NRC performs its 

regulatory activities and how to conduct business with the NRC. Appendix B outlines how the 

NRC complies with the legal information dissemination requirements of the Paperwork 

Reduction Act, Section 3506(d). 

c. Web-Based Access to Public Meeting and Hearings 

In March 2000, the NRC began providing the public with access to high-interest Commission 

meetings over the Internet (Webcasting). Since then, the agency has expanded this initiative to 

make other high-interest meetings, conference sessions, and more recently, adjudicatory 

hearings, available for remote viewing via the Internet “live” (as they take place) or in “archived” 

format (digital recordings of previously held meetings), or both. 

The public meeting video archive is accessible from the NRC’s Electronic Reading Room. More 

traditional meeting records are also available, as is the schedule for upcoming Webcasts. 

An archived copy of a Webstreamed hearing session is available to members of the public for 

90 days via the link that was provided for viewing the Webstreamed hearing session live. Also, 

in accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 2, “Rules of 

Practice for Domestic Licensing Proceedings and Issuance of Orders,” the NRC maintains a 

transcript of the hearing in the agency’s Web-accessible Electronic Hearing Docket as the 

official agency record of the proceeding. 

 8
Figure 1. Screen Shot of the NRC’s Open Government Web Page 

 9
d. The NRC’s Public Document Room 

From its inception, the NRC has placed a high value on maintaining a well-staffed and effective 

Public Document Room (PDR) to enhance the public’s ability to find and obtain the NRC’s 

publicly available information. Most public information requests relate to the NRC's licensing 

and rulemaking activities, as well as to historical files from the NRC’s predecessor agency, the 

Atomic Energy Commission. 

The PDR staff, comprised of skilled technical and reference librarians, works directly with the 

agency’s public users - stakeholders, environmental groups, licensees, the legal community, 

and concerned citizens - to provide information access and research assistance. This 

assistance is often essential in helping to identify, verify, and find information needed by outside 

groups or individuals. PDR staff provide direct assistance to public users in searching and 

navigating through the agency’s extensive and complex electronic data, microfiche, and paper 

information collections. 

In addition to its current services, the PDR staff is exploring web-based services such as “live 

chats” with PDR librarians and electronic “search/help forums.” As technology continues to 

evolve, the PDR will continue to take advantage of new tools in support of its customer service 

mission. 

e. Freedom of Information Act Requests 

The NRC believes that its policy to make most non-sensitive documents public through ADAMS, 

unless there is a specific reason not to do so, helps stakeholders and the public by reducing the 

need to submit Freedom of Information Act requests. Fewer requests also translate into lower 

costs for FOIA request processing. 

Although the NRC’s FOIA program has, historically, compared favorably with other agencies, on 

December 27, 2006, the NRC began implementing a FOIA improvement plan, as required by 

Executive Order 13392, “Improving Agency Disclosure of Information.” The improvement plan 

assessed the state of the NRC’s FOIA program and identified improvements to reduce the 

backlog of FOIA requests, reduce request times, develop on-line FOIA training to help NRC 

staff process requests more effectively, leverage the use of information technology, improve 

expedited processing, and update FOIA publications and the NRC FOIA Web page. All actions 

identified in the improvement plan have been completed. As required by the Executive Order, 

the NRC Chairman appointed Deputy Executive Director for Corporate Management, Darren Ash, as 

the NRC's Chief FOIA Officer. 

As a result of the FOIA improvement activities, NRC’s backlogged cases have decreased from 

13 in 2006 to just 5 at the end of FY 2009. Response times have also been reduced. The 

oldest request on hand at the end of FY 2009 was 89 days old compared to 115 at the end of 

FY 2008. In FY 2009, the agency met its internal goal of responding to 75-percent of simple 

FOIA requests within 20 days. The NRC posts links to frequently requested records, an index 

to closed requests, and its annual FOIA reports (the latter in open format) on the FOIA page of 

its public Web site. 

 10
3. Participation in Federal Transparency Initiatives 

The NRC supports numerous governmentwide initiatives designed to promote Federal 

transparency and, where applicable, fully complies with their requirements. These initiatives are 

addressed below. 

a. Data.gov—High-Value Datasets 

The NRC is an active participant in Data.gov, a Federal Web site designed to increase public 

access to high-value, machine-readable datasets generated by the executive branch. The NRC 

published its first dataset in October 2009 and, in response to the Open Government Directive, 

published three additional datasets in January 2010. The NRC will continue to encourage 

public feedback on its high-value information and, consistent with agency policy and guidance 

provided by Data.gov, will continue to add new datasets to its high-value dataset publication 

plan. 

Find more information... 

 Appendix C to this plan (“High-Value Datasets”) 

 Data.gov—Select Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) from the agency list to 

locate NRC datasets. 

 

b. Regulations.gov—Rulemaking Information 

The NRC develops legally binding regulations (also known as rules) in a process known as 

rulemaking. The NRC announces all rulemaking actions in the Federal Register, the official 

daily publication for the Federal government. Along with other Federal agencies, the NRC also 

provides Web-based access to its regulations, draft and final rules, and other related documents 

through Regulations.gov, the Federal e-rulemaking portal. Through this site, the public can find, 

read, and comment on documents related to the NRC’s rulemaking activities. 

In response to a request from several nongovernmental organizations, in 2008 the NRC 

established a listserv as a way to notify subscribers of the latest NRC rulemaking dockets 

opened at Regulations.gov and of other preliminary rulemaking actions available for public 

review or comment, or both. 

Also in 2008, the NRC migrated 10 years of historical rulemaking documents, along with all public 

comments submitted, from its agency-specific online rulemaking and commenting system to 

Regulations.gov, making all rulemaking-related Federal Register notices and associated public 

comments available on the governmentwide portal from that point on. On January 1, 2009, the 

NRC expanded its use of the Regulations.gov portal to include the posting of stakeholder comments 

on nonrulemaking Federal Register notices. The NRC also posts supplemental background 

information and supporting documents to dockets for high-interest agency actions. 

Through Regulations.gov, the public can now access, by docket number, more than 9,000 public 

comments related to almost 700 rulemaking actions conducted by the NRC from 1999 to the 

present. 

Find more information... 

 The NRC’s main Rulemaking page

 11
 Regulations.gov—Select Advanced Search and select NRC—NUCLEAR 

REGULATORY COMMISSION from the list of agencies.

 E-Mail Notice Subscription Page—Select Rulemaking Dockets to receive the latest 

information on new NRC rulemaking actions. 

c. USASpending.gov—Spending on Contracts, Small Purchases, and Grants 

The NRC’s Division of Contracts reports all contracts and financial assistance obligations to 

USASpending.gov on a monthly basis, in accordance with OMB Memorandum 09-19, 

“Guidance on Data Submission under the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act 

(FFATA),” dated June 1, 2009. From its internal contracts system, the NRC generates a file of 

actions awarded each month and sends the information to the USASpending.gov Web site for 

publication. 

Find more information... 

 USASpending.gov—Select Spending from the top navigation, and then choose one of 

the following from the drop-down menu: Contracts, Purchase Cards, or Grants. Then 

choose Agency from the left navigation and select NRC—NUCLEAR REGULATORY 

COMMISSION from the drop-down menu. 

d. IT.USASpending.gov—Spending on Information Technology 

The Federal IT Dashboard provides agencies such as the NRC a public venue to share details 

of their IT investments. Through the Federal IT Dashboard, the public has the ability to track the 

progress of these investments over time. Within the NRC, to ensure that IT investments are 

managed within budget and scope, an executive-level IT Review Board provides review and 

oversight, and the agency holds its senior managers accountable for the performance of these 

investments in Senior Executive Service performance plans. 

Find more information... 

 IT.USASpending.gov—Select Investments from the top navigation and then select 

Nuclear Regulatory Commission from the drop-down menu. 

e. Recovery.gov—Resources Provided to Agencies under the Recovery Act 

The NRC has not received any funding under the Recovery Act and therefore does not 

participate in this initiative. 

 12
f. Grants.gov—Availability of Grants 

The NRC posts information on all of its grants on Grants.gov, the public’s source to find and 

apply for Federal grants. Most of the NRC awards are for accredited institutions of higher 

education for curriculum development, scholarships and fellowships, and faculty development, 

as well as targeted research and conference grants. 

Find more information... 

 Grants.gov—Under Find Grant Opportunities, select Browse by Agency and select 

NRC—NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION. 

g. Federal Research In Progress Database 

The NRC is a contributing agency to the Federal Research In Progress (FEDRIP) Database, 

which provides access to information about ongoing Federally funded projects in the fields of 

the physical sciences, engineering, and life sciences. The ongoing research announced in the 

FEDRIP Database is an important component of the Nation’s technology transfer process. The 

uniqueness of the FEDRIP Database lies in its structure as a nonbibliographic information 

source on research in progress. 

Find more information... 

 About the Federal Research In Progress Database

B. Action Plan for Improving Transparency 

To set the tone for open government at the NRC, on March 24, 2010, the agency began 

publishing a list of Chairman Gregory B. Jaczko’s meetings and other events that may be of 

interest to the public. This list includes meetings and events that the Chairman has participated 

in with various external stakeholders. The following sections address other important actions 

the NRC will take to improve transparency. 

1. High-Value Datasets 

The Open Government Directive defines high-value information as “information that can be 

used to increase agency accountability and responsiveness; improve public knowledge of the 

agency and its operations; further the core mission of the agency; create economic opportunity 

or respond to need and demand as identified through public consultation.”3

 

As a regulatory agency whose processes and decisions are captured primarily in the form of 

documents, the NRC views its documents as its highest value data and has, up until now, 

focused the thrust of its public information dissemination program in this area. The agency has 

made its documents available via ADAMS and elsewhere on its public Web site in the widely 

used “portable document format” (PDF). As of July 1, 2008, the International Organization for 

Standardization officially recognized PDF as an open standard (per ISO 3200). The NRC has 

 

3

 Open Government Directive, page 7. 

 13
provided both a search engine for ADAMS and numerous indexes to popular document 

collections in the Electronic Reading Room on its public Web site. The agency recognizes that 

some of its stakeholders may be interested in accessing underlying data associated with 

ADAMS documents (e.g. descriptive metadata such as docket number, document date, author 

and subject). For this reason, the NRC will conduct a pilot project for publishing underlying data 

associated with a specific subset of ADAMS documents -- inspection reports. (See Appendix C, 

Table 3, item 2). 

In response to OMB’s request that agencies identify and publish their high-value datasets in 

open format, the NRC formed a working group to collaborate on developing an inventory of its 

high-value information based on several sources, including the most popular information at the 

agency’s public Web site, data most frequently requested under FOIA, the agency’s systems 

inventory, and its records schedules. The working group selected an initial group of high-value 

datasets based on the five OMB criteria to target information that can be used to: (1) increase 

accountability and responsiveness; (2) improve public knowledge of the agency and its 

operations; (3) further the core mission of the agency; (4) create economic opportunity; and 

(5) respond to need and demand. 

Table 1 in Appendix C to this plan lists the high-value datasets that the NRC has published as of 

the release date of this plan. The table includes the criteria for high value that these datasets 

meet, the key audience(s) for each, and the date they were published in open format. Links to 

Web pages providing access to these datasets appear on the NRC's Open Government Web 

page as well as on the Data.gov Web site 

Table 2 in Appendix C contains the high-value datasets the NRC plans to publish between the 

release date of this plan and September 30, 2011. The agency will publish each, along with a 

data dictionary, in open format on the NRC’s public Web site, and they will also be available 

through Data.gov. 

By October 31, 2010, the agency will institutionalize a process for maintaining and adding to its 

initial inventory of high-value data sets, taking into account the public’s input on the types of 

data that would be of value. The agency would like to receive more public input on this subject 

so that efforts can be directed towards publishing the most useful datasets. Suggestions for 

such datasets may be submitted through the agency’s public dialogue on ways to improve open 

government at the NRC. 

Because of the nature of the NRC’s mission and the potential use of some types of agency 

information for malevolent purposes, information security screening of all datasets will be of high 

importance. This will include applying administration guidance to screen for potential risks from 

combining NRC information with information published by other Federal agencies. In some 

cases, security concerns may limit the publication of agency information. 

To foster the public’s use of NRC high-value datasets to increase public knowledge and 

promote transparency, the NRC publicized the availability of its datasets at its annual 

Regulatory Information Conference (RIC) on March 9–11, 2010, and will do so at other 

conferences and public meetings as appropriate as well as through the NRC’s Open 

Government Web page. Additionally, stakeholders may receive notification whenever the 

agency adds a new dataset by subscribing to the updates section on the NRC’s Open 

Government Web page (select “Subscribe to Updates” at the top right). This will result in an email notification whenever the NRC adds a new dataset or makes other changes to its Open 

Government Web page. 

 14
In response to the Open Government Directive, datasets in Table 3 of Appendix C represent 

first-time open-format publication of data that underlie previously published information. 

2. Policy Changes 

As stated above in Section III.A.1, in FY 2009, the agency met 3 out of 4 of its information 

dissemination timeliness measures. For FY 2010, in an effort to improve performance on the 

fourth measure, the agency has added the timely release of externally generated documents 

(those sent to the NRC by licensees and others) to the set of measures for which NRC senior 

managers are held accountable. In addition, the agency plans to review its treatment of certain 

categories of documents that are exempt from the 6-day release policy and consider adding 

separate timeliness criteria for some of them. 

3. Expansion of Webstreaming 

One of the ideas receiving the most support on the NRC’s public Open Government Forum is 

the expansion of Webstreaming for public meetings. As of May 2010, the NRC will double the 

annual number of public meetings it will broadcast "live" using Webstreaming via internet, from 

50 to 100. Of these, 50 will be public Commission meetings and 50 will be other meetings that 

are identified as having significant public interest. The expansion of Webstreaming will also 

increase the number of meeting rooms at NRC Headquarters equipped for Webstreaming from 

1 to 4, enabling up to 4 meetings to be streamed simultaneously. By utilizing the NRC video 

teleconferencing system, the NRC can receive and stream information from any location that is 

similarly equipped. For example, this capability enabled the NRC to Webstream key sessions 

from the annual NRC Regulatory Information Conference. All Webstreamed meetings are also 

available for later viewing in the NRC's public meeting video archive at its public Web site. The 

NRC is evaluating further options for continued expansion of this service. 

4. Public Communications 

a. Podcasts 

The NRC plans to pursue the use of audio files/podcasts posted on the Web, beginning with 

news releases. This new content would expand the NRC’s ability to inform the public using 

alternative media and may attract additional interested audiences. 

b. Use of Social Media 

As identified in the description of the agency’s Flagship Open Government Initiative in 

Section VI, the NRC is considering the future addition of social media technologies 

(e.g., Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and blogging) to enhance the agency’s ability to engage the 

public, maintain a productive dialogue, and solicit innovative ideas regarding both the agency’s 

public Web site and its regulatory activities. 

5. Improvements to ADAMS 

Based on comments received from the public through the NRC’s Open Government Forum and 

other feedback mechanisms, stakeholders have made it clear that improvements to ADAMS 

 15
should be a priority for the NRC. One frequent request has been to provide the public with a 

Web browser-based interface to more easily search both of the ADAMS public libraries -- the 

Publicly Available Records System (PARS) and the Public Legacy Library (PLL). Until recently, 

a browser-based interface was available only for PARS. To search the PLL, users were 

required to download and install special software on their personally-owned computers. On 

February 1 2010, the NRC released a new search tool that provides browser-based access to 

both PARS and the PLL, eliminates the need to download special software, and offers the same 

reporting capabilities that had been praised in the old software access system. 

In addition, the NRC is working to modernize the entire ADAMS system. This effort will 

incorporate other suggestions from the public, including a Google search capability. See 

Appendix D for the schedule. 

6. Improvements to the NRC Public Web Site 

a. Expanded Use of Event- and Facility-Specific Web Pages 

In response to increased public interest in a specific NRC-licensed facility, either as a result of 

an event response or an upcoming licensing action, the agency has sometimes established 

event-specific or facility-specific Web sites, where all of the background information, documents, 

contacts, and other sources of data about the event or facility are consolidated and more easily 

accessible by the public. For example, the NRC established a Web page for the Nuclear Fuel 

Services facility in Erwin, TN, a facility that recently was the subject of increased public interest. 

The NRC is planning a more comprehensive approach that would include Web pages for all 

major nuclear facilities and events with high public interest. 

b. Public Web Site Redesign 

Recognizing the important role of the Web in achieving openness and outreach to the public, 

the NRC is now integrating innovative technologies into the redesign of its public Web site. 

More information about this redesign, which the NRC has selected as one component of its 

Flagship Open Government Initiative, is addressed in Section Vl. 

IV. Participation 

The NRC is responsible for developing, implementing, and enforcing policies that are well-informed 

and effective. To do so, the agency recognizes that the 

public must be informed about, and have a reasonable 

opportunity to participate meaningfully in, its regulatory 

processes and (where appropriate) decisionmaking. 

“Participation allows 

members of the public to 

contribute ideas and 

expertise so that their 

government can make 

policies with the benefit of 

information that is widely 

dispersed in society.” 

(Open Government 

Directive). 

The NRC has received license applications for the 

construction and operation of a number of new nuclear 

power plants and uranium recovery facilities. The NRC 

also anticipates an additional number of spent fuel storage 

installation applications and applications to extend the 

licenses of operating reactors. These activities are already 

generating interest from the public that is expected to 

 16
continue. The NRC will continue its practice of providing stakeholders the opportunity to participate 

in the regulatory process before issuance of a license (initial or renewed), construction permit, earlysite permit, design certification, combined license or rulemaking, as appropriate. In all aspects of its 

work, the agency is committed to making public participation as expansive and meaningful as 

possible. 

 

Section IV of this plan describes the numerous tools the NRC uses to foster citizen participation and 

engagement, including public meetings, public hearings, the agency’s public Web site, and 

document comment processes. It also addresses plans that the agency is making in response to 

industry trends and the Open Government Directive to review its current communication practices 

with the objective of using Web-based technologies to expand opportunities for public participation. 

A. What We’re Doing Now 

1. Public Meetings and Outreach 

To communicate clearly and frequently with diverse groups of stakeholders and the public, the NRC 

holds meetings both in the vicinity of existing and proposed nuclear facilities and at NRC 

Headquarters and regional offices. These meetings help inform local residents and other 

stakeholders about NRC activities and regulatory responsibilities, as well as provide opportunities 

for questions and feedback. The agency announces these meetings through a variety of channels, 

including the NRC’s public Web site, news releases, and announcements in local community 

newspapers. The agency also collects feedback from attendees at every public meeting to better 

understand and respond to the needs of both observers and participants. 

 

The NRC’s public meeting schedule, meeting archives, and answers to frequently asked questions 

about public meetings are accessible on the NRC’s Public Meeting Web page. An important 

element of the NRC’s public meeting policy is to post public notice of staff meetings open to the 

public on its Web site at least 10 calendar days in advance of the meeting date. In FY 2009, the 

agency was successful in meeting this public meeting notice timeliness target 94 percent of the 

time, surpassing its goal of 90 percent. For further information about NRC’s public meeting policies, 

see Management Directive 3.5, Attendance at NRC Staff Sponsored Meetings. This directive 

discusses the agency’s policy for holding both public (open) and non-public (closed meetings) with 

NRC staff. 

In addition to public meetings, the NRC has expanded its outreach efforts to non-governmental 

organizations (NGOs) interested in the agency's work. In early March 2010, NRC staff met with 

Mothers for Peace of San Luis Obispo and also recently met with other NGOs including 

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the National Mining Association. These 

meetings are designed to improve communication regarding the agency's regulatory role and 

current activities. Reaching out to interested groups for individual meetings helps 

representatives from NGOs personalize their participation with the agency. In addition, the NRC 

responds to requests for information from NGOs on a variety of issues of interest. 

2. Hearings 

NRC hearings afford individuals or entities with an interest in an NRC licensing or enforcement 

action the opportunity to participate in the regulatory process by raising issues before a threemember Licensing Board composed of administrative judges from the NRC’s Atomic Safety 

 17
Licensing Board Panel (ASLBP), an independent component of the NRC. A Licensing Board 

conducts the hearing and makes decisions based on the information presented by the hearing 

participants. 

Over the past several years, the NRC has made many improvements to technology supporting 

the hearing process to make participation more efficient and effective for both the Licensing 

Boards and the hearing participants. Key examples are the Digital Data Management System, 

the Electronic Hearing Docket, and the agency’s electronic filing system. 

The Digital Data Management System (DDMS), which combines audio/video and computer 

technology to manage the exhibits and other adjudicatory materials, can be used by hearing 

participants and ASLBP personnel to locate and view electronic text and images of exhibits and 

other adjudicatory record materials and to perform legal research on the Internet. DDMS 

audio/video capabilities include a voice-activated digital video recording system with cameras and 

monitors and a tele/videoconferencing system to allow parties and witnesses to participate from 

multiple remote locations. A video record of the hearing is available to the parties and ASLBP 

personnel via the Internet shortly after the day's session. Also, as part of the access process for 

each Webstreamed adjudicatory event, the NRC provides stakeholders with an opportunity to 

provide comments on their experience using this technology and makes an archived copy of the 

video available to the public for 90 days. 

In addition, the Electronic Hearing Docket provides Web access to searchable electronic copies 

of all public filings in hearing proceedings and the agency’s E-Filing system allows those 

wishing to participate in agency hearings to submit and serve electronic copies of filings via the 

Web, as required by NRC regulations, 24 hours a day. More information about public 

involvement in NRC in hearings is available on the NRC’s public Web site. 

3. Conferences, Symposia, and Workshops 

Among the many conferences, symposia, and workshops that the NRC staff hosts or 

participates in each year, the annual Regulatory Information Conference (RIC) is the most 

prominent. The RIC brings together more than 2,500 people, representatives from more than 

25 countries, members of Congress, nuclear plant owners, nuclear materials users, and other 

important stakeholders and informs them of significant regulatory activities, including research 

findings, rulemaking, regulatory and safety issues, generic issues, regulatory process and 

procedure improvements, and other items of particular interest such as license renewal. The 

annual conference serves as a communication vehicle to allow informal open dialogue among 

the attendees. RIC attendees gain knowledge of planned and current NRC activities that may 

have an impact on them. They also discuss issues both in the panel sessions and during the 

public comment periods that are an integral part of each session so that the NRC staff can 

evaluate stakeholder input, incorporate suggestions, and address concerns that are raised. 

The most recent RIC conference (March, 2010) included Webstreaming of key events, including 

the opening, Chairman and Commissioner plenaries, and the general plenary session. 

Additionally, each year, all RIC presentations are available through the NRC public Web site, 

and Commissioner plenary sessions and responses to questions that were unanswered at the 

conference are posted on the Web site and archived. 

 18
The NRC makes use of other conferences, symposia, and workshops on more specific 

regulatory topics to engage its stakeholders and the public in the regulatory process. Examples 

include the following: 

 In September 2008, the NRC sponsored a public workshop on cesium that discussed 

using alternative forms of cesium, alternative technologies, phaseout and transportation 

issues, additional security, and potential future requirements for use of the material. 

More than 200 people attended the forum. 

 In September 2009, the NRC held a series of public workshops to solicit early input on 

major issues associated with the potential rulemaking for land disposal of depleted 

uranium. The participants included industry representatives, academics, State 

regulators, public interest groups, other Federal agencies, and the general public. The 

NRC created a dedicated public Web page to facilitate ongoing communication with the 

public on the rulemaking. 

 The NRC annually hosts and sponsors the Fuel Cycle Information Exchange 

Conference, where NRC staff, industry representatives, and other stakeholders discuss 

regulatory issues related to the nuclear fuel cycle. 

4. NRC Web Sites Promoting Public Participation 

To enhance participation in the regulatory process, the NRC’s public Web site has included a Public 

Meetings and Involvement page since 2002. This page contains links to numerous other pages 

where the public can learn about public meetings, comment on proposed rules and draft 

documents, understand how to petition the agency to take an enforcement action, participate in 

hearings, or ask the NRC to consider changing or establishing a regulation. Table 3 in Appendix A 

to this plan contains a list and description of these key Web sites promoting public participation. 

B. Action Plan for Improving Participation 

The NRC is continually exploring the use of new media and tools for enhancing public 

participation. Several examples and plans for the future are outlined below. 

1. Public Meetings 

The NRC conducts public meetings in many locations across the country to engage a variety of 

stakeholders in the regulatory process. The agency is now taking steps to improve participation 

at these meetings, including broadening participation through the use of Web conferencing, 

implementing a new meeting facilitation program, and using Web technology to interact with 

participants before, during, and after the meetings. 

a. Web Conferencing 

In FY 2009, the NRC successfully piloted the use of Web conferencing at several meetings so 

that remote stakeholders could participate. A recently released 2-minute video, available at the 

White House Open Government Innovations Web site, explains how the NRC used this 

technology to more broadly share information about possible changes to emergency 

preparedness regulations. 

 19
As part of the agency’s outreach efforts to communicate these potential regulatory changes, the 

NRC held public meetings in venues throughout the country. For each meeting, anyone with a 

computer could log on to an Internet-based conference center and participate from any location 

by listening to content, seeing speakers and presentations, asking questions, and providing 

comments. This approach allowed the NRC to minimize the cost to stakeholders while also 

increasing opportunities for public participation in the regulatory process. 

The NRC recently established a cross-agency working group to drive the effective expansion of 

agency capabilities for both Web conferencing and Webstreaming (See Section III.B.3 for more 

about the expansion of Webstreaming) to support diverse business needs for conducting 

meetings and fostering communication within and outside the agency. This effort will help 

expand IT services that support agency efforts to increase participation in public meetings as 

well as increase efficiency and effectiveness. Lessons learned and feedback from pilot 

activities will be used to implement the appropriate services for agency use. By implementing 

common solutions across the agency, the NRC will achieve economies of scale and will be 

better able to provide training and other support services to help the staff use the technology 

effectively. 

As the Web conferencing pilot program expands, the NRC will use a continuous feedback 

process to help drive improvements that increase efficiency and effectiveness and ensure a 

positive user experience. 

b. Meeting Facilitation Program 

Through the NRC’s new In-House Meeting Facilitator & Advisor Program, several employees 

are being trained as facilitation specialists. These specialists will aid other NRC staff in fulfilling 

the agency’s commitment to openness by ensuring that NRC public meetings and outreach 

activities are effective, inclusive, and fair, and they will further bolster the agency’s capacity to 

collaborate and address issues with external stakeholders. Facilitators will be trained to use 

technology tools such as Web conferencing to help meet these objectives. 

c. Meeting Feedback 

The NRC is working to improve all aspects of the public meeting and outreach process, 

beginning with improved collaboration with stakeholders before a meeting so that the NRC staff 

is better prepared to address stakeholder questions and concerns. In addition, the NRC is 

working to ensure that NRC information presented at these meetings can be more easily 

understood by the public. 

Although the agency has had much success receiving feedback from the public after public 

meetings via hard copy forms, a team of NRC communicators and technology specialists is 

exploring various options for updating this process. One option that the agency is considering is 

to enable the public to post comments through the public Web site, thereby allowing members 

of the public to submit information from anywhere they have Internet access. 

2. New Communications Tools for the ADAMS User Group 

The agency has a standing public user group to guide enhancements to its publicly available 

electronic documents system. Communication with this group is currently handled through an 

 20
e-mail distribution list, regular semi-annual meetings, and direct communication with the PDR 

staff. The NRC plans to explore other approaches such as Webinars to enhance and broaden 

interaction with ADAMS users. 

V. Collaboration 

In the coming years, the NRC will confront a variety 

of challenges, including ensuring the safety and 

security of existing and proposed nuclear power 

plants and other licensed facilities and materials, 

emergency preparedness, and the storage and 

disposal of high-level radioactive waste. The NRC 

recognizes that meeting these challenges will call for 

the highest levels of collaboration among its own employees and cooperation and partnership 

with other Federal and non-Federal governmental agencies and with nonprofit and other private 

entities. 

“Collaboration improves the 

effectiveness of Government 

by encouraging partnerships 

and cooperation within the 

Federal Government, across 

levels of government, and 

between the Government and 

private institutions.” (Open 

Government Directive)

Nevertheless, as a regulatory agency, the NRC is mindful of the need to preserve its 

independence, and it must therefore enter into collaborative activities only where appropriate. 

As the NRC began categorizing its open government activities, some fell into a gray area that 

might be considered either participation or collaboration. Based on the definition of 

collaboration provided in the Open Government Directive (see text box above), an activity was 

included in this section only if it demonstrated a true partnership among the participants. Those 

participation activities that solicit ideas or feedback without a full partnership were covered in 

Section IV. 

This section addresses what the NRC is currently doing to promote collaboration internally and 

externally and the planned actions designed to enhance collaborative relationships critical to 

ensuring that the agency achieves its core mission goals. Existing and emerging technologies 

that provide the means to broaden and strengthen collaborative activities will play a key role in 

supporting these efforts. 

A. What We’re Doing Now 

The NRC’s key collaborative partners include State, Federal, and non-Federal governmental 

agencies, nonprofit and private entities, and the international nuclear regulatory community. In 

addition to the summaries below, Table 4 of Appendix A provides a comprehensive list of links 

to Web sites with detailed information about the NRC’s collaborative partnerships and activities. 

1. Federal Regulatory Partnerships 

a. Transportation of Nuclear Materials and Radioactive Waste 

About 3 million packages of radioactive materials are shipped each year in the United States, 

either by highway, rail, air, or water. Regulating the safety of these shipments is the joint 

responsibility of the NRC and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). The NRC 

establishes requirements for the design and manufacture of Type B and fissile material 

packages for radioactive materials, and DOT regulates Type A and lesser quantity packages, as 

 21
well as shipments while they are in transit, and sets standards for labeling and placarding. To 

ensure regulatory consistency, the NRC and DOT coordinate transportation-related rulemaking 

efforts and associated regulatory processes. 

b. Emergency Preparedness and Response 

The NRC is the coordinating agency for radiological accidents and incidents occurring at NRClicensed facilities and for radioactive materials licensed either by the NRC or under the agency’s 

Agreement State Program. As coordinating agency, the NRC exercises technical leadership for 

the Federal Government’s response to the event. If the severity of an event rises to the level of 

a general emergency or if it is a terrorist-related event, the U.S. Department of Homeland 

Security (DHS) takes on the role of coordinating the overall Federal response, with the NRC 

retaining its technical leadership role. 

In the event of an emergency, the NRC is prepared to share information and coordinate action 

with DHS and the full spectrum of Federal agencies that might respond to an event at an NRClicensed facility or involving NRC-licensed material—the Federal Emergency Management 

Agency (FEMA), DOE, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department 

of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration, and the U.S. Department of State. The NRC’s Operations Center, 

the command center for radiological event response, is outfitted with state-of-the-art 

communications and computing capabilities designed to support swift and effective crossagency, intergovernmental, and public and private coordination of action. 

The NRC participates in numerous working groups, including the Federal Senior Leadership 

Council, a decisionmaking body of Federal principals that meets to discuss national-level critical 

infrastructure policies; the Nuclear Security Working Group, a group composed of NRC 

managers, representatives of the Nuclear Energy Institute, and licensee security managers who 

discuss current security issues; and the Federal Radiological Preparedness Coordinating 

Committee, comprising representatives from Federal departments and agencies, which 

coordinates various aspects of radiological emergency preparedness, response, and recovery. 

To ensure a timely and effective local response, the NRC and FEMA collaborate on emergency 

planning guidance for State and local governments and run joint emergency preparedness 

exercises at licensee facilities every 2 years. In addition, the NRC and FEMA maintain regular 

communications on emerging incident response issues and cooperate to ensure that the 

Federal Government maintains a robust and agile radiological emergency response capability. 

c. Radiation Source Protection 

The Radiation Source Protection and Security Task Force, established by the Energy Policy Act 

of 2005 (Public Law 109-58), is one of the primary vehicles for advancing issues related to 

security of radiation sources from potential terrorist threats. The Task Force, under the lead of 

the NRC, is mandated to evaluate and provide recommendations to the President and Congress 

relating to the security of radiation sources in the U.S. from potential terrorist threats, including 

acts of sabotage, theft, or use of a radiation source in a radiological dispersal device. The Act 

named 12 Federal agencies to the Task Force and the NRC also invited the Department of 

Health and Human Services and the Office of Science and Technology Policy to participate on 

the Task Force. A representative from the Organization of Agreement States/Conference of 

Radiation Control Program Directors (OAS/CRCPD) was also asked to participate as a non-

 22
voting member. The Task Force is to submit to the President and Congress reports providing 

recommendations, including possible regulatory and legislative changes on several specific 

topics related to the protection and security of radiation sources. The Task Force provided its 

first report to the President and Congress in August 2006. The Task Force is developing its 

second report to be submitted in August 2010. 

d. Homeland Security 

The NRC works closely with other Federal agencies, including the Federal Bureau of 

Investigation, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, 

DOE, and various State and local law enforcement agencies to coordinate and enhance 

integrated response activities. The NRC is actively working to identify and develop key IT 

investments that will further enhance the storage, handling, and communication of sensitive 

security information and the communication of this information to NRC licensees and Federal, 

State, and local partners. 

e. Protecting the Environment 

The NRC establishes and maintains effective communications about environmental policy with 

EPA, the Council on Environmental Quality, and the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI). The 

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the NRC to communicate its environmental 

impact analyses and comments on matters related to NEPA procedures and implementation to 

the Council on Environmental Quality and to coordinate with those agencies on matters such as 

environmental justice. 

The NRC collaborates closely with EPA and DOI to protect public and private land affected by 

activities such as uranium recovery and radioactive waste disposal. In November 2009, the 

NRC signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with DOI’s Bureau of Land Management 

(BLM), that defines the cooperative working relationship to be used to support common goals 

that guide the preparation of each agency’s NEPA reviews related to the extraction of uranium 

and thorium on BLM-administered public lands. This MOU will improve interagency 

communications, facilitate the sharing of special expertise and information, and help coordinate 

the preparation of studies, reports, and NEPA documents. 

The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, mandates the NRC to maintain 

communication with officials at the National Park Service and the Advisory Council on Historic 

Preservation and to contribute to the Secretary of the Interior’s Annual Report to Congress on 

Federal Archeological Activities. 

Find more information... 

 Transportation of nuclear materials

 Emergency preparedness and response

 Emergency preparedness and response—Federal, State, and local responsibilities

 Emergency preparedness in response to terrorism

 MOU Between NRC and BLM

 23
2. States and Native American Tribal Governments 

The NRC recognizes that fulfilling its core mission requires broad cooperation with local, State, 

and Tribal governments that have a stake in the safe, secure, and environmentally friendly use 

of radioactive materials for beneficial civilian purposes. The NRC and its non-Federal partners 

maintain a comprehensive, consistent regulatory infrastructure that best serves the public 

interest. 

a. Agreement States 

Under Section 274 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, the NRC may relinquish to 

State regulators portions of its authority to license and regulate byproduct materials 

(radioisotopes), source materials (uranium and thorium), and certain quantities of special 

nuclear materials. Regulatory authority in these areas is transferred to an “Agreement State” 

via an agreement signed by the Governor of the State and the Chairman of the NRC. The NRC 

regulates about 15-percent of the more than 20,000 active source, byproduct, and special 

nuclear materials licenses currently in place; the 37 Agreement States regulate the rest. 

To ensure regulatory consistency and support Federal/State collaboration, the NRC conducts 

training courses and workshops for Agreement State regulators, evaluates technical licensing 

and inspection issues identified by Agreement States, evaluates State rule changes, 

participates in activities conducted by the Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors, 

and ensures early and substantive State involvement in NRC rulemaking and other regulatory 

efforts. 

NRC management periodically meets with Agreement State leaders from the Conference of 

Radiation Control Program Directors and the Organization of Agreement States to prioritize 

regulatory issues, exchange information, or undertake tasks of common interest. The NRC and 

Agreement States regularly form working groups to address specific issues and promulgate best 

practices in the regulation, use, and safeguarding of radioactive materials. A significant 

cooperative effort that began in 2009 is the revision of all radioactive materials licensing 

documents to incorporate security enhancements made through legally binding requirements 

such as orders and regulations. 

 

Other examples of NRC/Agreement State cooperation include the following: 

 The Integrated Materials Performance Evaluation Program (IMPEP) review process is 

used to evaluate the technical adequacy and consistency of Agreement State and NRC 

programs. A technical team composed of NRC and Agreement State personnel 

performs these collaborative, performance-based reviews. The IMPEP won the Harvard 

University Award for Excellence in Government and serves as a model of cooperation 

between the Federal and State governments. 

 The NRC’s Nuclear Materials Events Database (NMED) contains records of events 

involving nuclear material reported by NRC licensees, Agreement States, and 

nonlicensees. Idaho National Laboratory, a research arm of DOE, maintains the 

database. NMED data are accessible to NRC staff, Agreement State regulators, and 

other users authorized by the NRC. The general public has access to the aggregated 

event information via a link to NMED on the NRC’s public Web site. 

 24
 The National Source Tracking System (NSTS) is a secure, Web-based database that 

tracks the movement, storage, and transfer of radioactive sources regulated by the NRC 

and the Agreement States. The NSTS was developed through close cooperation with 

other Federal and State agencies and allows the tracking of nuclear materials 

throughout the life cycle of the source—from manufacture through shipment, receipt, 

decay, and burial. The NSTS enhances the ability of the NRC and Agreement States 

to conduct inspections and investigations, communicate information to other government 

agencies, and verify legitimate ownership and use of nationally tracked sources. 

Implementation of the NSTS, along with complementary efforts by the NRC to develop 

Web-based licensing and a license verification system, is improving the control and 

management of radioactive sources by the NRC and its regulatory partners. 

Find more information... 

 Agreement State directory

 Audit of the NRC's Agreement State Program 

 NRC/Agreement State working groups

 IMPEP toolbox

 NMED

 NSTS

b. State and Tribal Governments 

Through the Federal, State, and Tribal Liaison Programs, the NRC works in cooperation with 

Federal, State, and local governments, interstate organizations, and Native American Tribal 

Governments to ensure that the NRC maintains effective relations and communications with 

these organizations and promotes greater awareness and mutual understanding of the policies, 

activities, and concerns of all parties involved as they relate to radiological safety at NRClicensed facilities. 

The NRC consults regularly with Governor-appointed State Liaison Officers and maintains 

contact with representatives of State public utility commissions, the National Governors 

Association, the National Conference of State Legislatures, and the National Association of 

Regulatory Utility Commissioners to identify NRC regulatory initiatives that affect States and to 

keep the NRC apprised of those organizations’ activities. 

Tribal Government interest in nuclear-related activities provides for case-by-case exchanges of 

information on specific issues related to the NRC’s policy and regulatory authority, primarily in 

the areas of uranium recovery, high- and low-level radioactive waste storage, transportation, 

disposal, and reclamation. The NRC maintains a cooperative relationship with the National 

Congress of American Indians. 

This open exchange of information supports the NRC’s efforts to enforce proper control and 

disposal of radioactive materials, protect the environment, promote emergency preparedness, 

and ensure a rapid and effective response to radiological emergencies. 

Find more information... 

 State and Tribal Liaison Programs 

 25
3. International Activities 

The NRC performs certain legislatively mandated international duties, including licensing the 

export and import of nuclear materials and equipment, and participating in activities supporting 

U.S. Government compliance with legally-binding international treaties and conventions. All 

license applications received and licenses issued by the NRC for exports and imports of nuclear 

materials and equipment are made available to the public. The NRC's regulations (10 CFR 

§110.81) expressly encourage written comments from the public regarding export and import 

license applications. 

With the understanding that nuclear power is now a global enterprise and that all nations have 

an abiding interest in seeing that the use of nuclear power and radioactive sources is 

accomplished with a focus on safety and security, the NRC also collaborates with the world 

community in developing programs that leverage the knowledge and experience accumulated 

by states with mature nuclear programs and provide cooperation and assistance to other 

countries. 

The NRC actively participates in international working groups and provides advice and 

assistance to international organizations and foreign countries to develop effective regulatory 

organizations, develop safety and security consensus guidance, and control the export and 

import of nuclear and radioactive materials and equipment. The NRC engages in cooperative 

activities bilaterally with other countries and by participating in programs managed by the 

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) and through 

other international bodies such as the International Commission on Radiological Protection. 

The following are examples of the NRC’s international cooperative efforts: 

 The NRC has technical information exchange and cooperation agreements with 38 

countries and Taiwan. The NRC also collaborates directly with counterpart agencies in 

other countries under individual regulatory and research cooperation agreements. 

Cooperation with countries with mature nuclear programs ensures the timely exchange 

of applicable nuclear safety and security information and operating experience. The 

NRC's international assistance activities help to develop and improve national regulatory 

programs (for both nuclear reactor and radioactive material safety and security) through 

training, workshops, peer review of regulatory documents, working group meetings, 

technical information and specialist exchanges. 

 The NRC’s foreign assignee program provides on-the-job experience for qualified 

candidates nominated by their governments to work at the NRC. During FY 2009, the 

NRC hosted eight assignees from France, Germany, Iraq, Japan, Lithuania, the 

Republic of Korea, and Vietnam. 

 The NRC staff recently participated in the first meeting of the 28-nation Forum of Nuclear 

Regulatory Bodies in Africa. The members of the forum requested cooperation and 

support from the NRC in the areas of regulatory oversight of uranium mining and milling 

and for new nuclear power plants. They also expressed interest in the NRC’s ongoing or 

planned radioactive source-related assistance efforts, especially assistance to develop 

national registries of radioactive sources. 

 The NRC has a leadership role in IAEA's wide range of technical and consultants 

meetings, standards committees, safeguards initiatives, workshops and other IAEA-led 

 26
assessment and assistance missions. One such example is that the agency is a key 

member of IAEA’s International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale effort for the 

prompt communication of events of safety significance at nuclear and radiological 

facilities to the international public. 

 In October 2010, the NRC will host in an Integrated Regulatory Review Service mission. 

This mission is part of an IAEA-led initiative for Member States to review each other’s 

regulatory standards and assess the regulatory infrastructure against international safety 

standards and good practices. The outcome of this effort will be an objective review of 

the NRC’s regulatory practices for operating reactors and an assessment of whether 

NRC standards meet international standards. The final report will provide the NRC with 

recommendations and suggestions for improvements, while also providing reviewers 

from Member States and the IAEA staff with opportunities for mutual learning. It will also 

provide real opportunities for IAEA staff to obtain direct feedback on the application of 

international standards. 

 The NRC has a leadership role in the work of the NEA, which works primarily with states 

with mature nuclear programs. One example of recent activity is the Multinational 

Design Evaluation Program (MDEP) with nine other participating countries. The MDEP 

is an international collaborative effort that seeks to leverage the experience and 

knowledge of regulators around the world in the licensing of new reactor designs while 

serving as a catalyst to enable the convergence of applicable codes, standards, and 

regulations. The MDEP has made significant progress toward these goals, including an 

unprecedented level of international cooperation on vendor and construction inspections, 

digital instrumentation and control, and codes and standards. 

Find more information... 

 The NRC’s international activities 

4. Nonprofit and Private Entities 

a. Development of Consensus Standards 

The NRC works with independent standards organizations to develop consensus standards 

(technical requirements and best practices) associated with systems, equipment, or materials 

used by the nuclear industry. For example, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 

develops standards associated with electrical equipment, the American Concrete Institute 

develops standards associated with concrete products, and the American Society of Mechanical 

Engineers develops standardized codes for mechanical engineering. These standards 

development organizations coordinate public and private efforts to develop technical standards 

acceptable to Government, industry, research institutions, and members of the public. By 

participating in the development of consensus standards, the NRC promotes realism, 

effectiveness, and efficiency in the regulatory process. 

b. Cooperative Research Efforts 

In addition to leading the agency’s initiative for cooperative research with Federal agencies such 

as DOE and the NRC’s international partners, the NRC leads collaborative research efforts with 

the domestic nuclear industry and U.S. universities. NRC staff members participate in domestic 

 27
and international committees and conferences that support information sharing and the 

establishment of global cooperation in the regulation and control of nuclear facilities, nuclear 

materials, and radioactive waste. 

c. Cooperative Security Activities 

The NRC understands that safeguarding nuclear facilities and materials requires cooperation 

between Federal regulators and licensees in private industry. The NRC works continuously to 

ensure that the agency and its licensees maintain a current awareness of potential threats to 

licensed facilities and activities. NRC managers and staff cooperate with industry on security 

matters, making available information on these interactions when appropriate. 

d. Collaboration with Industry on Technical Guidance 

Besides providing guidance to nuclear power plant operators on acceptable methods for 

implementing agency regulations, the NRC also reviews and endorses additional implementation 

methods outlined in industry-generated documents that are consistent with NRC guidance. 

Find more information... 

 NRC participation in standards development 

B. Action Plan for Improving Collaboration 

The NRC is examining its key existing internal and external collaborative activities to assess 

how it can enhance them to better support the goals of open government, particularly through 

the use of new and emerging technologies. 

1. Using Technology Platforms to Improve Collaboration 

In July 2009, the NRC hosted an internal IT summit to establish priorities for future IT 

investments. “Working with Anyone” was one of the themes that was chosen as a top priority. 

This theme focused on technologies that would better enable groups of NRC staff to collaborate 

effectively, both within the agency and with stakeholders and representatives of other Federal 

agencies, academia, industry, and the general public. The results of the summit fueled agency 

efforts to accelerate the use of, and support for, collaborative tools and services. 

Examples of collaboration technologies currently in use inside the agency are tools for virtual 

meetings, team and collaboration sites, communities of practice based on subject matter, wiki 

Web sites, and teleconferencing. The NRC has hundreds of internal collaboration sites and 

communities of practice that enable collaborative activities and knowledge sharing. For 

example, soon after OMB issued the Open Government Directive, the NRC launched a team 

collaboration site that was used to help develop this Open Government Plan and share ideas on 

open government across the agency. These experiences help to reinforce the NRC’s culture of 

openness and increase the staff’s receptiveness to using collaborative technologies in their dayto-day work. 

 28
a. Collaborative Web Portals 

The NRC is also exploring ideas for using technology to enhance collaboration with its external 

partners. The NRC has long used a password-protected Web portal to share rulemaking and 

policy information with Agreement State regulators. In support of its commitment to continuous 

improvement, the NRC is exploring the feasibility of using a similar mechanism to share certain 

enforcement information with Agreement States. If the associated legal and privacy issues can 

be resolved, this information may be placed in a password-protected area on the NRC Web site 

so that only NRC and Agreement State personnel with a need to know have access. 

b. IdeaScale Brainstorming Tool 

In collaboration with the General Services Administration, the NRC participated in a pilot of the 

IdeaScale citizen-engagement tool from February 5th through March 19 th in connection with the 

release of its Open Government Web site. This easy-to-use online brainstorming tool enabled 

the public to submit ideas for the NRC’s Open Government Plan and to comment and vote on 

the ideas of others. The NRC is evaluating the results of this pilot to determine how effective it 

was and to determine if this or similar tools might have broader applicability for public 

engagement on other topics. On April 1, 2010, the agency reactivated the pilot of IdeaScale in 

its current form until the evaluation is completed. The only change was the addition of a new 

category for comments on the published Open Government Plan. 

c. Creating a Virtual Records Archive 

Because of the nature of the NRC's regulatory responsibilities for nuclear power plants, the 

agency must maintain legal control of some its permanent records for more than 100 years prior 

to turning them over to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) for permanent 

preservation. This period of time is longer than for most other agencies. To ensure that the 

information is secure and accessible throughout this time period, the agency continually works 

to preserve its records by converting them to new formats and platforms as technology 

changes. 

Since the NRC already provides public access to its records through ADAMS, its central public 

document system (see Section III. 2), it is exploring the option of gaining permission from NARA 

to establish an affiliated archive. To accomplish this, the NRC and NARA would enter into an 

agreement whereby the NRC would assume the responsibility for preserving and maintaining 

access to its records. This could also include NRC linking its system to NARA’s electronic 

records archive which would provide another point of access for the public. 

2. Innovative Methods To Increase Collaboration 

The NRC Open Government Working Group is evaluating the OMB memorandum issued on 

March 8, 2010, “Guidance on the Use of Challenges and Prizes to Promote Open Government.” 

The group, which includes representatives from the NRC’s Offices of Human Resources and the 

General Counsel, is assessing how the guidance applies to the NRC and how the agency can 

support the administration’s commitment to increase the use of prizes and challenges as tools 

for promoting open government, innovation, and other national priorities. Such prizes and 

challenges would be directed at encouraging agency stakeholders and the public to share their 

ideas for making the NRC a more effective regulator. 

 29
The group is also considering how the agency might broaden its existing internal incentive 

programs such as the NRC Team Player award and the employee suggestion program. These 

programs are described below. 

 In keeping with the NRC’s openness value, beginning in FY 2009, the agency 

established a Team Player award specifically to recognize and show appreciation for 

employees who have supported an open, collaborative working environment. Award 

recipients are honored for serving as role models in sustaining a free exchange of ideas 

that ensures full consideration of dissenting views within the agency’s decision process. 

 The NRC also runs an employee suggestion program that rewards employees who 

develop new ways of doing the agency’s business that lower operating costs, boost 

administrative efficiency, improve internal communications, or increase organizational 

effectiveness. 

VI. Flagship Initiative— Enhancing Stakeholder Engagement 

The NRC has selected Enhancing Stakeholder Engagement as its flagship initiative to expand 

the agency’s stakeholder community and engage a broader public audience. The use of the 

World Wide Web and mobile technologies has become common place, providing more creative 

and cost effective ways to engage current and new stakeholders in the agency's regulatory 

processes. The NRC’s flagship initiative will focus employing these technologies to foster public 

engagement and implement incremental improvements as part of a continuous improvement 

cycle. Phases of this initiative that were not previously planned will be pursued using the NRC’s 

planning, budgeting, and performance management processes. 

A. Overview of the Initiative 

A key element of this flagship initiative is the redesign of NRC’s public website to better address 

the informational needs of site visitors, improve their site experience, and foster greater public 

engagement. The new NRC website will enable more efficient information dissemination that can 

be tailored to the needs of site visitors and provide the conduit for enhancing public participation 

and, where appropriate, collaboration in NRC regulatory activities. The NRC’s Open 

Government web page will be used to introduce new technologies to assess their usability and 

value to the agency and stakeholders. The following table shows the engagement tools and 

improvements that may be included in this initiative, their benefits, and the open government 

principles they support.

 30
OG Principle Transparency Participation Collaboration 

Enhanced Engagement Improvements and 

Tools Key Benefits



NRC’s public website serves as the central 

information portal providing access to 

informational resources, tools and services to the 

public. This website will be redesigned using 

new web technologies and industry best 

practices to make it easy to quickly find and 

access NRC regulatory informational resources. 

The redesign will include improved presentation 

and organization of content. 

 Better engage, inform and 

educate the public 

 Improve site usability, 

organization, search, and 

access to tools 

 Foster information sharing, 

innovation, and engagement 

through use of common tools 

and open standards 



Implement new subscription based services to allow 

stakeholders to keep abreast of the most current 

news and information based on topics of interest. 

Stakeholders will be able to select their preferred 

method for receiving NRC updates via notification 

services such as e-mail, Really Simple Syndication 

(RSS) feeds, and enhanced list service 

capabilities 

 Enable stakeholders to 

subscribe and stay abreast of 

topics of interest using media 

(e.g. RSS, e-mail, listserv’s) 

that enables personalizing 

information feeds 

 

Enhance outreach and stakeholder involvement 

in public meetings by continuing to expand the 

use of web event and virtual meeting 

technologies such as Webstreaming and Web 

conferencing. Streamline publication of public 

meeting notices and summaries, and explore 

ways to share stakeholder feedback on meetings 

via the NRC website or through other means. 

Evaluate methods to increase citizen 

engagement before, during, and after public 

meetings. Continue to publish information on 

upcoming meetings and meeting archives on the 

NRC website. 

 Foster greater public 

participation thorough use of 

web technologies 

 Enable participation from any 

remote location with an internet 

connection and workstation 

 Improve meeting planning by 

engaging the public in the 

planning process 

 Use participant feedback to 

foster continuous process 

improvement 

 31
OG Principle 

Enhanced Engagement Improvements and 

TransparencyCollaboration 

Key Benefits

Participation 

Tools 



Foster greater collaboration within industry and 

government workgroups by using web 

conferencing technologies that enable work to 

occur regardless of the participant’s physical 

location. Explore incorporating use of other 

collaborative tools such as wikis that increase 

workgroup efficiency and improve results by 

enabling easy access to reference materials, online brainstorming, and development of 

collaborative work products. Consider use of 

targeted community portals when registered and 

secured access is required to participate in 

discussions and exchanges of non-public 

information. 

 Facilitate fast-forming 

workgroups 

 Encourage more active 

participation from a broader 

audience 

 Lower cost of participation 

 Improve quality of collaborative 

work products (e.g. documents) 

by providing better tools for 

effective interaction 



Pilot crowd sourcing technology available 

through apps.gov (e.g., IdeaScale) to increase 

public engagement and cultivate creative ideas to 

improve NRC’s open government efforts. This 

technology is being used to solicit ideas for the 

Open Government plan. Consider forming a 

catalyst team to foster solicitation of new ideas, 

moderate innovation processes, and collaborate 

with agency stakeholders to further evaluate and 

develop promising concepts. 

 Leverage experience of the 

masses to drive more effective 

change. 

 Foster and cultivate ideas for 

from diverse sources 

 Diffuse and socialize ideas to 

ease culture change and 

increase acceptance through 

broader participation. 

  

Explore and evaluate potential use of new webfriendly technologies such as web and mobile 

“widgets” and “mashups” to enable NRC 

stakeholders to easily combine NRC information 

and tool resources into their own websites or 

onto their mobile devices. A mashup is a website 

or web application that seamlessly combines 

content from more than one source into an 

integrated user experience. Widgets are web 

tools such as news feeds that can be 

incorporated directly the user’s website or mobile 

device. These technologies provide an innovative 

way to engage public stakeholders by allowing 

them to personalize the way they receive, use, 

and process information. 

 Improve information 

accessibility and efficiency of 

information dissemination 

 Encourage use of NRC and 

industry information in new and 

innovative ways 

 Improve currency of information 

received by site users 

 32
OG Principle 

Enhanced Engagement Improvements and 

TransparencyCollaboration 

Key Benefits

Participation 

Tools 



Social networking technologies can enhance 

relationships between NRC and stakeholders, by 

promoting a sense of common community. With 

the help of a cross-agency working group, the NRC 

will explore the use of social networking and 

collaboration technologies available through 

apps.gov, such YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, 

blogging, etc. to foster engagement through 

interactive on-line dialogues and information 

exchanges. These media would be used to meet 

specific transparency, participation, and 

collaboration objectives such as collaborating on 

special topics of interest to foster information 

exchange. 

 Strengthen sense of community 

and engagement between 

NRC, stakeholders, and the 

public 

 Foster broader public 

engagement using new media 

channels to establish 

relationships with a wider public 

audience 

 Facilitate constructive on-line 

discussions and collaborations 

on topics of interest. 

 Disseminate ideas through 

broad community exchange. 

 Potential benefits in training 

and recruiting. 

B. Engagement of the Public and Interested Parties 

As part of an open government and continuous improvement lifecycle, the NRC engages various 

stakeholder groups, industry participants, and the public to provide information, expertise and 

insights that help the agency shape its direction and improve its regulatory processes. These 

engagements include use of formal studies, public facing focus groups that include diverse groups 

of participants, public surveys and solicitation of feedback, professional services contributing 

broad expertise in subject areas, and experiences of other government agencies through various 

partnerships. As an example, the Web site redesign was initiated to address user experience 

challenges and needs surfaced through an agency-sponsored study including public focus groups 

to obtain an understanding of how the American public perceives the NRC. The information obtained 

through this process was instrumental in establishing the direction for the redesign. To ensure the 

NRC website transformation addresses public and stakeholder needs, the agency is conducting 

extensive usability tests with a diverse group of individuals that is representative of the Web site’s 

public user community. This approach enables the agency to engage public and stakeholder 

participants throughout the process to ensure their needs are being effectively met. 

Recently, the NRC has also piloted technology to cultivate idea generation using a citizenengagement tool called IdeaScale, provided through apps.gov, to solicit ideas for the NRC’s 

open government efforts. Promising ideas will be reviewed, vetted, and considered for 

prioritization and implementation. New technologies such as this provide another creative way 

to engage the public and drive change. The NRC recognizes the value of leveraging broad and 

diverse expertise and insights in conducting its regulatory activities and each phase of the 

 33
Flagship initiative will use public engagement methods and tools to support the delivery of 

effective and efficient services. 

C. Collaboration with External Partners 

To support these open government activities, the NRC seeks and engages with partners who 

can contribute expertise and best practices in usability and user-centered Web design; current 

Web technologies and social media; and Federal standards, policies, and principles 

for information quality, security, privacy, and management control. As an example, the NRC 

entered into an interagency agreement with the Federal Consulting Group (FCG), a fee-for-service 

franchise activity within the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI). Often referred to as “insiders with 

outsiders’ knowledge,” FCG is a Federal Government organization comprising senior leaders 

and executives from throughout the Federal Government who have managed major programs 

and led the transformation process to achieve high-performing, citizen-centered organizations. 

FCG is an ideal partner for soliciting on-going public feedback and services that will contribute to the 

effective transformation of the NRC website and informational services. 

The NRC is also exploring the use of services and tools provided through the new GSA 

sponsored apps.gov site that can facilitate more efficient and effective collaboration activities. 

As NRC begins using these new media tools, the agency will solicit experiences and best 

practices from other agencies, industry experts, and service providers to more effectively 

integrate use of these technologies into current processes and ensure appropriate use, security, 

governance and management. 

D. Measuring Improved Transparency, Participation, and 

Collaboration 

The NRC will use several methods for measuring the effectiveness of this flagship initiative such 

as: 

 Average score and feedback on public on-line survey responses that will be updated to 

incorporate new questions to assess transparency, participation, and collaboration. 

 Comparison of progress made between incremental usability audits conducted by FCG. 

 Average participation rates for public meetings using new technologies to foster 

engagement. 

 Usage metrics for new tools and services made available to foster open government goals. 

 Measures for new collaboration communities to assess community growth and collaboration 

activity. 

E. Sustaining the Initiative and Allowing for Continued Improvement 

The NRC will use continuous improvement lifecycle approaches, best practices, and tools to 

ensure that the NRC’s public website, public meetings, and information services sustain and 

improve transparency, participation, and collaboration with the public and other stakeholders. 

Examples are: 

 Integration of changes to support implementation of open government activities into existing 

processes, policies, and the culture of the NRC. 

 Evaluation and development of promising ideas submitted through tools made available on 

NRC’s open government webpage. 

 34
 Review of constructive feedback from survey results collected from public website visitors 

into incorporation into actionable plans. 

 Analysis of feedback on public meetings where new Web technologies (such as web 

meetings) are used as well as on the processes used to foster greater transparency and 

participation. 

 Use of enterprise and cross-government approaches where possible to reduce overhead for 

introducing and managing the use of new web capabilities. 

VII. Public and Agency Involvement

The NRC has engaged both its employees and the public in the development of this Open 

Government Plan. 

A. Public Involvement 

On January 11, 2010, the NRC issued a Federal Register notice in Docket NRC-2010-003 soliciting 

public ideas for the NRC’s Open Government Plan. The notice asked the public for input on what 

information or data would be useful for the agency to publish online and what improvements in 

transparency, public participation, and collaboration the NRC should consider in developing its Open 

Government Plan. On the same day, the NRC issued a news release announcing the opportunity 

for public input and posted it on the home page of the agency’s public Web site. 

In addition, consistent with the OMB memorandum, the NRC has provided several alternative 

comment mechanisms on its Open Government Web page. One of these mechanisms, the 

IdeaScale brainstorming tool, allows the public to enter ideas and to vote and comment on the ideas 

of others. On February 5, 2010, the NRC published a second Federal Register notice to inform 

the public of this new comment submittal opportunity and to request that the public submit any 

comments after February 10, 2010, via the NRC’s Open Government Web page. The NRC 

moderator for IdeaScale then added the ideas received in response to the original Federal 

Register notice to the IdeaScale site so that they could be considered along with others as part 

of the public dialogue. A summary of the public comments is provided in Appendix F. 

As of March 19th, the closing date of the IdeaScale pilot, the agency had received a total of 28 

ideas. This fairly modest level of participation may be partially explained by the fact that the 

agency has many other channels for communication with key stakeholders that provide 

opportunities for more targeted discussions. On April 1, 2010, the NRC reactivated the pilot 

while the agency continues to assess how best to use IdeaScale or similar tools to increase 

public engagement. The public can use IdeaScale to provide comments on this plan using the 

specific category that has been added for that purpose. 

The NRC is particularly interested in the public’s views on which datasets would be of most 

value in improving accountability, increasing economic opportunity, enhancing public 

knowledge, and making interactions with the agency more effective. This will help the agency 

direct efforts towards the datasets with the highest value to the public. 

 35
B. Employee Involvement 

To develop its Open Government Plan, the NRC formed a working group with representatives from 

across the agency to develop ideas for the plan and gain agreement from the NRC organizational 

units responsible for implementing it. The working group members solicited input from other staff 

members within their individual organizations. In addition, the members of the agency’s 

Communications Council, a group made up of communications specialists from across the agency, 

were briefed and invited to submit ideas. To stimulate ideas and suggestions and to more widely 

disseminate information about open government within the NRC, the agency created an internal 

collaborative Open Government Web site. In addition, the NRC has invited its employees to submit 

ideas for open government using the IdeaScale brainstorming tool at the NRC’s Open Government 

Web site. 

C. How the NRC Will Use the Ideas 

The NRC is reviewing the ideas and comments received from the public through March 19th via 

either a response to its January 10, 2010 Federal Register Notice or the public dialog tool on the 

agency’s Open Government Web site. The results of this review will be posted on that Web site 

by the end of June. 

 36
Appendix A: The NRC’s Key Web Pages Supporting Open Government 

Table 1: The NRC’s Key Sites Promoting Transparency: 

Where and How To Obtain NRC Information 

Web Page Title Web Address Description 

Electronic Reading 

Room 

http://www.nrc.gov/readingrm.html 

The entrance portal that orients the public to many of 

the NRC’s key Web-based information dissemination 

channels. 

Agencywide 

Documents Access 

and Management 

System (ADAMS) 

http://www.nrc.gov/readingrm/adams.html 

Access to the NRC’s online document retrieval 

system, ADAMS, which can be used to obtain the full 

text of more than 500,000 documents (records) made 

public over the past decade. 

Document 

Collections 

http://www.nrc.gov/readingrm/doc-collections/ 

Links to index pages for numerous document 

collections that are available chronologically in full text 

on the NRC public Web site. Examples are 

Commission papers, NRC reports (NUREG-series 

publications), regulatory guides, generic 

communications, event reports, enforcement 

documents, fact sheets, news releases, and NRC 

forms. 

Basic References http://www.nrc.gov/readingrm/basic-ref.html 

Links to the full text of frequently requested general, 

administrative, and regulatory reference documents, 

such as NRC Regulations, the Strategic Plan, and the 

Performance and Accountability Report. Also 

includes a Student’s Corner and Teacher’s Lesson 

Plans. 

Photo and Video 

Gallery 

http://www.nrc.gov/readingrm/photo-gallery 

Gallery and archive of NRC photos and videos 

beginning in April 2008. The videos include archived 

Webcasts of selected Commission meetings, 

sessions from the NRC annual Regulatory Information 

Conference, and other high-interest meetings. 

Access to upcoming Webcasts is available at 

http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/publicmeetings/webcast-live.html. 

Index to All 

Frequently Asked 

Questions Pages 

http://www.nrc.gov/readingrm/faqlist.html 

Index to all pages containing frequently asked 

questions. 

Public Document 

Room 

http://www.nrc.gov/readingrm/pdr.html 

Services available from reference librarians in the 

NRC’s Public Document Room to help locate and 

obtain documents in ADAMS or elsewhere on the 

public Web site. 

Freedom of 

Information Act and 

Privacy Act 

Requests 

http://www.nrc.gov/readingrm/foia/foia-privacy.html 

Information about the NRC’s Freedom of Information 

Act and Privacy Act requests, guidance on what to 

include in a request, how to submit it, and how the 

NRC will process the request. Also includes a subject 

list of recent requests and the NRC’s annual report to 

the U.S. Department of Justice. 

 37
Web Page Title Web Address Description 

Required 

Disclosures 

http://www.nrc.gov/readingrm/foia/foiarequest.html#access

Links to documents that the NRC is required to 

disclose, including agency organizational information, 

adjudicatory decisions, policy statements, and 

regulatory guidance. 

Get Copies of 

Documents 

http://www.nrc.gov/readingrm/copies-docs.html 

An overview of how to obtain paper copies of NRC 

documents for the lowest cost. 

Records 

Management 

http://www.nrc.gov/readingrm/records-mgmt.html 

Basic information about how the agency meets its 

Federal records management requirements. Includes 

a link to the agency's Comprehensive Records 

Disposition Schedule, the National Archives and 

Records Administration’s General Records Schedule, 

and the NRC’s internal records management policy. 

This policy outlines how the NRC complies with the 

regulations governing Federal records, including the 

transfer of permanent records to the National 

Archives. 

Facility Information 

Finder 

http://www.nrc.gov/infofinder.html 

Information about operating power reactors and major 

nuclear materials facilities licensed by the NRC, as 

well as facilities undergoing decommissioning. 

Facilities may be found by name or by location. 

Declassification http://www.nrc.gov/security/

infosecurity/declassificationprogram.html

Information about the NRC’s declassification program, 

including how to access declassified records.

Subscribe to E-Mail 

Notices 

http://www.nrc.gov/publicinvolve/listserver.html 

Enables site visitors to sign up to receive numerous 

types of NRC information, including news releases, 

operating reactor correspondence, Inspector General 

reports, and new rulemaking dockets. 

Operating Reactor 

Correspondence 

http://www.nrc.gov/publicinvolve/listserver/plants-byregion.html 

Enables site visitors to sign up to receive all outgoing 

public correspondence related to the operating 

nuclear reactors of their choice.

Congressional 

Affairs

http://www.nrc.gov/aboutnrc/congress-affairs.html 

An overview of the responsibilities and activities of the 

Office of Congressional Affairs, the NRC’s main 

conduit for NRC communications with Congress. 

Provides links to Congressional correspondence and 

testimony. 

Public Affairs http://www.nrc.gov/aboutnrc/public-affairs.html 

An overview of the responsibilities and activities of the 

Office of Public Affairs, the NRC’s main conduit for 

NRC communications with the media and the public. 

Students’ Corner http://www.nrc.gov/readingrm/basic-ref/students.html

A resource for students and teachers, including 

lesson plans, and basic information about nuclear 

energy, nuclear reactors, radiation, emergency 

planning, security, decommissioning, and radioactive 

waste. As stated at the bottom of the page, these 

educational materials can be reproduced without 

permission. 

 38
Table 2: The NRC’s Key Sites Promoting Transparency: 

Learn How the NRC Conducts Business 

Web Page Title Web Address Description 

About NRC http://www.nrc.gov/aboutnrc.html 

Overview of the agency’s mission and links 

to key information such as its statutory 

authority, Strategic Plan, budget, 

performance, organizational structure, 

locations, and outreach activities. 

How We Regulate http://www.nrc.gov/aboutnrc/regulatory.html 

Diagram and overview of the NRC 

regulatory process. 

Nuclear Reactors http://www.nrc.gov/reactors.html Introductory and in-depth information on the 

NRC’s regulation of nuclear reactors. 

Nuclear Materials http://www.nrc.gov/materials.html Introductory and in-depth information on the 

NRC’s regulation of nuclear materials. 

Radioactive Waste http://www.nrc.gov/waste.html Introductory and in-depth information on the 

NRC’s regulation of radioactive waste. 

Nuclear Security and 

Safeguards 

http://www.nrc.gov/security.html Introductory and in-depth information on 

how the NRC regulates the security of 

nuclear facilities and materials. 

Business with NRC Prominent button with drop-down 

menu on the left side of the NRC 

home page http://www.nrc.gov/ 

Links to information about contracting 

opportunities, electronic submittals, 

Freedom of Information Act requests, 

paying license fees, NRC forms, 

employment, and small business 

opportunities. 

Grant Opportunities http://www.nrc.gov/aboutnrc/grants.html

Information about grant opportunities with 

the NRC 

 39
Table 3: The NRC’s Key Sites Promoting Public Participation: 

How To Get Involved in the Regulatory Process 

Page Title Web Address Description 

Public Meetings 

and Involvement 

http://www.nrc.gov/publicinvolve.html

The main page for learning about public involvement 

in NRC activities. 

Schedule of 

Upcoming 

Commission 

Meetings 

http://www.nrc.gov/aboutnrc/policymaking/schedule.html

Provides a schedule of upcoming Commission 

meetings with the NRC staff or outside parties or 

both to discuss issues before the Commission for 

action. Members of the public are welcome to 

attend and observe public Commission meetings 

held at NRC Headquarters. Public meetings are 

broadcast live on the Internet and are archived for 

future viewing as indicated on NRC’s Meetings 

page. Unofficial transcripts are produced for each 

public meeting and are available for viewing or 

downloading at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doccollections/commission/tr/. 

About Meetings 

Open to the Public 

http://www.nrc.gov/publicinvolve/public-meetings.html 

Provides help for stakeholders who want to 

participate in NRC public meetings. Includes 

information on live NRC meeting Webcasts, the 

public meeting schedule, meeting archives, and 

frequently asked questions about public meetings. 

Conferences and 

Symposia 

http://www.nrc.gov/publicinvolve/conferences.html 

Lists a schedule of upcoming NRC conferences and 

symposia and provides a point of contact and a link 

to additional information about the event. 

Documents for 

Comment 

http://www.nrc.gov/publicinvolve/doc-comment.html

Provides information about how to comment on NRC 

documents, including rulemaking actions, licensingrelated documents, and other types of documents 

such as draft regulatory guides, information 

collections, draft reports, and draft policies. 

Public Involvement 

in Rulemaking 

http://www.nrc.gov/aboutnrc/regulatory/rulemaking/publ

ic-involvement.html 

Describes resources available for those who would 

like to be involved in NRC rulemaking. 

Public Involvement 

in Licensing 

http://www.nrc.gov/aboutnrc/regulatory/licensing/pubinvolve.html 

Explains how the public can express their views on 

licensing actions, environmental assessments, and 

environmental impact statements. 

Public Involvement 

in 

Decommissioning 

http://www.nrc.gov/aboutnrc/regulatory/decommissioni

ng/public-involve.html

Explains how members of the public can express 

their views on the decommissioning of nuclear 

facilities. 

Public Involvement 

in Enforcement 

http://www.nrc.gov/aboutnrc/regulatory/enforcement/pu

blic-involvement.html 

Provides help for participating in the enforcement 

process, including commenting on revised 

enforcement policies, petitioning the agency to take 

an enforcement action, or reporting a safety or 

security concern. 

Public Involvement 

in Hearings 

http://www.nrc.gov/aboutnrc/regulatory/adjudicatory/he

aring.html 

Explains who can participate in a hearing and how to 

do so. Provides a link to listings of hearing 

opportunities and license applications 

(http://www.nrc.gov/about-

 40
Page Title Web Address Description 

nrc/regulatory/adjudicatory/hearing-licenseapplications.html). 

Report a Safety or 

Security Concern 

http://www.nrc.gov/aboutnrc/regulatory/allegations/safe

ty-concern.html 

Provides guidance on how to report a safety or 

security concern to the NRC in an emergency or a 

nonemergency situation. 

NRC Information 

Quality Guidelines 

http://www.nrc.gov/publicinvolve/info-quality.html 

Enables the public to seek correction of NRC 

information. 

Electronic 

Submittals 

http://www.nrc.gov/site-help/esubmittals.html 

Provides access to five different systems that allow 

electronic transmission to the NRC of information 

pertaining to licensing actions, associated hearings, 

and other regulatory matters, as well as background 

checks and fitness for duty. 

Business Meet & 

Greet Seminars 

http://www.nrc.gov/aboutnrc/contracting/smallbusiness/meet-greetseminars.html 

Provides information about the NRC’s ongoing 

series of seminars on how to conduct business with 

the agency, as well as access to an archive of 

information pertaining to past Meet & Greet 

Seminars. 

Contact Us http://www.nrc.gov/aboutnrc/contactus.html 

Lists primary NRC points of contact and provides 

access to a complete index of all contact pages. 

ADAMS User 

Group 

http://www.nrc.gov/readingrm/adams/users-group.html

Provides a semiannual forum for information 

exchange between ADAMS public users and the 

NRC staff who manage the system. 

 41
Table 4: Web Sites Describing the NRC’s Key Collaborative Partnerships 

Page Title Web Address Description 

State and Tribal 

Programs 

http://www.nrc.gov/aboutnrc/state-tribal.html 

Provides information about the NRC’s Federal, State, 

and Tribal Liaison Programs. Through these programs, 

the NRC cooperates with Federal, State, and local 

governments, interstate organizations, and Native 

American Tribal Governments to ensure that the NRC 

maintains effective relations and communications with 

these organizations and promotes greater awareness 

and mutual understanding of the policies, activities, and 

concerns of all parties involved, as they relate to 

radiological safety at NRC licensed facilities. 

Outreach 

Strategy for 

Indian Tribes 

http://www.nrc.gov/materials

/uraniumrecovery/public.html#outreac

h 

Provides the NRC’s proactive approach to promote 

government-to-government relations between itself and 

Federally recognized Indian Tribes that have a known 

interest in, or may be potentially affected by, the NRC’s 

regulation of uranium recovery facilities. 

Agreement 

State Program 

http://www.nrc.gov/aboutnrc/state-tribal/agreementstates.html 

Provides information, contacts, and collaborative 

information about the Agreement States that have 

assumed regulatory authority over radioactive materials. 

International 

Programs 

http://www.nrc.gov/aboutnrc/international.html 

Information on the NRC’s international activities, 

including NRC participation in international organizations, 

treaties and conventions, bilateral relations, and research 

programs.

Standards 

Development 

http://www.nrc.gov/aboutnrc/regulatory/standardsdev.html

Provides information about how the NRC works with 

domestic and international voluntary organizations to 

develop consensus standards regarding the 

characteristics, performance, safety requirements, and 

use of systems, equipment, or materials used by the 

nuclear industry. 

Regulation of 

Radioactive 

Materials 

http://www.nrc.gov/aboutnrc/radiation/protectsyou/reg-matls.html 

One of several Web pages describing the NRC’s 

collaborative activities in the regulation, export/import, 

control and accounting, and transportation of radioactive 

materials. 

The NRC 

Source Data 

Team and 

U.S. Customs 

http://www.nrc.gov/security/b

yproduct/exportimport/source-datateam.html

Provides information about the Source Data Team that 

the NRC established to protect public health and safety 

and maintain the common defense and security by 

assisting U.S. Customs and Border Protection in verifying 

the legitimacy of shipments of radioactive material 

passing through the U.S. border. 

Emergency 

Preparedness 

and Response 

http://www.nrc.gov/aboutnrc/emergpreparedness/federal-statelocal.html 

Describes Federal, State, and local responsibilities for 

emergency preparedness for a radiological emergency. 

 42
Page Title Web Address Description 

Collaboration 

with the U.S. 

Department of 

Homeland 

Security 

http://www.dhs.gov/NIPP

http://www.dhs.gov/xabout/st

ructure/editorial_0766.shtm

Describes the National Infrastructure Protection Plan 

(NIPP). The NRC collaborates with the numerous 

U.S. Government agencies involved in the NIPP, 

attending meetings of the Federal Senior Leadership 

Council and participating in various initiatives instituted 

under the NIPP. 

A member of the NRC staff is a permanent liaison to the 

U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Domestic 

Nuclear Detection Office, providing technical assistance 

in the area of material security and enabling the timely 

receipt of threat analyses. 

Collaborative 

Fire Research 

http://www.nrc.gov/aboutnrc/regulatory/research/fireresearch/collaborative.html 

Describes the NRC’s collaborative efforts on fire 

research. 

Lessons 

Learned 

Information 

Sharing 

https://www.llis.dhs.gov/inde

x.do

Serves as a library of documents available to Federal, 

State, and local officials, consisting of after action 

reports, planning guidance, and best practices in the 

emergency response and security arenas. The NRC 

contributes information to this site. 

 43
Appendix B: Compliance with Legal Requirements for Information Dissemination 

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is fully compliant with the information 

dissemination requirements in Section 3506(d) of the Paperwork Reduction Act. This appendix 

lists each component of Section 3506(d) in italics followed by a discussion of how the NRC 

complies with it. 

 

(1) ensure that the public has timely and equitable access to the agency's public information, 

including ensuring such access through—

 

(A) encouraging a diversity of public and private sources for information based on 

government public information; 

As described in Sections III.A.2 and III.A.3, the NRC makes large amounts of information 

available at no cost to the public via its public Web site and other Federal Web sites. 

The agency also makes its documents available for reproduction and further distribution 

through the Government Printing Office and the National Technical Information Service. 

In addition, other organizations that disseminate NRC information include the 

U.S. Department of Energy’s Information Bridge, the International Atomic Energy 

Agency’s International Nuclear Information System database, and the Nuclear Energy 

Agency’s Energy Technology Data Exchange World Energy Base. 

(B) in cases in which the agency provides public information maintained in electronic 

format, providing timely and equitable access to the underlying data (in whole or in 

part); 

In Table 3 of Appendix C to this report, the NRC has identified several areas for which it 

will make underlying data available. Using IdeaScale, the agency is soliciting ideas from 

the public to determine which underlying data are of highest interest, so that the NRC 

may direct its resources towards increasing the availability of the most useful 

information. 

(C) agency dissemination of public information in an efficient, effective, and economical 

manner; 

The vast majority of the NRC’s public information is in the form of documents. As 

described earlier, the use of the NRC’s Agencywide Documents Access and 

Management System (ADAMS) to control and manage the dissemination of this 

information has proven to be not only an effective way to ensure data quality, but also a 

highly efficient and economical way to provide documents to the public compared with 

previous methods. To date, the agency has made more than 500,000 full-text 

documents publicly available without charge through ADAMS. Also available are about 

2.0 million bibliographic citations of older records from the 1960s to 1999. 

As described in Section III.A.2 and Appendix A to this plan, ADAMS is but one of the 

many information dissemination channels available through the NRC’s public Web site. 

Included in the NRC’s Electronic Reading Room is a page that specifically explains how 

to get copies of documents at the lowest cost. Most information is available at no cost 

through the public Web site. 

 44
In addition, users of the NRC’s public Web site may subscribe to receive various 

categories of information through the agency’s electronic subscriptions Web page. 

Some pages, notably the Open Government Web page, allow users to subscribe to be 

notified whenever the page changes. The use of electronic subscriptions to nuclear 

reactor correspondence in lieu of paper mailings has resulted in significant savings in 

handling and postage. 

(2) regularly solicit and consider public input on the agency's information dissemination 

activities; 

The agency regularly solicits and considers public input on its information dissemination 

activities through the regularly scheduled meetings of the ADAMS User Group (and its listserve) 

and through an ongoing survey at the NRC’s public Web sites. The use of IdeaScale on the 

NRC Open Government Web site also addresses this requirement. 

(3) provide adequate notice when initiating, substantially modifying, or terminating significant 

information dissemination products; and 

The NRC always notifies the public when initiating, substantially modifying, or terminating 

significant information dissemination products, usually through the use of a Federal Register

notice and a news release. Changes affecting NRC’s public Web site are posted at the site. A 

good example is the notice given when the NRC discontinued its Local Public Document Room 

(LPDR) program in 1999. The agency had established the LPDRs in public and academic 

libraries in the vicinity of nuclear reactor and materials licensees to disseminate documents on 

paper and microfiche to the public. As Internet access and the electronic availability of the 

NRC’s public documents have grown, and as budget constraints have increased, the 

Commission decided to discontinue funding the LPDR program beyond 1999. Before the NRC 

amended its regulations to reflect this change in the way it made records available to the public, 

the agency published in the Federal Register a notice on May 7, 1999, and a final rule on 

September 9, 1999. This gave the public advanced notice of the planned closures and provided 

an opportunity to submit comments. 

(4) not, except where specifically authorized by statute— 

(A) establish an exclusive, restricted, or other distribution arrangement that interferes 

with timely and equitable availability of public information to the public; 

(B) restrict or regulate the use, resale, or re-dissemination of public information by the 

public; 

(C) charge fees or royalties for resale or re-dissemination of public information; or 

(D) establish user fees for public information that exceed the cost of dissemination. 

The agency fully complies with these requirements. Most NRC information is available at no 

cost to the public through the agency’s public Web site. If requested, paper copies of 

documents may be obtained directly from a competitively priced reproduction service through 

the NRC’s Public Document Room. All NRC public reports are available for downloading; paper 

copies may also be obtained from the U.S. Government Printing Office or the National Technical 

Information Service. More information on these services is available at the Web page 

concerning how to get copies of documents.

 45
Appendix C: High-Value Datasets 

Table 1: High-Value Datasets Already Published 

Dataset Name Criteria Key Audiences Publication 

Date 

1. U.S. Commercial Nuclear Power 

Reactors 

Public knowledge General public October 9, 

2009 

2. U.S. Nuclear Research and Test 

Reactors

Public knowledge General public January 14, 

2010 

3. Commercial Contract Awards Greater 

than $100,000

Economic 

opportunity, 

accountability 

Private industry January 14, 

2010 

4. Daily Power Reactor Status Reports for 

2009

Responds to 

need or demand, 

economic 

opportunity, 

public knowledge 

Financial interests 

(e.g., energy traders) 

January 15, 

2010 

 46
Table 2: Publication Schedule for Additional High-Value Datasets 

 

Dataset Name Criteria Key Audiences 

Scheduled 

Publication 

Date and 

Update 

Frequency 

1. Two-Year Schedule of Emergency 

Preparedness Exercises 

http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/emergpreparedness/exercise-schedules.html 

Public knowledge General public July 30, 2010 

(as needed) 

2. Application Schedule for New Reactors 

http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/newreactors/new-licensing-files/new-rx-licensingapp-legend.pdf 

Public knowledge Other Federal agencies, 

industry, licensees, general 

public, Congress, 

public advocate groups, 

State regulators, and 

legislators 

July 30, 2010 

(monthly)

3. Expected New Nuclear Power Plant 

Applications 

http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/newreactors/new-licensing-files/expected-newrx-applications.pdf 

Public knowledge Other Federal agencies, 

industry, licensees, general 

public, Congress, 

public advocate groups, 

State regulators, and 

legislators 

July 30, 2010 

(monthly)

4. List Of Nuclear Materials Licensing 

Actions Received 

http://www.nrc.gov/materials/miau/materiallicensing-application.html 

Public knowledge General public September 30, 

2010 

(monthly) 

5. Uranium Recovery Facility Applications 

in Review 

http://www.nrc.gov/infofinder/materials/uranium/#apps-in-review 

Public knowledge General public September 30, 

2010 

(annually) 

6. Status of Uranium Recovery Facility 

Applications and Letters of Intent 

http://www.nrc.gov/infofinder/materials/uranium/ur-projects-listpublic.pdf 

Public knowledge General public September 30, 

2010 

(annually) 

7. Estimated Schedules for Uranium 

Enrichment License Applications 

Public 

knowledge, 

accountability 

General public, licensees September 30, 

2010 

(quarterly) 

8. Estimated Schedules for Spent Fuel 

Storage Licensing Actions 

Public 

knowledge, 

accountability 

General public, licensees September 30, 

2010 

(quarterly) 

9. Event Reports for Operating Reactors 

http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doccollections/event-status/event/en.html 

Public 

knowledge, 

accountability 

General public, licensees September 30, 

2010 (monthly) 

10. Fire Event Data from Licensee Event 

Reports 

Public knowledge Licensees, general public September 30, 

2010 

(semiannually) 

 47
Dataset Name Criteria Key Audiences 

Scheduled 

Publication 

Date and 

Update 

Frequency 

11. Findings From Fire Inspections for the 

Period from January 2000 to December 

2008 

Public knowledge Licensees, general public September 30, 

2010 

(semiannually) 

12. Key Documents Related to the Waste 

Incidental to Reprocessing Program 

Public knowledge General public September 30, 

2011 

(annually) 

13. Status of Environmental Reviews to 

Meet the Requirements of the National 

Environmental Policy Act 

http://www.nrc.gov/materials/active-nepareviews.html 

Public knowledge General public September 30, 

2011 

(annually) 

 48
Table 3: Publication Schedule for Datasets that Provide Underlying Data Related to 

Already Published Information 

Dataset Name Criteria Key Audiences 

Scheduled 

Publication 

Date and 

Update 

Frequency 

1. Performance Indicators for Operating 

Reactors 

http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASS

ESS/pi_summary.html 

Public 

knowledge, 

accountability 

General public September 30, 

2010 (monthly) 

2. Nuclear Power Plant Inspection 

Reports—Inspection reports are already 

available in ADAMS and are also provided 

in a special index by Power Plant in the 

Reactor Oversight Section of the NRC 

public Web site: 

http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASS

ESS/listofrpts_body.html. The NRC will use 

inspection report documents as a pilot for 

publishing underlying data associated with 

ADAMS documents in open format. In this 

case, the underlying data include 

bibliographic data, and other metadata 

associated with each document, such as 

the docket number, document date, and 

subject. 

Public 

knowledge, 

accountability 

General public, licensees December 31, 

2010 

(daily) 

3. Reactor Materials Embrittlement 

Database—These are the data underlying 

the Reactor Vessel Integrity Database 

http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/opsexperience/reactor-vesselintegrity/database-overview.html 

Public knowledge Licensees, industry, 

international nuclear 

community, public interest 

groups 

July 30, 2011 

(annually) 

4. Generic Safety Issues 

http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doccollections/nuregs/staff/sr0933/ 

Public knowledge Industry, licensees, general 

public, Congress, 

public advocate groups, 

and legislators 

September 30, 

2011 

(annually) 

 49
Appendix D: NRC Open Government Milestone Table 

This appendix summarizes the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC’s) Key Open 

Government milestones discussed in this plan. 

Action Item Date 

Increase the number of NRC meetings that are Webcast live for public 

viewing during the meeting and made available in a video archive for viewing 

after the meeting. 

May 31, 2010 

Post the NRC’s review of ideas received through the IdeaScale public 

dialogue tool on the agency’s Open Government page. 

June, 30, 2010 

Make available a new Web-based Google search tool for NRC’s public 

documents in ADAMS. 

September 30, 2010 

Institutionalize a process for identifying, prioritizing, and publishing the NRC’s 

high-value data-sets in open format, taking into account the public’s input on 

the types of data that would be of value, and ensuring that appropriate 

information security reviews are completed before publication. 

October 31, 2010 

In response to positive public feedback on the NRC’s recent Web 

conferencing pilot project, determine an easily expandable NRC-wide 

approach to support future agency Web conferencing needs. The current 

pilot projects will be extended until the NRC-wide solution is in place.*

December 31, 2010 

Continue to pilot the use of crowd sourcing technology (e.g. Idea Scale) to 

increase public engagement and cultivate creative ideas to improve NRC’s 

open government efforts. Determine direction for continued and expanded 

use.*

January 30, 2011 

Pilot initial use of social networking technology to foster engagement through 

interactive on-line dialogues and information exchanges.*

January 30, 2011 

Implement new subscription-based services to allow stakeholders to keep 

abreast of the most current NRC news and information for topics of interest.*

March 31, 2011 

Complete the NRC public Web site redesign.* March 31, 2011 

See also the publication schedules in Appendix C, “High-Value Datasets.” 

* These milestones are related to the Flagship Initiative discussed in Section VI. 

 50
Appendix E: List of Web Addresses for Hyperlinks Used in the Plan 

Section Hyperlink Web Address

I NRC Open Government Web 

Page

http://www.nrc.gov/open/ 

I Open Government Initiative http://www.whitehouse.gov/Open/ 

II Principles of Good Regulation http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/values.html#principles 

II NRC Organizational Values http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/values.html 

II Open, Collaborative, Work 

Environment

www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/values/open-workenvironment.html 

III.A NRC Management Directive 3.4, 

Release of Information to the 

Public

http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doccollections/management-directives/volumes/vol-3.html 

III.A Information Quality Guidelines http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/info-quality.html 

III.A ADAMS User Group http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams/users-group.html 

III.A Public Web Site http://www.nrc.gov/ 

III.A e-Subscriptions http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/listserver.html 

III.A Operating Reactor 

Correspondence Subscriptions

http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/listserver/plants-byregion.html 

III.A Video Archive http://video.nrc.gov/ 

III.A Traditional Meeting Records http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/publicmeetings/meeting-archive.html 

III.A Schedule for Upcoming 

Webcasts

http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/publicmeetings/webcast-live.html 

III.A Electronic Hearing Docket http://ehd.nrc.gov/EHD_Proceeding/home.asp 

lll.A Public Document Room http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/pdr.html 

III.A Freedom of Information Act and 

Privacy Act

http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/foia/foia-privacy.html 

III.A Data.gov http://data.gov 

III.A Federal Register http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/ 

III.A Rulemaking http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/regulatory/rulemaking.html 

III.A Regulations.gov http://regulation.gov 

III.A E-Mail Notice Subscription http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/listserver.html 

III.A USASpending.gov http://USASpending.gov 

III.A IT.USASpending.gov http://it.usaspending.gov 

III.A Grants.gov http://grants.gov 

 51
Section Hyperlink Web Address

III.A Federal Research In Progress 

Database

http://www.ntis.gov/products/fedrip.aspx 

III.B Gregory B. Jaczko’s meetings 

and other events

http://www.nrc.gov/aboutnrc/organization/commission/comm-gregoryjaczko/meetings.html 

III.B NRC Public Dialogue on Open 

Government

http://opennrc.ideascale.com/ 

III.B Nuclear Fuel Services Facility in 

Erwin, TN

http://www.nrc.gov/info-finder/materials/fuel-cycle/nuclearfuel-services.html 

IV.A NRC’s Public Meeting Web Page http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/public-meetings.html 

IV.A NRC Management Directive 3.5, 

“Attendance at NRC Staff 

Sponsored Meetings”

http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doccollections/management-directives/volumes/vol-3.html 

IV.A Digital Data Management System http://www.nrc.gov/aboutnrc/regulatory/adjudicatory/ddms.html 

IV.A Regulatory Information 

Conference

http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/conferencesymposia/ric/ 

IV.A Public Meetings and Involvement http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve.html 

IV.B White House Open Government 

Innovations—Web Conferencing

http://www.whitehouse.gov/open/innovations/webconferen

cing 

V.A MOU between the NRC and the 

Bureau of Land Management

http://adamswebsearch.nrc.gov/idmws/ViewDocByAccessi

on.asp?AccessionNumber=ML093380828 

V.A Transportation of Nuclear 

Materials

http://www.nrc.gov/materials/transportation.html 

V.A Emergency Preparedness and 

Response

http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/emerg-preparedness.html 

V.A Emergency Preparedness and 

Response—Federal, State, and 

Local Responsibilities

http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/emergpreparedness/federal-state-local.html 

V.A Emergency Preparedness in 

Response to Terrorism

http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/emergpreparedness/respond-to-emerg/response-terrorism.html 

V.A Agreement State Directory http://nrc-stp.ornl.gov/asdirectory.html 

V.A Audit of the NRC's Agreement 

State Program 

http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/inspgen/2009/oig-09-a-08.pdf 

V.A NRC-Agreement State Working 

Groups

http://nrc-stp.ornl.gov/workinggroup.html 

V.A Integrated Materials Performance 

Evaluation Program Toolbox

http://nrc-stp.ornl.gov/impeptools.html 

 52
Section Hyperlink Web Address

V.A Nuclear Material Events 

Database (NMED)

http://nmed.inl.gov/ 

V.A National Source Tracking System http://www.nrc.gov/security/byproduct/nsts.html 

V.A State and Tribal Liaison 

Programs 

http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/state-tribal/fst-liaison.html 

V.A The NRC’s International Activities http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/international.html 

V.A NRC Participation in Standards 

Development

http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/regulatory/standardsdev.html 

V.B Guidance on the Use of 

Challenges and Prizes to 

Promote Open Government 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/assets/memoranda_2010

/m10-11.pdf 

VII.A Docket NRC-2010-003 http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#docke

tDetail?R=NRC-2010-0003 

VII.A NRC Open Government Web 

Page

http://www.nrc.gov/open/ 

VII.A IdeaScale http://opennrc.ideascale.com/ 

 53
Appendix F: Summary of Public Comments 

This Appendix summarizes the comments received by the NRC as of March 19th in response to 

its Federal Register Notice (FRN) and through NRC’s Open Government forum using IdeaScale

(IS). 

1. Level of Participation 

As of March 19th, the NRC had received 28 ideas, primarily in the categories of transparency 

and participation. 

2. Most Popular Ideas: 

 Webcast more NRC public meetings live 

 Make ADAMS documents searchable by Google and other search engines 

 Provide public access to the NRC internal tool for searching inspection findings 

3. Summary of Ideas by Category 

Transparency 

Data Availability (High Value Datasets) 

 Publish licensee performance metrics, especially for non-Part 50 (reactor) licensees 

(FRN 1) 

 Publish daily event reports in a map format (FRN 3) 

 Provide access to the Sealed Source & Device Registry (FRN 4) 

 Develop a database of all environmental data results collected from nuclear reactor sites 

(FRN 5) 

 Publish current licensing basis documents as a data set (FRN 9, FRN 10-1) 

 Publish a log of non-public documents (FRN 10-3) 

 Publish documents that NRC has reviewed to make determinations regarding licensing, 

license amendments, exemptions, or violations; make these documents available online 

(FRN 10-4) 

 Provide public access to the NRC internal tool for searching inspection findings 

(IS 20208-7048) 

Enhancements to ADAMS and the Public Web Site 

 Make publicly available documents in ADAMS searchable by Google, etc (IS 20176-

7048) 

 Provide better access to ADAMS including access from Apple Macintosh computers 

(FRN 8-1) 

 “Vastly” improve the search for NRC documents (IS 20008-7048) 

 Consider making the source file for documents available rather than just in PDF format 

(IS 19082-7048) 

 Provide “one-click” access to important information such as current licensing basis data, 

licensing amendments, violations, corrective actions, exemption determinations, and any 

determinations not to such information available (FRN 8-3) 

Broadening the Types of Information Available to the Public 

 Make decommissioning fund information more readily available (FRN 9-3) 

 Provide information about the NRC’s regulatory costs (IS 27475-7048) 

 54
 55

 Make all of NRR’s office instructions public (FRN 7) 

 Review past determinations on the availability of documents and put more of those 

public online (FRN 8-2) 

 Make the 2.206 pre-hearing internal deliberation public (IS 19987-7048) 

 Publish the current licensing basis for nuclear power plants (FRN 9-2, FRN 8-3, FRN 

10-1)

 Make it clear to the public what is currently being done about nuclear waste, and what 

the future of nuclear waste disposal is. (IS 32108-7048) 

Viewing Public Meetings 

 Make NRC meetings accessible by putting them online live (IS 24200-7048) 

 Broadcast all public meetings live (IS 22183-7048) 

Transparency Workshop 

 Hold an annual workshop with stakeholders to determine how well the NRC doing in 

becoming transparent (FRN 8-4)

Participation 

 Enable public participation on writing up inspection reports (IS 20004-7048) 

 Assign a senior NRC official to help every 10 CFR 2.206 petitioner (IS 20019-7048) 

 Establish a plant blog or message board with public and NRC participation (IS 19994-7048) 

Collaboration 

 No ideas submitted in this category 

Innovation 

 Build a next-generation NRC open-social portal for the federal community cloud (IS 22811-

7048) 

 Provide New Certification Designs with Effective Reliability Assurance Plans (IS 35556-

7048) 

How to Improve the Dialogue (Using IdeaScale) 

 Trial period for IdeaScale is too short (IS 19754-7048) 

 For each idea, display the number of I Agree/I Disagree votes, as well as the average 

(IS 32792-7048) 

 Display date and time for each post, to provide more context (IS 32792-7048) 

 Create an additional item about safety either under the section “Innovation” or 

“Collaboration.” (IS 19231-7048)