To disseminate information widely to the public, a Federal Register notice is issued on events reported by facilities licensed or otherwise regulated by NRC or an Agreement State that have been determined to be AOs. At a minimum, each notice must contain the date on which and place where the AO occurred and must describe its nature and probable consequences. Information on activities licensed by Agreement States is also publicly available from the appropriate Agreement State. NRC has determined that, of the incidents and events reviewed for this reporting period, only those that are described herein meet the criteria for being reported as AOs. Appendix B presents recent significant information on previously reported AOs as it becomes available.
Public participation is an element of the regulatory process.
To accomplish its objectives, NRC regularly conducts licensing proceedings, inspection and enforcement activities, operating experience evaluation, and confirmatory research, while maintaining programs for establishing standards and issuing technical reviews and studies. NRC adheres to the philosophy that the health and safety of the public are best ensured by establishing multiple levels of protection. These levels can be achieved and maintained through regulations specifying requirements that will ensure the safe use of radioactive materials. An inspection and enforcement program assists in ensuring compliance with the regulations. Operating experience is an essential element in the regulatory process for ensuring that licensed activities are conducted safely.