NUREG-0544, Rev. 5

Collection of Abbreviations

Office of Administration

NUREG-0544, REV. 5

Collection of Abbreviations

Office of Administration

Manuscript Completed: November 2016

Date Published: December 2016

Prepared by: 

C. Hsu

iii

ABSTRACT

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has compiled this list of abbreviations commonly 

used by the agency staff, the regulatory community, and the nuclear industry. To create this list, 

the NRC staff sought to identify abbreviations that are so commonly used that some staff may not 

first define the term before using it either in writing or in speaking. This list of abbreviations is 

descriptive rather than prescriptive. In other words, this NUREG does not recommend one 

abbreviation to the exclusion of others. Nor does this NUREG intend to capture every abbreviation 

ever used in an NRC document. The audience of this NUREG is the public, stakeholders, 

industry, and NRC employees. The goal of this NUREG is to improve communication with and 

within the NRC.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT...............................................................................................................................iii

PREFACE.................................................................................................................................vii

ACKNOWLEDGMENT ..............................................................................................................ix

1 INTRODUCTION TO ABBREVIATIONS .............................................................................. 1

1.1 Definitions ............................................................................................................................1

1.2 Why Use Abbreviations? .....................................................................................................1

1.3 How To Use Abbreviations ..................................................................................................2

2 ACRONYMS AND INITIALISMS .......................................................................................... 5

2.1 How To Use Acronyms and Initialisms ................................................................................5

3 PLAIN LANGUAGE AND ABBREVIATIONS....................................................................... 7

3.1 What Is Plain Language?.....................................................................................................7

3.2 Plain Language: It’s the Law................................................................................................7

3.3 Plain Language Resources and Guidance ..........................................................................8

3.4 Plain Language Means Fewer Abbreviations ......................................................................8

4 LIST OF COMMONLY USED ABBREVIATIONS AT THE NRC..........................................11

5 BIBLIOGRAPHY..................................................................................................................37

5.1 NRC Guidance...................................................................................................................37

5.2 Other Guidance .................................................................................................................37

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PREFACE

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) publishes this list of abbreviations to help NRC 

staff, industry, stakeholders, and members of the public understand the many abbreviations used 

in NRC materials and presentations.

In an ideal environment, the NRC would not require a reference book of abbreviations. All NRC 

documents would minimize the use of abbreviations, and no NRC staff member would use an 

abbreviation in writing or speaking without defining it first and then redefining it often. However, 

the NRC regulates a highly technical and scientific industry. Abbreviations are commonly used to 

condense long and awkward organizational names, computer code names, nuclear power plant 

systems and parts, and many other scientific and technical terms.

Even outside of technical fields, abbreviations arise naturally in language. So naturally, in fact, that 

sometimes the abbreviated form of the term overtakes the original term. For example, laser 

originally stood for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation and scuba for selfcontained underwater breathing apparatus.

Other abbreviated terms never need a definition. For example, no one would schedule a meeting 

for 3 post meridium (p.m.). Within the relatively small and specialized world of nuclear regulation, 

it is both natural and efficient for writers and speakers to use abbreviations that most of their peers 

will understand. When everyone in a field says HLW and understands it to mean high-level waste, 

it can feel just as unnecessary to define HLW as it would be to define p.m. or laser.

The reason that this NUREG is necessary is that not all users of NRC documents work in the 

nuclear industry. The NRC’s mission is to protect public health and safety, promote the common 

defense and security, and protect the environment. To achieve this mission, the NRC must 

communicate regularly with diverse audiences such as Congress, other Federal agencies, State 

and local governments, Tribal Governments, foreign governments, international regulatory bodies, 

concerned citizens, stakeholders, and the general public. In addition, the NRC’s Strategic Plan

describes openness as one of two cross-cutting strategies for achieving its goals. The agency’s 

activities to achieve openness include, “Enhance the readability of NRC materials intended for the 

general public,” and “Expand the use of plain language...in communicating technical information.”

For a general audience, a document with many abbreviations can be very difficult or nearly 

impossible to understand. NRC writers should keep the least technical audience member in mind 

when choosing to use abbreviations. Even within the agency, technical staff members have 

different areas of specialization. A resident inspector, a seismic expert, a financial assurance 

analyst, and an emergency response specialist will each have a different set of abbreviations that 

he or she considers to be commonly used. This revision of NUREG-0544 acknowledges that 

abbreviations must be used, but it also points out that overuse of abbreviations can impede 

communication. For this reason, this revision includes a new section on plain language principles 

and how to minimize abbreviations. This revision also greatly reduces the number of abbreviations 

presented. The previous revision of this NUREG contained over 8,000 abbreviations. This revision 

is streamlined to just over 1,000 abbreviations. The working group reduced the number of 

abbreviations by deleting outdated terms and focusing on abbreviations that are so commonly 

used that NRC staff might not define them before use.

The list of abbreviations in this NUREG is descriptive rather than prescriptive. No one abbreviation 

is recommended to the exclusion of another because the same abbreviation may, with equal 

validity, apply to two or more terms. This list includes major NRC program and staff offices, 
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advisory groups, panels, and boards but not NRC divisions and branches. These can be found on 

the NRC’s organization and functions Web page. Some abbreviations for organizations that no 

longer exist are included as historical references. This list does not include most chemical 

elements, computer codes, and units of measurement. Many of these abbreviations appear in 

readily accessible sources such as dictionaries, the U.S. Government Printing Office Style 

Manual, and other manuals.
ix

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This NUREG is the product of collaboration among staff from different organizations. Kimberly 

Ferrell, Chief of the Publications Branch in the Office of Administration, contributed the leadership 

and management of this revision. The Office of the Executive Director for Operations supported 

the streamlined direction of this revision. Finally, this revision would not be possible without the 

thoughtful contributions made by the NUREG-0544, Revision 5, working group, listed below. 

NUREG-0544, Revision 5, Working Group

Office of Administration Jay Dougherty

Office of Administration Caroline Hsu

Office of Administration Angella Love Blair

Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer Tracy Scott

Office of the Chief Information Officer Mike King

Office of Congressional Affairs Amy Powell

Office of the Executive Director for Operations Glenn Ellmers

Office of the General Counsel Jeremy Suttenberg

Office of International Programs Stephen Dembeck

Office of International Programs Janice Owens

Office of New Reactors Robert Jasinski

Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Norma Garcia-Santos

Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Patricia Tressler

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Jeff Whited

Japan Lessons-Learned Division Kirk Foggie (OIP)

Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research Joseph Zabel

Office of Public Affairs Maureen Conley

Office of Small Business and Civil Rights Tira Patterson

Region I Diane Screnci

Region I Neil Sheehan

1

1 INTRODUCTION TO ABBREVIATIONS

Abbreviations are everywhere in modern language. You will find them used in casual 

conversation, e-mails, text messages, social media, postal addresses, company names, formal 

letters, legal documents, and scientific and technical reports. An abbreviation is any shortened 

form of a word or term. Acronyms and initialisms are simply two different types of abbreviations. 

The difference between an acronym and an initialism is explained below:

1.1 Definitions

Abbreviation: Any shortened form of a word or group of words used in place of the whole. 

• Acronym: A type of abbreviation formed from the first letters of a group of words. 

Acronyms are pronounceable. Some examples include:

o ANSI: American National Standards Institute

o LOCA: loss-of-coolant accident

o IKEA: Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd (Ingvar Kamprad is the furniture store 

founder’s name. Elmtaryd is the farm where he grew up and Agunnaryd is his 

home town.)

o NASA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration

o ASAP: as soon as possible

• Initialism: A type of abbreviation formed from initial letters of a group of words. Each letter 

is pronounced separately.

o EPZ: emergency planning zone

o NRC: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

o SGTS: standby gas treatment system

o EPA: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

o CNN: Cable News Network

1.2 Why Use Abbreviations?

We use abbreviations for many reasons. The most common reason is to shorten a long or 

unwieldy term, particularly if it is used several times. Abbreviations usually make communication 

easier for the speaker but not for the reader or the intended audience who may not know the 

abbreviation.

Technology also drives the creation and use of abbreviations. Text messaging limits the writer to 

160 characters, and Twitter limits tweets further to just 140 characters. The need to type quickly 

when instant messaging or communicating on the Internet also introduced many new abbreviations 

that have spilled out into everyday language. For example, lol started out as a way to write “laugh 

out loud” in electronic communications, but now some people will say lol in speech instead of 

actually laughing. New abbreviations can crop up very quickly and enter everyday speech. 

Abbreviations also serve another function—they help to create a common language used by an 

in-group. The group could be a subculture, interest group, age group, social group, or in the case 

of the NRC, a professional group. 
2

1.3 How To Use Abbreviations

Use as few abbreviations as possible in both speaking and writing. The more abbreviations you 

use, the harder it will be for your audience to understand you. When choosing to use 

abbreviations, think of the least specialized audience member for your document. If you are 

writing a status report for your branch, you can assume most of your audience understands the 

same common abbreviations that you do. The same status report going to the Office of the 

Executive Director for Operations will likely be read by people with many different specializations. 

In that case, you should use far fewer abbreviations. If you are writing a report to Congress or a 

document for a public meeting, almost all of your common abbreviations may be unfamiliar to the 

primary audience. In that case, use almost no abbreviations.

Chapters 9 and 10 of the U.S. Government Printing Office Style Manual 

(https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/GPO-STYLEMANUAL-2008/pdf/GPO-STYLEMANUAL2008.pdf) present a comprehensive list of abbreviations and guidance for their use. Follow the 

guidance in Chapter 9 and 10 of the U.S. Government Printing Office Style Manual and rules 1 

through 12 below unless publication requirements for a particular document dictate otherwise. For 

example, to publish an article in a journal, you may need to follow the publisher’s in-house style. 

Some of the guidance below is excerpted from NUREG-1379, “NRC Editorial Style Guide.”

1. Avoid using abbreviations whenever possible. Some exceptions include very common 

abbreviations like Mr., Ms., a.m., and p.m.

2. If you must use an abbreviation, always define it the first time you use it.

• The safety evaluation report (SER) is a high priority. Staff estimates it will have a first 

draft of the SER completed by January.

3. Once you have defined an abbreviation, you can still go back to using the full term or switch 

back and forth between the abbreviation and the full term. You may choose to do this for 

several reasons: 

• To make the document easier for the reader to understand on first reading. 

• To remind the reader of what the abbreviation stands for, especially if it was first defined 

several paragraphs or pages back. 

• To avoid using back-to-back abbreviations or several abbreviations in one sentence.

4. If you are writing a long document, redefine the abbreviation in each new chapter. For a set 

of documents such as correspondence or a paper with enclosures, redefine the abbreviation 

in each new enclosure.

5. Do not use back-to-back abbreviations or several abbreviations in one sentence. This is true 

even if you have already used and defined the abbreviation earlier in the document.

• Instead of—NRC asked the ACRS to review the HLW SER. 

• Write—The agency asked the ACRS to review the safety evaluation report on high-level 

waste.

• Or write—NRC asked the Committee to review the SER on high-level waste. 
3

6. Use the same form of an abbreviation for both the singular and plural forms of a unit of 

measure.

• 1 m

• 3 m

• 1 kg

• 5 kg

7. Omit internal and terminal punctuation unless its omission would cause confusion.

• 1 in. (Period avoids confusion with the word “in”.)

• 5 cm 

8. Use abbreviations for units of measure only if they are used with numbers. 

• 200 r/min (but—The test would determine the number of revolutions per minute.)

• Most U.S. nuclear power plants have a 10-mile radius plume exposure pathway 

emergency planning zone. (but—Most U.S. nuclear power plants use miles, not 

kilometers, to express the radius of their emergency planning zones.)

9. State the term from which an abbreviation not commonly known is formed, followed by its 

abbreviation in parentheses. Redefine abbreviations in every new chapter or major section.

• iodine–131 metaiodobenzylguanidine (I–131 MIBG)

• 60 indicated horsepower (ihp)

• electromotive force (emf or EMF)

• Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES)

10. Use periods in abbreviations for foreign phrases. (Et is Latin for “and”; therefore, it is not an 

abbreviation and does not take a period.)

• et al. (for et alii, meaning “and others”)

• e.g. (exempli gratia, meaning “for example”)

• i.e. (id est, meaning “that is”)

• et seq. (for et sequentes, meaning “and the following”)

11. The abbreviations e.g. and i.e. (followed by a comma) should be used only inside 

parentheses. Otherwise, write out the English equivalents. Do not italicize e.g. and i.e.

• Today we received specific instructions for preparing the report (i.e., its due date, 

contents, and format).

• Today we received specific instructions for preparing the report, that is, its due date, 

contents, and format. 

12. Use the U.S. Postal Service two-letter State and Province abbreviations in any address or 

capitalized geographic term. 

• Prince George’s County, MD 

• Atlanta, GA

• but—deciduous forests of Wisconsin; black sand beaches in Hawaii

5

2 ACRONYMS AND INITIALISMS

As mentioned in the previous section, acronyms and initialisms are two types of abbreviations. An 

acronym is a pronounceable term formed from the initial letters of a compound expression 

(e.g., LOCA for loss-of-coolant accident). An initialism is formed from the initial letters of a term 

and the initial letters are pronounced as separate letters. (e.g., NRC for the U.S. Nuclear 

Regulatory Commission). 

Most acronyms are capitalized except for certain well-known acronyms that are lower case by 

convention. Some of the guidance below is excerpted from NUREG-1379, “NRC Editorial Style 

Guide.”

2.1 How To Use Acronyms and Initialisms

1. Use an acronym or initialism if the term it represents will be used more than several times in 

a document. The first time a term is used, state the words from which the acronym is 

formed, followed by the acronym in parentheses. In a lengthy document, restate the term 

followed by its acronym at the beginning of each chapter or major section. However, keep in 

mind that excess acronyms and abbreviations can make an otherwise well-written document 

difficult to understand. When writing for a lay audience, or even a technical audience that 

does not share your specialty, use acronyms sparingly and carefully. You may sometimes 

need to redefine an acronym, offer a brief explanation of the acronym, or use a synonym 

instead. Always avoid stringing several acronyms together in a single sentence. Do not 

include acronyms in headings and titles.

• The Resource Advisory Council (RAC) has reviewed this plan. The RAC advised the 

staff to revise three sections. 

• The Resource Advisory Council has reviewed this plan. The council advised the staff to 

revise three sections.

2. Although an acronym or initialism is capitalized, do not capitalize the term it represents 

unless the term would ordinarily be capitalized.

• Office of the General Counsel (OGC)

• technical specification (TS) 

• crack opening displacement (COD)

3. To form the plural for most acronyms and initialisms, add a lower case s without an 

apostrophe. 

• 12 NPPs

• five RGs

• two NUREGs
6

4. To form the possessive of an acronym or initialism, use an apostrophe plus s, just as you 

would for a normal word.

• EDO’s report

• IAEA’s May conference

• RES’s funding (also—funding from RES; RES funding)

• O3’s chemical instability (also—ozone’s chemical instability; the chemical instability

of O3)

5. To decide whether a or an should precede an acronym or initialism, pronounce the first 

syllable of the acronym. “A” should precede a consonant sound; “an” should precede a 

vowel sound.

• an ACRS meeting (“ay” is a vowel sound)

• an AEC report (“ay” is a vowel sound)

• a FEMA decision (“fee” is a consonant sound)

• an NRC office (“en” is a vowel sound)

• a LOCA occurred (“low” is a consonant sound)
7

3 PLAIN LANGUAGE AND ABBREVIATIONS

If you can’t explain something simply, you don’t understand it well. Most of the fundamental ideas of 

science are essentially simple, and may, as a rule, be expressed in a language comprehensible to 

everyone. Everything should be as simple as it can be, yet no simpler.

-Albert Einstein

3.1 What Is Plain Language?

Even though the NRC regulates a highly technical area and produces complex documents, the 

agency strives to use plain language. What is plain language exactly? Although there are many 

definitions, plain language is direct communication that focuses on making information easily 

understandable to a given audience. 

The NRC regularly communicates with its own staff, the public, stakeholders, industry, other 

government agencies, the legislative and executive branches, international regulatory bodies, and 

representatives of foreign governments. The NRC relies on plain language to support its mission 

in many ways: 

• NRC resident inspectors at nuclear power plants depend on clearly written inspection 

manuals to conduct the inspections that ensure safety for people and the environment.

• Nuclear power plant operators must follow safety guidelines to quickly identify and 

respond to emergencies.

• The Commission relies on NRC staff reports, safety evaluations, and licensing reviews to 

make decisions that affect the nuclear industry and public safety.

• Licensees must understand NRC regulations in order to comply with them. 

• NRC staff uses plain language to explain regulatory requirements to applicants, certificate 

holders, licensees, and other government agencies.

With such a diverse audience and important mission, plain language makes sense for the NRC.

3.2 Plain Language: It’s the Law

When the President signed The Plain Writing Act of 2010, using plain language became the law. 

This act requires Federal agencies to produce “clear Government communication that the public 

can understand and use." Executive Order 13563, “Improving Regulation and Regulatory 

Review,” also addresses plain language. It states, “Our regulatory system must...ensure that 

regulations are accessible, consistent, written in plain language, and easy to understand.”
8

3.3 Plain Language Resources and Guidance

There are many useful resources for learning about plain language, as shown in the following table: 

The Government’s plain language Web site www.plainlanguage.gov

Federal Plain Language Guidelines http://www.plainlanguage.gov/howto/guidelines/Fe

deralPLGuidelines/TOC.cfm

NRC Plain Language Writing Techniques http://www.internal.nrc.gov/ADM/DAS/cag/notices/

notdocs/writingtech.html

NRC Plain Language Pointers http://www.internal.nrc.gov/communications/plainla

nguage.pdf

NRC Plain Language Action Plan http://www.internal.nrc.gov/NRC/PLAIN/

Yellow Announcement, “Plain Language 

Guide for Agency Writing”

http://www.internal.nrc.gov/announcements/yellow

/2002-1997/1999-008.html

3.4 Plain Language Means Fewer Abbreviations

Plain language principles always call for writers to minimize abbreviations. The Federal Plain 

Language Guidelines say, “When you are considering whether to use an abbreviation, or how 

many you can get away with in a document, remember that they should make it easier for your 

users. If they make it harder, you have failed to write for your audience.” 

Plain language is focused on the audience, not the writer. In most cases, abbreviations are about 

making writing easier for the writer. This is why plain language principles call for writers to avoid 

and minimize abbreviations.

Figure 1 on the next page is an excerpt from the Federal Plain Language Guidelines on how to 

use abbreviations in plain language writing. 
9 

Figure 1 Federal Plain Language Guidelines, March 2011

11

4 LIST OF COMMONLY USED

ABBREVIATIONS AT THE NRC

Abbreviation Full Term

10 CFR Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations

3WFN Three White Flint North 

8(a) 8(a) Business Development Program

AASG Association of American State Geologists

ABWR advanced boiling-water reactor

AC alternating current

ACC additional Commission comments

ACHP Advisory Council on Historic Preservation

ACI American Concrete Institute

ACL alternate concentration limit

ACMUI Advisory Committee on the Medical Use of Isotopes

ACQC American Society for Quality Control

ACRS Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards

ACUS Administrative Conference of the United States

ADAMS Agencywide Documents Access and Management System

ADE annual dose equivalent

ADM Office of Administration

ADR alternative dispute resolution

ADS-IDAC Accident Dynamics Simulator Using Information, Decision, and Action in a Crew 

Context

A-E architect-engineer

AEA Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended

AEC Atomic Energy Commission

AERB Atomic Energy Regulatory Board

AFOE annual frequency of exceedance

AFR away from reactor 

AIC Akaike information criterion

AISC American Institute of Steel Construction

ALARA as low as is reasonably achievable (radiation exposure)

ALI annual limit on intake

AM Atlantic Margin

AMP aging management program

AMR analysis model report

ANL Argonne National Laboratory

ANPR/ANPRM advanced notice of proposed rulemaking

ANS American Nuclear Society
12

ANS-8 American Nuclear Society Standards Subcommittee 8

ANSI American National Standards Institute

ANSS U.S. Advanced National Seismic System

AO abnormal occurrence

AO approving official

AOO anticipated operational occurrence

AOR analysis of record

AP1000 Advanced Passive 1000 Megawatt (Westinghouse pressurized-water reactor)

APC action plan committee

APEX Advanced Power Extraction

API application programming interface

API American Petroleum Institute

APM available physical margin 

APP advanced procurement plan

APSR axial power shaping rod

APWR advanced pressurized-water reactor

AR advanced reactor

ARAR applicable or relevant and appropriate requirement

ARB Allegation Review Board

ARRP Advanced Reactor Research Program

ARS Agricultural Research Service

ARTIST Aerosol Trapping in Steam Generator

AS Agreement State

ASC Administrative Services Center

ASCE American Society of Civil Engineers

ASCII American Standard Code for Information Interchange

ASD allowable stress design

ASEP Accident Sequence Evaluation Program

ASER annual site environmental report

ASLBP Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel

ASME American Society of Mechanical Engineers

ASNT American Society for Nondestructive Testing

ASP accident sequence precursor

ASR alkali silica reaction

ASTM American Society for Testing and Materials

ATF Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms

ATWS anticipated transient without scram

AVLIS advanced vapor laser isotope separation

AWS American Welding Society

AWWA American Water Works Association

B&PV Boiler and Pressure Vessel (ASME Code)
13

B&R budget and reporting

B&W Babcock & Wilcox 

BAC Business Advisory Center

BADGER Boron-10 Areal Density Gauge for Evaluating Racks 

bcc: blind carbon copy

BDD binary decision diagrams

BEIR biological effects of ionizing radiation

BFN Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant

bgs below ground surface

BIA Bureau of Indian Affairs

BIP Behavior of Iodine Project

BLM Bureau of Land Management

BMI bottom-mounted instrumentation 

BMP best management practice

BNL Brookhaven National Laboratory

BOC budget object classification code

BOG IAEA's Board of Governors

BPA blanket purchase agreement

BPR burnable poison rod

BPRA burnable poison rod assembly

BPT best practicable technology

BPT Brownian passage time

BR breathing rate

BRIIE Baseline Risk Index for Initiating Events

BTP branch technical position

BUC burnup credit

BWR boiling-water reactor

CA Commissioners' assistants (singular or plural)

CA construction authorization 

CAA Clean Air Act

CAA Office of the Commission Appellate Adjudication

CAD computer-aided design

CAM continuous air monitor

CAMP Code Application and Maintenance Program 

CAO chief acquisition officer

CAP corrective action program

CAP containment accident pressure

CAR construction authorization request

CAROLFIRE Cable Response to Live Fire

CBDT cause-based decision tree

CBP Customs and Border Protection
14

CBR center, body, and range

cc: carbon copy

CCDP conditional core damage probability

CCF common-cause failure

CCI core-concrete interaction

CDA critical digital asset

CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

CDE committed dose equivalent

CDF core damage frequency

CE combustion engineering

CEA control element assembly

CEDE committed effective dose equivalent

CENA central and eastern North America

CEQ Council on Environmental Quality

CER cumulative effects of regulation

CERCLA Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act

CFAST Consolidated Fire Growth and Smoke Transport Model

CFD computational fluid dynamics

CFE cost-free expert

CFFA Catalogue of Federal Finance Assistance

CFO Chief Financial Officer

CFR Code of Federal Regulations

CH contact-handled

CHCO Chief Human Capital Officer

CHF critical heat flux

CHRISTI-FIRE Cable Heat Release, Ignition, and Spread in Tray Installations During Fire

CI confidence interval

CIO Chief Information Officer

CIPAC Critical Infrastructure Partnership Advisory Council

CJIS Criminal Justice Information Services

CLASSI continuum linear analysis of soil-structure interaction

CLIN contract line item number

CMT centroid moment tensor

CNWRA Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses

CO contracting officer

COB close of business

CoC certificate of compliance

COCORP Consortium for Continental Reflection Profiling

COI conflict of interest

COL combined license (combined construction and operating license)

COLA combined license application
15

ComMIT community model interface for tsunami

COMP composite prior, composite superdomain

CONOPS concepts of operations

COOP continuity of operations

COP community of practice

COP containment overpressure

COR contracting officer's representative

COSMOS Consortium of Organizations for Strong-Motion Observation Systems

CP computerized procedure

CP construction permit

CP-ECR Cathcart-Pawel Equivalent Cladding Reacted

CPFF cost plus fixed fee

CPIC Capital Planning and Investment Control

CPLD complex programmable logic device

cpm counts per minute

CPR common prioritization of rulemaking

CPR cardiopulmonary resucitation

CPT cone penetration test

CR continuing resolution

CR control room

CRA Congressional Review Act

CRADA cooperative research and development agreement

CRCPD Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors

CRDM control rod drive mechanism

CRGR Committee to Review Generic Requirements

CRPPH Committee on Radiation Protection and Public Health

CRR cyclic resistance ratio

CRT crew response tree

CS contract specialist

CSARP Cooperative Severe Accident Research Program

CSAU Code Scaling, Applicability, and Uncertainty

CsCI cesium chloride

CSDRS certified seismic design response spectra

CSFM commercial spent fuel management 

C-SGTR consequential steam generator tube rupture

CSI criticality safety index

CSM conceptual site model

CSO Computer Security Office (functions are now part of the Office of the Chief 

Information Officer)

CSR cyclic stress ratio

CTBT Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty
16

CTP crack-tip parameter

CUF cumulative usage factor

CV cross vessel

CWA Clean Water Act

CY calendar year

D&D decontamination and decommissioning

DAC derived air concentration

DART deep-ocean assessment and reporting of tsunamis

DAU Defense Acquisition University

DBA design-basis accident

DBE design-basis event

DBEGM design-basis earthquake ground motion

DBF design-basis fire

DBFL design-basis flood

DBT design-basis threat

DBT design-basis tornado

DBTT ductile-to-brittle transition temperature 

DBW design-basis wind

DC dose coefficient

DC design certification

dc direct current

DCAA Defense Contract Audit Agency

DCF dose conversion factor

DCPP Diablo Canyon Power Plant

DCSS dry cask storage system

DDA deliquification, dissolution, and adjustment

DDE double design earthquake

DDE deep dose equivalent

DE design earthquake

DECON decontamination phase of a reactor

DEDCM Deputy Executive Director for Corporate Management

DEDO Deputy Executive Director for Operations

DEM digital elevation model

DES discrete element simulation

DESIREE-FIRE Direct Current Electrical Shorting in Response to Exposure Fire

DF decontamination factor

DFR direct final rule

DFWCS digital feedwater control system

DG draft regulatory guide

DH directive handbook

DHC delayed-hydride cracking
17

DHR decay heat removal

DHS U.S. Department of Homeland Security

DI&C digital instrumentation and control

DIP damage indicating parameter

DLF dynamic load factor

DLO document liaison officer

DM dissimilar metal

DMW dissimilar metal weld

DNDO Domestic Nuclear Detection Office

DNFSB U.S. Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board

DOA delegation of authority

DOC U.S. Department of Commerce

DOE U.S. Department of Energy

DOE-EHSS U.S. Department of Energy—Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security

DOI/IBC U.S. Department of the Interior/Interior Business Center

DOL U.S. Department of Labor

DOS U.S. Department of State

DOT U.S. Department of Transportation

DP decommissioning plan

dpm disintegrations per minute

DPO differing professional opinion

DQO data quality objectives

DSHA deterministic seismic hazard assessment

DU depleted uranium 

DUF6 depleted uranium hexafluoride 

DWPF Defense Waste Processing Facility

EA environmental analysis

EA environmental assessment

EA enforcement action

EAC environmentally assisted cracking

EAF environmentally assisted fatigue

EAL emergency action level

EAP Employee Assistance Program

EB Executive Branch

EBP extrabudgetary program

EBS engineered barrier system

EC economic consequences

EC emergency classification

ECC extended continental crust

ECCS emergency core cooling system

ECI external communications interface
18

ECL emergency classification level

ECMA East Coast magnetic anomaly

ECR equivalent cladding reacted

ECTM Eastern Canada Telemetered Network

EDSB economically disadvantaged small business

EDEGM elastic design earthquake ground motion

EDGM elastic design ground motion

EDMG extensive damage mitigation guidelines

EDO Executive Director for Operations

EDS energy dispersive spectroscopy

EDWOSB economically disadvantaged woman-owned small business

EEO equal employment opportunity

EERI Earthquake Engineering Research Institute

EGOE Expert Group on Occupational Exposure

EHS environment, health, and safety

EHSM environment, health, and safety manager

EHSS Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (DOE)

EIA Energy Information Administration

EIS environmental impact statement

EIT electronic and information technology

EJ environmental justice (per Executive Order 12898, "Federal Actions to Address 

Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations)

EJS environmental justice statement

ELECTRA-FIRE Electrical Cable Test Results and Analysis during Fire Exposure

EMDC Eastern Management Development Center

ENA eastern North America

ENDF evaluated nuclear data file

EnPA Energy Policy Act of 1992

ENTOMB entombment (of a shutdown reactor)

EO executive order

eOPF electronic official personnel folder

EOP emergency operating procedure

EP emergency preparedness/planning

EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPAct Energy Policy Act of 2005

EPCRA Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act

EPICUR Experimental Program for Iodine Chemistry Under Irradiation

EPIX Equipment Performance and Information Exchange System

EPR U.S. Evolutionary Power Reactor

EPRI Electric Power Research Institute

EPRI-SOG Electric Power Research Institute--Seismic Owners Group
19

EPU extended power uprates

EPZ emergency planning zone

EQ environmental qualification

ER environmental report

ERDA Energy Research and Development Administration

E-RIDS Electronic Regulatory Information Distribution System

ERO emergency response organization

ESA Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended

ESBWR economic simplified boiling-water reactor (GE-Hitachi design)

ESF engineered safety feature

ESP early site permit

ESRI Environmental Systems Research Institute

EST extended storage and transportation

ET evapotranspiration

EWC enterprisewide contract

EXAFS Extended X-Ray Absorption Fine Structure

FAC Federal Acquisition Certification

FACA Federal Advisory Committee Act

FAC-C Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting

FAC-COR Federal Acquisition Certification-Contracting Officer's Representative

FAC-P/PM Federal Acquisition Certification for Program and Project Management

FAI Federal Acquisition Institute

FAIMIS Financial Accounting and Integrated Management Information System

FAITAS Federal Acquisition Institute Training Application System

FAM financial assurance mechanism

FAQ frequently asked question

FAR Federal Acquisition Regulation

FAST Free and Secure Trade Program

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation

FBO Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps)

FCF fuel cycle facility

FCO funds certifying official

FCOP Fuel Cycle Oversight Process

FDA U.S. Food and Drug Administration

FDC future disposal cell

FDS fire dynamics simulator

FDT fire dynamics tools

FE finite element

FEA finite element analysis

FedBizOpps Federal Business Opportunities 

FEI Federal Executive Institute (OPM-Charlottsville, VA)
20

FEIS final environmental impact statement

FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMP Federal Emergency Management Program

FEP features, events, and processes

FERC Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

FFA Federal Facility Agreements

FFP firm fixed price

FFRDC Federally funded research and development center

FFT fast Fourier transform

FG fuel grade

FGDC Federal Geographic Data Committee

FGR fission gas release

FIN financial identification number

FIRS foundation input response spectra

FISMA Federal Information Security Management Act

FOIA Freedom of Information Act

FONSI finding of no significant impact

FOSID frequency of onset of significant inelastic deformation

FPP fire protection program

FR Federal Register

FR final rule

FRN Federal Register notice

FSAR final safety analysis report

FSEIS final supplemental environmental impact statement

FSME Office of Federal and State Materials and Environmental Management 

Programs (now part of the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards)

FSRP Facilities Standard Review Plan

FTE full-time equivalent

FTF F-Area Tank Farm or F-Tank Farm

FTP file transfer protocol

FUSRAP Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program

FWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

FY fiscal year

FYI for your information

g gravitational unit

G&A general and administrative (expenses)

G8 Group of Eight

GA General Atomics

GAO U.S. Government Accountability Office

GC Gulf Coast

GCC Government Coordinating Council
21

GCP general closure plan

GDC general design criteria

GDP gaseous diffusion plant

GE General Electric

GEH General Electric-Hitachi

GEIS generic environmental impact statement

GG General Grade

GHG greenhouse gas

GL generic letter

GL general license

GLD generally licensed device

GLTS General License Tracking System

GM Geiger-Mueller

GM ground motion

GMC ground motion characterization

GMRS ground motion response spectra

GPO U.S. Government Publishing Office

GPR ground-penetrating radar 

GPS Global Positioning System

GROA geologic repository operations area

GSA Geological Society of America

GSA General Services Administration

GSA General Separations Area

GSC Geological Survey of Canada

GSI generic safety issue

GSL geosynthetic clay liner

GTCC greater-than-Class-C (waste)

GTRI Global Threat Reduction Initiative

Gz Graetz number

H&S health and safety

H/U hydrogen-to-uranium

H/U heatup

HAC hypothetical accident conditions 

HAZ heat-affected zone

HBF high-burnup fuel

HBU high burnup

HDPE high-density polyethylene

HE Hosgri Earthquake

HEU high-enriched uranium

HFRA Hafnium Flux Reduction Assembly

HHS U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
22

HID hazard input document

HLW high-level waste (radioactive)

HM heavy metal

HME hazardous materials enforcement

HNA high-nickel alloy

HOO headquarters operations officer

HPIC high-pressure ionization chamber

HPS Health Physics Society

HPSSC Health Physics Society Standards Committee

HPT health physics technician

HQ headquarters

HRMS Human Resources Management System

HRQC Highway Route Controlled Quantity

HRR highly radioactive radionuclide

HSK Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate

HSPD Homeland Security Presidential Directive

HSSM Highway Security-Sensitive Material

HTF H-Area Tank Farm or H-Tank Farm

HTGR high-temperature gas-cooled reactor

HUBZone historically underutilized business zone

HV high velocity

HVAC heating, ventilation, and air conditioning

HWFP hazardous waste facility permit

I&C instrumentation and controls

IA Interagency Agreement

IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency

IASPEI International Association of Seismology and Physics of the Earth's Interior

IBC international building code

IBR incorporation by reference

IC increased controls

ICC International Code Council

ICE Immigration and Customs Enforcement

ICRP International Commission on Radiological Protection

ICRU International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements

ICT information and communication technology

ICWG International Council Working Group

IDC indefinite delivery contract

IDIQ indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity

IDLH immediately dangerous to life and health

IDS intrusion detection system

IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
23

IERP independent external review panel

IFNEC International Framework for Nuclear Energy Cooperation

IGCE independent Government cost estimate

IMPEP Integrated Materials Performance Evaluation Program

IN information notice

IND improvised nuclear device

INES International Nuclear Event Scale

INL Idaho National Laboratory

INRA International Nuclear Regulators Association

IP inspection procedure

IPA Intergovernmental Personnel Act

IPAC Intergovernmental Payment and Collection System

IPPAS International Physical Protection Advisory Service

IPT integrated project team

IRIS Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology

IROFS item(s) relied-on for safety

IRRS Integrated Regulatory Review Service

ISA integrated safety analysis 

iSALE Impact Simplified Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian

ISC International Seismological Centre

ISFSI independent spent fuel storage installation

ISG interim staff guidance

ISL in situ leach

ISMP Integrated Source Management Portfolio

ISR in situ recovery

ISRS in-structure response spectra

ISSO information system security officer

IT information technology

ITC informed technical community

ITDB Illicit Trafficking Database

ITWI important to waste isolation

IX ion exchange

J&A justification and approval

JEAC Japan Electric Association Code

JEAG Japan Electric Association Guide

JFD joint frequency distribution

JISAO Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean

JLD Japan Lessons-Learned Project Directorate

JMA Japan Meteorological Agency

JNES Japan Nuclear Energy Safety

JOFOC justification for other than full and open competition
24

JPM job performance measure

KARISMA Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Research Initiative for Seismic Margin Assessment

Kd distribution coefficient

keff “k” effective-neutron multiplication factor

KK Kashiwazaki-Kariwa

KM knowledge management

L&D learning and development

LA license application

LAN local area network

LANL Los Alamos National Laboratory

LAR license amendment request

LAW low-activity waste

LBL Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

LCO limiting condition for operation

LDE lens dose equivalent

LDO Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory

LES Louisiana Energy Services

LEU low-enriched uranium

LHS Latin hypercube sampling

LiDAR light detection and ranging

LLD lower limit of detection

LLEA local law enforcement agency

LLNL Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

LLRW low-level radioactive waste

LLW low-level waste

LOCA loss-of-coolant accident

LPP leadership potential program

LRFD load resistance factor design

LSA low specific activity

LSN Licensing Support Network

LT leak testing

LTC long-term cooling

LTP license termination plan

LTS License Tracking System

LTSP long-term surveillance plan

LVS License Verification System

LWR light-water reactor

M&D manufacturer and distributor

MA monitoring area

MAR Marianna (RLME source)

MARSSIM Multi-Agency Radiation Survey and Site Investigation Manual
25

MBES multibeam echo sounding

MCC moisture characteristic curve

MCE maximum credible earthquake

MCEER Multi-Disciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research

MCL maximum containment level

MCMC Markov chain Monte Carlo 

MD management directive

MDC minimum detectable contamination

MECE mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive

MESE Mesozoic and younger extended crust

METI Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (Japan)

MF monitoring factor

MFFF mixed-oxide fuel fabrication facility

MIC microbially influenced corrosion

MIDC midcontinent

MIL military

MIT mechanical integrity testing

MLSR monthly letter status report

MML master materials license

MNOP maximum normal operating pressure

MOA memorandum of agreement

MofS margin of safety

MOST Method of Splitting Tsunami

MOU memorandum of understanding

MOX mixed oxide

MPC multipurpose cask

MRB Management Review Board

MRS monitored retrievable storage

MSD Mitigating Strategies Directorate

MSDS material safety data sheet

MSL mean sea level

MT magnetic particle examination

NA or na not applicable (also n/a or N/A)

NAC National Agency Check

NAGRA Nationale Genossenschaft für die Lagerung radioaktiver Abfälle (Switzerland 

National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste)

NAICS North American Industry Classification System

NAS National Academy of Sciences

NCAI National Congress of American Indians

NCDC National Climatic Data Center

NCOE Niigataken Chuetsu-Oki earthquake
26

NCRP National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements

NCT normal conditions of transport

NCTR NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Center for Tsunami 

Research

NDAA National Defense Authorization Act

NDE nondestructive examination

NDT nil-ductility transition

NDT nondestructive test

NE Office of Nuclear Energy (U.S. Department of Energy)

NEA Nuclear Energy Agency (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and 

Development)

NEAT NRC's Enterprise Acquisition Toolset

NEDB National Earthquake Database

NEES network for earthquake engineering simulation

NEHRP National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program

NEI Nuclear Energy Institute

NEIC National Earthquake Information Center

NELAC National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Conference

NEPA National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended

NERHC New England Radiological Health Compact

NERI Nuclear Energy Research Initiative

NESHAP National Emissions Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants

NEUP Nuclear Energy University Program

NFH nonfuel hardware

NFPA National Fire Protection Association

NFS Nuclear Fuel Services

NGA National Governors Association

NGA next generation attenuation relationship

NHPA National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended

NICEE National Information Centre of Earthquake Engineering

NISA Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (Japan)

NIST National Institute of Standards and Technology

NLO no legal objection

NLT no later than

NMA National Mining Association

NMED Nuclear Material Events Database

NMMSS Nuclear Materials Management & Safeguards System

NMP National Materials Program

NMSS Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards

NNSA National Nuclear Security Administration

NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
27

NOED notice of enforcement discretion

NORM naturally occurring radioactive materials

NORM/NARM naturally occurring or accelerator-produced radioactive materials

NOV notice of violation

NPDES National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System

NPH natural phenomena hazards

NPL National Priorities List for CERCLA

NPO noncompliant performance objective

NPP nuclear power plant

NPSH net positive suction head

NQA nuclear quality assurance

NRC U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

NRO Office of New Reactors

NRPB National Radiation Protection Board

NRR Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

NSA neutron source assembly

NSC Nuclear Safety Commission (Japan)

NSC National Safety Council

NSHMP National Seismic Hazard Mapping Project

NSIR Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response

NSSS nuclear steam supply system

NSTS National Source Tracking System

NTAS National Threat Advisory System

NTEU National Treasury Employees Union

NTIS National Technical Information Service

NUREG U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission technical report designation

NUREG/BR NUREG brochure

NUREG/CP conference proceedings NUREG

NUREG/CR contractor-prepared NUREG

NUREG/IA international agreement NUREG

NUREG/KM knowledge management NUREG

NVLAP National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation

NWPA Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982

NWPAA Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1987

NWS National Weather Service

NWTRB Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board

OAS Organization of Agreement States

OBE operating-basis earthquake

OCA Office of Congressional Affairs

OCFO Office of the Chief Financial Officer

OCHCO Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer
28

OCIO Office of the Chief Information Officer

OCOI organizational conflict of interest

OCRWM Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (DOE)

OD Office Director

OD organizational development

OE Office of Enforcement

OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

OEDO Office of the Executive Director for Operations

OEL occupational exposure limit

OFA optimized fuel assembly

OFPP Office of Federal Procurement Policy

OFR Office of the Federal Register

OGC Office of the General Counsel

OI Office of Investigations

OIG Office of the Inspector General

OIP Office of International Programs

OIS Office of Information Services (functions now in the Office of the Chief 

Information Officer) 

OL operating license

OMB Office of Management and Budget

OPA Office of Public Affairs

OpenSees open system for earthquake engineering simulation

OPM U.S. Office of Personnel Management

ORNL Oak Ridge National Laboratory

ORR operational readiness review

OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Administration

OSL optically stimulated luminescence

OSRP Offsite Source Recovery Project

OUO official use only

OWFN One White Flint North

P&ID piping and instrumentation diagrams

P5 permanent five members of United Nations Security Council

PA performance assessment

PAG protective action guide

PARS Publicly Available Records System (ADAMS)

PASSCAL program for array seismic studies of the continental lithosphere

PBPM planning, budgeting, and performance management

PCSA preclosure safety analysis

PCT peak cladding temperature

PDF Portable Document Format

PDR Public Document Room (NRC)
29

PEER Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center

PEGASOS Probabilistische Erdbeben-Gefährdungs-Analyse für die KKW-Standorte in 

der Schweiz (Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis for Swiss Nuclear Power 

Plant Sites)

PEM Portfolio Enrollment Module

PG power grade

PG&E Pacific Gas & Electric

PGA peak ground acceleration

PGD peak ground displacement

PGV peak ground velocity

PHA peak horizontal ground acceleration

PII personally identifiable information

PM particulate matter

PM project manager

PM10 particulate matter less than 10 micrometers

PMDA program management and data analysis

PMEL Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory

PMF probable maximum flood

PMP probable maximum precipitation

PNNL or PNL Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

PO performance objective

POA&M plan of action and milestones

POC point of compliance

POC point of contact

POC project oversight committee

POP period of performance

PPE personal protective equipment

ppm parts per million

PPRP participatory peer review panel

PQD post-quench ductility

PR proposed rule

PRA Paperwork Reduction Act

PRA probabilistic risk assessment

PRB Petition Review Board

PRM petition for rulemaking

PSHA probabilistic seismic hazard analysis

PSSCs principal structures, systems, and components

PTFI project technical facilitator integrator

PTHA probabilistic tsunami hazard analysis

PTI project technical integrator

Pub. L. public law
30

PV pore volumes

PVHA probabilistic volcanic hazard analysis

PWHT preheat and postweld heat treatment

PWR pressurized-water reactor

Q&A question and answer

QA quality assurance

QAP quality assurance program

QASP quality assurance surveillance plan

QC quality control

R&D research and development

RA Regional Administrator

rad radiation absorbed dose

RAI request for additional information

RAM radioactive material

RAMQC radioactive material in quantities of concern

RATS Regulation Action Tracking System

RC reinforced concrete

RCC Rulemaking Coordinating Committee

RCCA rod cluster control assembly

RCPD radiation control program directors

RCRA Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

RDD radiological dispersal device

RED radiation emitting device

REIRS Radiation Exposure Information and Reporting System

rem Roentgen equivalent man

REQ requisition

RES Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research

RFCOP Revised Fuel Cycle Oversight Process

RFI request for information

RFP request for proposal

RFPA request for procurement action

RFQ request for quotation

RG regulatory guide

RH remote-handled

RI NRC Region I (King of Prussia, PA)

RII NRC Region II (Atlanta, GA)

RIII NRC Region III (Lisle, IL)

RIL research information letter

RIN regulation identifier number

RIS regulatory issue summary

RIV NRC Region IV (Arlington, TX)
31

RLME repeated large-magnitude earthquake

RLO records liaison officer

RMEI reasonably maximally exposed individual

RO reverse osmosis

RO reviewing official

ROD record of decision

ROP Reactor Oversight Process

RSAO regional State agreements officer

RSI request for supplemental information

RSICC Radiation Safety Information Computational Center

RSLO regional State liaison officer

RSO radiation safety officer

RT radiographic examination

RTS Reciprocity Tracking System

RVT random vibration theory

RWP radiation work permit

SA spectral acceleration

SA security advisory (generic communications)

SAIC Science Applications International Corporation

SAMGs severe accident management guidelines

SAR safety analysis report

SASSI system for analysis of soil-structure interaction

SASW spectral analysis of surface waves

SB small business

SBA Small Business Administration

SBCR Office of Small Business and Civil Rights

SC seismic category

SCATR Source Collection and Threat Reduction (Program)

SCC stress corrosion cracking

SCC Standing Committee for Compatibility

SCEC Southern California Earthquake Center

SCML south-central magnetic lineament

SCO surface contaminated object

SCR stable continental region

SD spectral displacement

SDC seismic design category

SDE shallow (skin) dose equivalent

SDF Saltstone Disposal Facility

SDMP site decommissioning management plan

SDVOB service-disabled veteran-owned business

SECY Office of the Secretary
32

SEI Structural Engineering Institute

SEIS supplemental environmental impact statement

SEM scanning electron microscopy

SEP source evaluation panel

SER safety evaluation report

SERP safety and environmental review panel

SEUS southeastern United States

SF standard form

SF spontaneous fission

SFP spent fuel pool

SG safeguards

SGI safeguards information

SGI-M safeguards information modified-handling

SHPO State historic preservation office

SI Système International (d'unités) or International System of Units

SIFT short-term inundation forecast tool

SILEX Separation of Isotopes by Laser Excitation

SIP State implementation plans

SLO State liaison officer

SMA seismic margin assessment

SNF spent nuclear fuel

SNL Sandia National Laboratories

SNM special nuclear material

SOC statement of considerations

SOG Seismicity Owners Group

SOP standard operating procedure

SOW statement of work

SPF Saltstone Processing Facility

SPRA seismic probabilistic risk assessment

SPS sample per second

SPT standard penetration test

SR surveillance requirement

SRM staff requirements memorandum

SRNL Savannah River National Laboratory

SRO senior reactor operator

SRP Standard Review Plan (NUREG-0800)

SRS Savannah River Site

SRSS square-root-of-the-sum-of-the-squares 

SRTM Shuttle Radar Topography Mission

SS&D sealed source and device

SS&DR Sealed Source and Device Registry
33

SSA Seismological Society of America

SSAB site-specific advisory board

SSC seismic source characterization

SSCs structures, systems, and components

SSE safe shutdown earthquake

SSG strategic sourcing group

SSHAC Senior Seismic Hazard Analysis Committee

SSJ sole-source justification

SSNM strategic special nuclear material

SSRCR Suggested State Regulations for the Control of Radiation

STAQS Strategic Acquisition System 

Stat. statute

STPNOC South Texas Project Nuclear Operating Company

SUNSI sensitive unclassified nonsafeguards information

SUSN Southeastern United States Network

SWPF Salt Waste Processing Facility

SwRI Southwest Research Institute

SWU separative work unit

T&R trustworthiness and reliability

TA technical assistant

TAC technical accountability code

TAC technical assignment control (number)

TAD transportation, aging, and disposal

TAR technical assistance request

TCN transaction control number

TDI technically defensible interpretations

TEDE total effective dose equivalent

TEM transmission electron microscopy

TENORM technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive material

TEPCO Tokyo Electric Power Company

TER technical evaluation report

TFI technical facilitator integrator

TG technical guide

TI temporary instruction

TI Transport Index

TI technical integrator

TLD thermoluminescent dosimeter

TMI Three Mile Island 

TOC table of contents

TODE total organ dose equivalent

TPA Total-System Performance Assessment (NRC)
34

TR technical report

TR topical report

TRU transuranic

TS technical specification(s)

TSA Transportation Security Administration 

TSAR topical safety analysis report

TSC technical support center

TSP Thrift Savings Plan

TSPA Total System Performance Assessment

TWA time-weighted average

TWFN Two White Flint North

TWIC transportation worker identification credentials

U&Th uranium and thorium

U.S.C. United States Code

UBC Uniform Building Code

UCERF uniform California earthquake rupture forecast

UCL upper control limit

UF6 uranium hexafluoride

UFD used nuclear fuel disposal

UFSAR updated final safety analysis report

UHS uniform hazard spectrum

UIC Underground Injection Control

UK United Kingdom

UMTRCA Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act

U-nat natural uranium

UNAVCO University NAVSTAR Consortium

UNSCEAR United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation

UO2 uranium dioxide

UPS uninterruptible power supply

URL underground research laboratory

USACE U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

USCS Unified Soil Classification System

USDA U.S. Department of Agriculture

USEC United States Enrichment Corporation

USGS U.S. Geological Survey

USMA United States Military Academy (West Point, NY)

USMMA United States Merchant Marine Academy (Kings Point, NY)

USN United States Navy

USNA United States Naval Academy

USNSN U.S. National Seismograph Network

USQ Unreviewed Safety Question. For the FSRP, as defined at 10 CFR 72.48
35

UT ultrasonic examination

UTC coordinated universal time

UTR Upper Three Runs

UUSA URENCO USA

V&V verification and validation

V/H vertical-to-horizontal ratio

WAC waste acceptance criteria

WBL Web-based licensing

WC waste confidence

WCD waste confidence decision or Waste Confidence Directorate

WCD worst-case difference

WCS waste control specialists

WD waste determination

WG weapons grade

WG working group

WIPP Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

WIR waste incidental to reprocessing

WMDC Western Management Development Center (OPM-Aurora, CO)

WOSB women-owned small business

WPS welding procedure specification

WUS western United States

WVDP West Valley Demonstration Project

WWSSN World-Wide Standardized Seismograph Network

XANES X-Ray Absorption Near Edge Structure

XRD x-ray diffraction

YMRP Yucca Mountain Review Plan

37

5 BIBLIOGRAPHY

5.1 NRC Guidance

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, “NRC Editorial Style Guide,” NUREG–1379, Rev. 2, 

May 2009.

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, “Strategic Plan Fiscal Years 2014-2018,” NUREG-1614, 

Vol. 6, August 2014.

5.2 Other Guidance

The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law, 46th Edition, Basic Books, New 

York, NY, 2015.

The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th Edition, The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL and 

London, 2010.

The Plain Language Action and Information Network (PLAIN), Website, www.plainlanguage.gov

(accessed May 2016).

The Plain Language Action and Information Network, “Federal Plain Language Guidelines,” 

Revision 1, 

http://www.plainlanguage.gov/howto/guidelines/FederalPLGuidelines/FederalPLGuidelines.pdf, 

March 2011.

U.S. Government Publishing Office, U.S. Government Printing Office Style Manual, U.S. 

Government Publishing Office, Washington, DC, 2008.



NUREG-0544, Rev. 5

Caroline Hsu

Division of Administrative Services

Office of Administration

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Washington, DC 20555-0001

C. Hsu

Division of Administrative Services

Office of Administration

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Washington, DC 20555-0001

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has compiled this list of abbreviations commonly used by 

the agency staff, the regulatory community, and the nuclear industry. To create this list, the NRC staff sought 

to identify abbreviations that are so commonly used that some staff may not first define the term before 

using it either in writing or in speaking. This list of abbreviations is descriptive rather than prescriptive. In 

other words, this NUREG does not recommend one abbreviation to the exclusion of others. Nor does this 

NUREG intend to capture every abbreviation ever used in an NRC document. The audience of this NUREG 

is the public, stakeholders, industry, and NRC employees. The goal of this NUREG is to improve 

communication with and within the NRC.

Abbreviations

Writing

Plain Language

Descriptive

Acronyms

Technical editing

December 2016

Collection of Abbreviations



NUREG-0544, Rev. 5 Collection of Abbreviations December 2016