Source: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/cfr/part009/full-text.html
Timestamp: 2013-05-26 08:19:01
Document Index: 267219526

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 9', 'art.\n9', 'art.\n9', 'art.\n9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 15', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', 'art 2', 'art 2', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 2', 'art 2', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9']

NRC: 10 CFR Part 9--Public Records
9.1 Scope and purpose.
9.5 Interpretations.
9.6 Communications.
9.8 Information collection requirements: OMB approval.
9.11 Scope of subpart.
9.13 Definitions.
9.15 Availability of records.
9.17 Agency records exempt from public disclosure.
9.19 Segregation of exempt information and deletion of identifying details.
9.21 Publicly-available records.
9.23 Requests for records.
9.25 Initial disclosure determination.
9.27 Form and content of responses.
9.28 Predisclosure notification procedures for information
containing trade secrets or confidential commercial or financial
9.29 Appeal from initial determination.
9.31 Extension of time for response.
9.33 Search, review, and special service fees.
9.34 Assessment of interest and debt collection.
9.35 Duplication fees.
9.37 Fees for search and review of agency records by NRC personnel.
9.39 Search and duplication provided without charge.
9.40 Assessment of fees.
9.41 Requests for waiver or reduction of fees.
9.43 Processing requests for a waiver or reduction of fees.
9.45 Annual report to the Attorney General of the United States.
9.50 Scope of subpart.
9.51 Definitions.
Procedures Applicable to Requests by Individuals for Information,
Access or Amendment of Records Maintained About Them
9.52 Types of requests.
9.53 Requests; how and where presented.
9.54 Verification of identity of individuals making requests.
9.55 Specification of records.
9.56 Accompanying persons.
9.60 Acknowledgement of requests.
9.61 Procedures for processing requests for records exempt in whole or in part.
9.62 Records under control of another Government agency.
9.65 Access determinations; appeals.
9.66 Determinations authorizing or denying correction of records; appeals.
9.67 Statements of disagreement.
9.68 NRC statement of explanation.
9.69 Notices of correction or dispute.
9.80 Disclosure of record to persons other than the individual to whom it pertains.
9.81 Notices of subpoenas.
9.82 Notices of emergency disclosures.
9.85 Fees.
9.90 Violations.
9.95 Specific exemptions.
9.102 General requirement.
9.103 General provisions.
9.104 Closed meetings.
9.105 Commission procedures.
9.107 Public announcement of Commission meetings.
9.108 Certification, transcripts, recordings and minutes.
9.109 Report to Congress.
9.201 Production or disclosure prohibited unless approved by appropriate NRC official.
9.202 Procedure in the event of a demand for production or disclosure.
9.203 Procedure where response to demand is required prior to receiving instructions.
9.204 Procedure in the event of an adverse ruling.
Authority: Atomic Energy Act sec. 161 (42 U.S.C. 2201); Energy Reorganization Act sec. 201 (42 U.S.C. 5841);
Government Paperwork Elimination Act sec. 1704 (44 U.S.C. 3504 note).
Subpart A also issued under 5 U.S.C. 552; 31 U.S.C 9701.
[77 FR 39904, Jul. 6, 2012]
(a) Subpart A implements the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552, concerning the availability to
the public of Nuclear Regulatory Commission records for inspection and copying.
(b) Subpart B implements the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. 552a, concerning disclosure and availability
of certain Nuclear Regulatory Commission records maintained on individuals.
(c) Subpart C implements the provisions of the Government in the Sunshine Act, 5 U.S.C. 552b, concerning the opening of
Commission meetings to public observation.
(d) Subpart D describes procedures governing the production of agency records, information, or testimony in response to
subpoenas or demands of courts or other judicial or quasi-judicial authorities in State and Federal proceedings.
Commission means the Commission of five members or a quorum thereof sitting as a body, as provided by section 201 of
the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974.
Government agency means any executive department, military department, Government corporation,
Government-controlled corporation, or other establishment in the executive branch of the Government (including the
Executive Office of the President), or any independent regulatory agency.
NRC personnel means employees, consultants, and members of advisory boards, committees, and panels of the NRC;
members of boards designated by the Commission to preside at adjudicatory proceedings; and officers or employees of
Government agencies, including military personnel, assigned to duty at the NRC.
Except as specifically authorized by the Commission in writing, no interpretation of the meaning of the regulations in this
part by an officer or employee of the Commission other than a written interpretation by the General Counsel will be
recognized as binding upon the Commission.
Except as otherwise indicated, communications relating to this part shall be addressed to the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer, may be sent to the NRC by mail addressed to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001; by hand delivery to the NRC's offices at 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland; or, where practicable, by electronic submission via facsimile to (301) 415-5130 or e-mail to foia@nrc.gov. Electronic submissions must be made in a manner that enables the NRC to receive, read, authenticate, distribute, and archive the submission, and process and retrieve it a single page at a time. Detailed guidance on making electronic submissions can be obtained by visiting the NRC’s Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals.html; by e-mail to MSHD.Resource@nrc.gov; or by writing the Office of Information Services, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555–0001. The guidance discusses, among other topics, the formats the NRC can accept, the use of electronic signatures, and the treatment of nonpublic information.
[68 FR 58800, Oct. 10, 2003 as amended at 70 FR 69421, Nov. 16, 2005; 72 FR 33386, Jun. 18, 2007; 74 FR 62680, Dec. 1, 2009]
this part under control number 3150-0043.
[62 FR 52184, Oct. 6, 1997, as amended at 63 FR 2876, Jan. 20, 1998, 70 FR 34306, June 14, 2005]
Subpart A--Freedom of Information Act Regulations
§ 9.11 Scope of subpart.
This subpart prescribes procedures for making NRC agency records available to the public for inspection and copying
pursuant to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) and provides notice of procedures for
obtaining NRC records otherwise publicly available. This subpart does not affect the dissemination or distribution of
NRC-originated, or NRC contractor-originated, information to the public under any other NRC public, technical, or other
information program or policy.
§ 9.13 Definitions.
Agency record means a record in the possession and control of the NRC that is associated with Government business.
Agency record does not include records such as--
(3) Personal records in possession of NRC personnel that have not been circulated, were not required to be created or
retained by the NRC, and can be retained or discarded at the author's sole discretion, or records of a personal nature that are
not associated with any Government business; or
(4) Non-substantive information in logs or schedule books of the Chairman or Commissioners, uncirculated except for
typing or recording purposes.
Commercial-use request means a request made under § 9.23(b) for a use or purpose that furthers the commercial, trade, or
profit interests of the requester or the person on whose behalf the request is made.
Direct costs mean the expenditures that an agency incurs in searching for and duplicating agency records. For a
commercial-use request, direct costs include the expenditures involved in reviewing records to respond to the request.
Direct costs include the salary of the employee category performing the work based on that basic rate of pay plus 16
percent of that rate to cover fringe benefits and the cost of operating duplicating machinery.
Duplication means the process of making a copy of a record necessary to respond to a request made under § 9.23. Copies
may take the form of paper copy, microform, audio-visual materials, disk, magnetic tape, or machine readable
documentation, among others.
Educational institution means an institution that operates a program or programs of scholarly research. Educational
institution refers to a preschool, a public or private elementary or secondary school, an institution of graduate higher
education, an institution of undergraduate higher education, an institution of professional education, or an institution of
Noncommercial scientific institution means an institution that is not operated on a commercial basis, as the term
"commercial" is referred to in the definition of "commercial-use request," and is operated solely for the purpose of
conducting scientific research, the results of which are not intended to promote any particular product or industry.
Record means any information that would be an agency record subject to the requirements of the Freedom of Information
Act when maintained by the NRC in any format, including an electronic format. Record also includes a book, paper, map,
drawing, diagram, photograph, brochure, punch card, magnetic tape, paper tape, sound recording, pamphlet, slide, motion
picture, or other documentary material regardless of form or characteristics. Record does not include an object or article
such as a structure, furniture, a tangible exhibit or model, a vehicle, or piece of equipment.
Representative of the news media means any person actively gathering news for an entity that is organized and operated to
publish or broadcast news to the public. The term news means information that is about current events or that would be of
current interest to the public. Examples of news media entities include television or radio stations broadcasting to the
public at large, and publishers of periodicals (but only in those instances when they can qualify as disseminators of "news")
who make their products available for purchase or subscriptions by the general public.
Review time means the period devoted to examining records retrieved in response to a request to determine whether they
are exempt from disclosure in whole or in part. Review time also includes the period devoted to examining records to
determine which Freedom of Information Act exemptions, if any, are applicable and identifying records, or portions
thereof, to be disclosed.
Search time means the period devoted to looking for agency records, either manually or by automated means, for the
purpose of locating those records that are responsive to a request. This includes a page-by-page or line-by-line
identification of responsive information within the records.
Unusual circumstances mean--
(1) The need to search for and collect the requested records from field facilities or other establishments that are separate
(2) The need to search for, collect, and appropriately examine a voluminous amount of separate and distinct records
demanded in a single request; or
(3) The need for consultation, which will be conducted with all practicable speed, with another agency having a substantial
interest in the determination of the request or among two or more components of the NRC having substantial subject-matter
[70 FR 34306, June 14, 2005]
§ 9.15 Availability of records.
The NRC will make available for public inspection and copying any reasonably described agency record in the possession
and control of the NRC under the provisions of this subpart, and upon request by any person. Records will be made
available in any form or format requested by a person if the record is readily reproducible by NRC in that form or format.
NRC will make reasonable efforts to maintain its records in forms or formats that are reproducible. NRC will make
reasonable efforts to search for records in electronic form or format when requested, except when these efforts would
significantly interfere with the operation of any of the NRC's automated information systems. Records that the NRC
routinely makes publicly available are described in § 9.21. Procedures and conditions governing requests for records are set
forth in § 9.23.
§ 9.17 Agency records exempt from public disclosure.
§ 9.19 Segregation of exempt information and deletion of identifying details.
(a) For records required to be made available under 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(2), the NRC shall delete information that is exempt
under one or more of the exemptions cited in § 9.17. The amount of information deleted will be indicated on the released
portion of the record, unless providing this indication would harm an interest protected by the exemption(s) under which
the matter has been withheld.
(b) In responding to a request for information submitted under § 9.23, in which it has been determined to withhold exempt
information, the NRC shall segregate--
(1) Information that is exempt from public disclosure under § 9.17(a) from nonexempt information; and
(2) Factual information from advice, opinions, and recommendations in predecisional records unless the information is
inextricably intertwined, or is contained in drafts, legal work products, and records covered by the lawyer-client privilege,
or is otherwise exempt from disclosure.
(c) In denying a request for records, in whole or in part, NRC will make a reasonable effort to estimate the volume of any
information requested that is denied and provide the estimate to the person making the request, unless providing the
estimate would harm an interest protected by the exemption(s) under which the information has been denied.
(d) When entire records or portions thereof are denied and deletions are made from parts of the record by computer, the
amount of information deleted will be indicated on the released portion of the record, unless providing this indication
would harm an interest protected by the exemption(s) under which the matter has been denied.
(a) Single copies of NRC publications in the NUREG series, NRC Regulatory Guides, and Standard Review Plans can be ordered from the National Technical Information Service,
5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, Virginia, 22161.
(c) The following records of NRC activities are available for public inspection and copying:
(5) Copies of records that have been released to a person under the FOIA that, because of the nature of their subject matter, the NRC determines have become or are likely to become the subject of subsequent requests for substantially the same records and a general index to those records; and
(d) The published versions of the records made publicly available under paragraph (c)(1) of this section are available under the title, Nuclear Regulatory Issuances, NUREG-0750,
for purchase through the National Technical Information Service.
[64 FR 48950, Sept. 9, 1999, as amended at 67 FR 67098, Nov. 4, 2002, 70 FR 34306, June 14, 2005]
(a)(1) A person may request access to records routinely made available by the NRC under § 9.21 in person, by telephone, by e-mail, facsimile, or U.S. mail from the NRC Public Document Room, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland 20852-2738.
(b) A person may request agency records by submitting a request authorized by 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(3) to the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer by an appropriate method listed in § 9.6 of this chapter. The request must be in writing and clearly state on the envelope and in the letter that it is a "Freedom of Information Act request.'' The NRC does not consider a request as received until the date it is actually received by the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer.
(1) A Freedom of Information Act request covers only agency records that are in existence on the date the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer receives the request.
A request does not cover agency records destroyed or discarded before receipt of a request or which are created after the date of the request.
(2) All Freedom of Information Act requests for copies of agency records must reasonably describe the agency records sought in sufficient detail to permit the NRC to identify the
requested agency records. Where possible, the requester should provide specific information regarding dates, titles, docket numbers, file designations, and other information which
may help identify the agency records. If a requested agency record is not described in sufficient detail to permit its identification, the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act
Officer will contact the requester within 10 working days after receipt of the request and inform the requester of the additional information or clarification needed to process the
(3) Upon receipt of a request made under paragraph (b) of this section, the NRC will provide written notification to the requester that indicates the request has been received, the
name and telephone number of the NRC point of contact to find out the status of the request, and other pertinent matters regarding the processing of the request.
(4)(i) The NRC shall advise a requester that fees will be assessed if--
(A) A request involves anticipated costs in excess of the minimum specified in § 9.39; and
(ii) The NRC has discretion to discontinue processing a request made under this paragraph until--
(c) If a requested agency record that has been reasonably described is located at a place other than at the NRC Web site, http://www.nrc.gov, the NRC Public Document Room, or
the NRC headquarters, the NRC may, at its discretion, make the record available for inspection and copying at either of the locations.
(d) Except as provided in § 9.39--
(1) If the record requested under paragraph (b) of this section is a record available through the National Technical Information Service, the NRC shall refer the requester to the
National Technical Information Service; and
(2) If the requested record has been placed on the NRC Internet Web site, under § 9.21, the NRC may inform the requester that the record is available at the NRC Web site,
http://www.nrc.gov, and/or at the NRC Public Document Room, and that the record may be obtained in accordance with the procedures set forth in paragraph (a) of this section.
(e) The Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer will promptly forward a Freedom of Information Act request made under paragraph (b) of this section for an agency
record to the head of the office(s) primarily concerned with the records requested, as appropriate. The responsible office will conduct a search for the agency records responsive to
the request and compile those agency records to be reviewed for initial disclosure determination and/or identify those that have already been made publicly available at the NRC
Web site, http://www.nrc.gov, and/or at the NRC Public Document Room.
[63 FR 2876, Jan. 20, 1998, as amended at 64 FR 48950, Sept. 9, 1999; 67 FR 67098, Nov. 4, 2002; 68 FR 58800, Oct. 10, 2003, 70 FR 34306, June 14, 2005]
(a) Time for initial disclosure determination. The NRC will notify a requester within 20 working days of its determination.
If the NRC cannot act upon the request within this period, the NRC will provide the requester with the reasons for the delay
and provide a projected response date.
(b) Extension of time limit in unusual circumstances. In unusual circumstances, the NRC may extend the time limit
prescribed in paragraph (a) of this section by not more than 10 working days. The extension may be made by written or
telephonic notice to the person making the request to explain the reasons for the extension and indicate the date on which a
determination is expected to be made. "Unusual circumstances" is limited to one or more of the following reasons for
(2) The need to search for, collect, and appropriately examine a voluminous amount of separate and distinct records which
(c) Exceptional circumstances. A requester may be notified in certain exceptional circumstances, when it appears that a
request cannot be completed within the allowable time, and will be provided an opportunity to limit the scope of the
request so that it may be processed in the time limit, or to agree to a reasonable alternative time frame for processing. For
purposes of this paragraph, the term "exceptional circumstances" does not include delays that result from the normal
predictable workload of FOIA requests or a failure by the NRC to exercise due diligence in processing the request. A
requester's unwillingness to agree to reasonable modification of the request or an alternative time for processing the request
may be considered as factors in determining whether exceptional circumstances exist and whether the agency exercised due
diligence in responding to the request.
(d) Multiple-Track processing. To ensure the most equitable treatment possible of all requesters, the NRC will process
requests on a first-in, first-out basis, using multiple tracking systems based upon the estimated time it will take to process
(i) The first track is for requests of simple to moderate complexity that are expected to be completed within 20 working
(ii) The second track is for requests involving "unusual circumstances" that are expected to take between 21-30 working
days to complete (e.g. requests involving possible records from two or three offices and/or various types of files of
moderate volume, of which, some are expected to be exempt)
(iii) The third track is for requests that, because of their unusual volume or other complexity, are expected to take more
than 30 working days to complete (e.g. requests involving several offices, regional offices, another agency's records,
classified records requiring declassification review, records from businesses that are required to be referred to the submitter
for their proprietary review prior to disclosure, records in large volumes which require detailed review because of the
sensitive nature of the records such as investigative records or legal opinions and recordings of internal deliberations of
(2) Upon receipt of requests, NRC will notify requesters of the track in which the request has been placed for processing
and the estimated time for completion. Should subsequent information substantially change the estimated time to process a
request, the requester will be notified telephonically or in writing. A requester may modify the request to allow it to be
processed faster or to reduce the cost of processing. Partial responses may be sent to requesters as documents are obtained
by the FOIA office from the supplying offices.
(e) Expedited processing. (1) NRC may place a person's request at the front of the queue for the appropriate track for that
request upon receipt of a written request that clearly demonstrates a compelling need for expedited processing. For
purposes of determining whether to grant expedited processing, the term compelling need means--
(i) That a failure to obtain requested records on an expedited basis could reasonably be expected to pose an imminent threat
to the life or physical safety of an individual; or
(ii) With respect to a request made by a person primarily engaged in disseminating information, urgency to inform the
public concerning actual or alleged Federal Government activity.
(2) A person requesting expedited processing must include a statement certifying the compelling need given to be true and
correct to the best of his or her knowledge and belief. The certification requirement may be waived by the NRC as a matter
of agency discretion.
(3) The Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer will make the initial determination whether to grant or deny a
request for expedited processing and will notify a requester within 10 calendar days after the request has been received
whether expedited processing will be granted.
(f) Disclosure review. The head of the responsible office shall review agency records located in a search under § 9.23(b) to
determine whether the agency records are exempt from disclosure under § 9.17(a). If the head of the office determines that,
although exempt, the disclosure of the agency records will not be contrary to the public interest and will not affect the
rights of any person, the head of the office may authorize disclosure of the agency records. If the head of the office
authorizes disclosure of the agency records, the head of the office will furnish the agency records to the Freedom of
Information Act and Privacy Act Officer, who will notify the requester of the determination in the manner provided in
§ 9.27.
(h) Initial disclosure determinations on requests for records other than those for which the initial disclosure determination is made by the Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, the Executive Assistant to the Secretary of the Commission, or the General Counsel. If, as a result of the review specified in paragraph (f) of this section, the head of the responsible office finds that agency records other than those described in paragraph (g) of this section, that are originated by, or for which the office has primary
responsibility, should be denied in whole or in part, the head of the office will submit that finding to the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer, who will, in consultation with the Office of the General Counsel, make an independent determination whether the agency records should be denied in whole or in part. If the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer determines that the agency records sought are exempt from disclosure and disclosure of the records is contrary to the public interest and will adversely affect the rights of any person, the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer will notify the requester of the determination in the manner provided in § 9.27.
(i) Records and information originated by another Federal agency. If a requested record is located that was originated or
contains information originated by another Federal Government agency, or deals with subject matter over which an agency
other than the NRC has exclusive or primary responsibility, the NRC will promptly refer the record to that Federal
Government agency for disposition or for guidance regarding disposition.
(j) If the NRC does not respond to a request within the 20 working-day period, or within the extended periods described in paragraph (b) of this section, the requester may treat that delay as a denial of the request and immediately appeal as provided in § 9.29(a) or sue in a Federal District Court as noted in § 9.29(c).
(b) When the NRC denies access to a requested agency record or denies a request for expedited processing or for a waiver
or reduction of fees, the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer will notify the requester in writing. The
denial will include as appropriate--
(2) A reference to the specific exemption under the Freedom of Information Act, or other appropriate reason, and the
Commission's regulations authorizing the denial;
(3) The name and title or position of each person responsible for the denial of the request, including the head of the office
recommending denial of the record;
(4) A statement stating why the request does not meet the requirements of § 9.41 if the request is for a waiver or reduction
of fees; and
(5) A statement that the denial may be appealed within 30 calendar days from the date of the denial to the Executive
Director for Operations, to the Secretary of the Commission, or to the Inspector General, as appropriate.
[70 FR 34307, June 14, 2005; 76 FR 72084, Nov. 22, 2011]
(1) A statement of the reason(s) for the determination; (2) A description of the business information to be disclosed; and
(a) A requester may appeal a notice of denial of a Freedom of Information Act request for access to agency records, denial of a request for waiver or reduction of fees, or denial of a request for expedited processing under this subpart within 30 calendar days of the date of the NRC's denial. (b) For agency records to which access is denied by the Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, the appeal must be in writing directed to the Inspector General and sent to the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer by an appropriate method listed in § 9.6. The appeal should clearly state on the envelope and in the letter that it is an "Appeal from Initial Freedom of Information Act Decision." The NRC does not consider an appeal received until the date it is actually received by the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer. The Inspector General will make the NRC determination on the appeal within 20 working days after the receipt of the appeal. If the Inspector General denies an appeal of access to records, in whole or in part, the Inspector General will notify the requester of the denial, explaining the exemptions relied upon and how the exemptions apply to the agency records withheld. The notice will inform the requester that the denial is a final agency action and that judicial review is available in a district court of the United States in the district in which the requester resides or has a principal place of business, in which the agency records are situated, or in the District of Columbia.
(c) For agency records to which access is denied by the Executive Assistant to the Secretary of the Commission, the General Counsel, or an office director reporting to the Commission, the appeal must be in writing directed to the Secretary of the Commission and sent to the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer by an appropriate method listed in § 9.6. The appeal should clearly state on the envelope and in the letter that it is an "Appeal from Initial Freedom of Information Act Decision." The NRC does not consider an appeal received until the date it is actually received by the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer. The Secretary of the Commission will make the NRC determination on the appeal within 20 working days after the receipt of the appeal. If the Secretary of the Commission denies an appeal of access to records, in whole or in part, the Secretary of the Commission will notify the requester of the denial, explaining the exemptions relied upon and how the exemptions apply to the agency records withheld. The notice will inform the requester that the denial is a final agency action and that judicial review is available in a district court of the United States in the district in which the requester resides or has a principal place of business, in which the agency records are situated, or in the District of Columbia.
(d) For agency records to which access is denied by agency officials other than the Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, the Executive Assistant to the Secretary of the Commission, the General Counsel, or other office director reporting to the Commission, the appeal must be in writing directed to the Executive Director for Operations and sent to the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer by an appropriate method listed in § 9.6. The appeal should clearly state on the envelope and in the letter that it is an "Appeal from Initial FOIA Decision.'' The NRC does not consider an appeal received until the date it is actually received by the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer. The Executive Director for Operations or a Deputy Executive Director will make the NRC determination on the appeal within 20 working days after the receipt of the appeal. If the Executive Director for Operations or a Deputy Executive Director denies an appeal of access to records, in whole or in part, the Executive Director for Operations or a Deputy Executive Director, will notify the requester of the denial, explaining the exemptions relied upon and how the exemptions apply to the agency records withheld. The notice will inform the requester that the denial is a final agency action and that judicial review is available in a district court of the United States in the district in which the requester resides or has a principal place of business, in which the agency records are situated, or in the District of Columbia.
(e) For the denial of a request for expedited processing the appeal must be in writing directed to the Executive Director for Operations and sent to the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer by an appropriate method listed in § 9.6. The appeal should clearly state on the envelope and in the letter that it is an "Appeal from Initial FOIA Decision.'' The NRC does not consider an appeal received until the date it is actually received by the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer. The NRC will make a determination on the appeal within 10 working days after the receipt of the appeal. If the Executive Director for Operations or a Deputy Executive Director denies an appeal for expedited processing, the Executive Director for Operations or a Deputy Executive Director, will notify the person making the request of the decision to sustain the denial, including a statement explaining why the request does not meet the requirements of § 9.25(e)(1) and (2). The notice will inform the requester that the denial is a final agency action and that judicial review is available in a district court of the United States in the district in which the requester resides or has a principal place of business, in which the agency records are situated, or in the District of Columbia.
(f) For denial of a waiver or reduction of fees for locating and reproducing agency records, the appeal must be in writing directed to the Executive Director for Operations and sent to the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer by an appropriate method listed in § 9.6. The appeal should clearly state on the envelope and in the letter that it is an "Appeal from Initial FOIA Decision.'' The NRC does not consider an appeal received until the date it is actually received by the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer. The NRC will make a determination on the appeal within 20 working days after the receipt of the appeal. If the Executive Director for Operations or a Deputy Executive Director denies an appeal of a waiver or reduction of fees for locating and reproducing agency records, the Executive Director for Operations or a Deputy Executive Director, will notify the person making the request of the decision to sustain the denial, including a statement explaining why the request does not meet the requirements of § 9.41. The notice will inform the requester that the denial is a final agency action and that judicial review is available in a district court of the United States in the district in which the requester resides or has a principal place of business, in which the agency records are situated, or in the District of Columbia.
[68 FR 58800, Oct. 10, 2003, 70 FR 34307, June 14, 2005]
§ 9.31 Extension of time for response.
(a) In unusual circumstances defined in § 9.13, the NRC may extend the time limits prescribed in § 9.25 or § 9.29 by not
more than 10 working days. The extension may be made by written notice to the person making the request to explain the
reasons for the extension and indicate the date on which a determination is expected to be dispatched.
(b) An extension of the time limits prescribed in §§ 9.25 and 9.29 may not exceed a combined total of 10 working days per
request, unless a requester has agreed to an alternative time frame as described in § 9.25 (c).
§ 9.33 Search, review, and special service fees.
(a) The NRC charges fees for--
(2) Duplication of agency records provided in excess of 100 pages when agency records are not sought for commercial use
and the request is made by an educational or noncommercial scientific institution, or a representative of the news media;
(3) Search time that exceeds two hours and duplication of agency records of more than 100 pages for requests from all
other categories of requesters not described in paragraphs (a)(1) and (a)(2) of this section;
(4) The direct costs of searching for agency records. The NRC will assess fees even when no agency records are located as
a result of the search or when agency records that are located as a result of the search are not disclosed; and
(5) Computer searches which includes the cost of operating the Central Processing Unit for the portion of operating time
that is directly attributable to searching for agency records plus the operator/programmer salary apportionable to the search.
(2) Sending records by special methods, such as express mail, package delivery service, courier, and other means other than
first class mail; or
(3) Producing or converting records to formats specified by a requester other than ordinary copying processes that are
readily available in NRC.
§ 9.34 Assessment of interest and debt collection.
(a) The NRC will assess interest on the fee amount billed starting on the 31st day following the day on which the billing
was sent in accordance with NRC's regulations set out in § 15.37 of this chapter. The rate of interest is prescribed in 31
(a)(1) The charges by the duplicating service contractor for the duplication of records made available under § 9.21 at the NRC Public Document Room (PDR), One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Room O-1F23, Rockville, Maryland, may be found on the NRC's Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/pdr/copy-service.html or by calling the PDR at 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, by e-mail pdr@nrc.gov and are as follows:
(i) Paper-to-paper reproduction is $0.30 per page for standard size (up to and including 11 x 14 reduced). Pages 11 x 17 are $0.30 per page. Pages larger than 11 x 17, including engineering drawings, are $1.50 per square foot.
(ii) Pages larger than 11 x 17 are $1.50 per square foot.
(2) A requester may submit mail-order requests for contractor duplication of NRC records made by writing to the NRC Public Document Room. The charges for mail-order
duplication of records are the same as those set out in paragraph (a)(1) of this section, plus mailing or shipping charges.
(3) A requester may open an account with the duplicating service contractor. A requester may obtain the name and address and billing policy of the contractor from the NRC Public
Document Room.
(b) The NRC will assess the following charges for copies of records to be duplicated by the NRC at locations other than the NRC Public Document Room located in Washington, DC:
(1) Sizes up to 81/2 x 14 inches made on office copying machines-- $0.20 per page of copy; and
(c) In compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, a requester may purchase copies of transcripts of testimony in NRC Advisory Committee proceedings, which are
transcribed by a reporting firm under contract with the NRC directly from the reporting firm at the cost of reproduction as provided for in the contract with the reporting firm. A
requester may also purchase transcripts from the NRC at the cost of reproduction as set out in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section.
[63 FR 2876, Jan. 20, 1998, as amended at 64 FR 48951, Sept. 9, 1999; 66 FR 22907, May 7, 2001; 67 FR 67098, Nov. 4, 2002, 70 FR 34308, June 14, 2005; 17 FR 54571, Sept. 18, 2006]
§ 9.37 Fees for search and review of agency records by NRC personnel.
(a) Clerical search and review at a salary rate that is equivalent to a GG–7/step 6, plus 16 percent fringe benefits;
(b) Professional/managerial search and review at a salary rate that is equivalent to a GG–13/step 6, plus 16 percent fringe
(c) Senior executive or Commissioner search and review at a salary rate that is equivalent to an ES–Maximum, plus 16 percent fringe benefits.
[75 FR 41369, Jul 16, 2010]
§ 9.39 Search and duplication provided without charge.
(a) The NRC will search for agency records requested under § 9.23(b) without charges when agency records are not sought
for commercial use and the records are requested by an educational or noncommercial scientific institution, or a
(b) The NRC will search for agency records requested under § 9.23(b) without charges for the first two hours of search for
any request not sought for commercial use and not covered in paragraph (a) of this section.
(c) The NRC will duplicate agency records requested under § 9.23(b) without charge for the first 100 pages of standard
paper copies, or the equivalent cost of 100 pages of standard paper copies when providing the requester copies in
microfiche or electronic form such as computer disks, if the requester is not a commercial use requester.
(d) The NRC may not bill any requester for fees if the cost of collecting the fee would be equal to or greater than the fee
(e) The NRC may aggregate requests in determining search and duplication to be provided without charge as provided in
paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section, if the NRC finds a requester or group of requesters acting in concert, has filed
multiple requests that actually constitute a single request, and that the requests involve clearly-related matters.
(a) If the request is expected to require the NRC to assess fees in excess of $25 for search and/or duplication, the NRC will
notify the requester that fees will be assessed unless the requester has indicated in advance his or her willingness to pay
fees as high as estimated.
(b) In the notification, the NRC will include the estimated cost of search fees and the nature of the search required and
estimated cost of duplicating fees.
(c) The NRC will encourage requesters to discuss with the NRC the possibility of narrowing the scope of the request with
the goal of reducing the cost while retaining the requester's original objective.
(e) Unless a requester has agreed to pay the estimated fees or, as provided for in paragraph (d) of this section, the requester
has paid an estimated fee in excess of $250, the NRC may not begin to process the request.
(g) Within 10 working days of the receipt of NRC's notice that fees will be assessed, the requester will provide advance
payment if required, notify the NRC in writing that the requester agrees to bear the estimated costs, or submit a request for
a waiver or reduction of fees pursuant to § 9.41.
[70 FR 34308, June 14, 2005]
§ 9.41 Requests for waiver or reduction of fees.
(a)(1) The NRC will collect fees for searching for, reviewing, and duplicating agency records, except as provided in § 9.39,
unless a requester submits a request in writing for a waiver or reduction of fees. To ensure that there will be no delay in the
processing of Freedom of Information Act requests, the request for a waiver or reduction of fees should be included in the
initial Freedom of Information Act request letter.
(2) Each request for a waiver or reduction of fees should be addressed to the Office of Information Services, and sent using an appropriate method listed in § 9.6.
(b) A person requesting the NRC to waive or reduce search, review, or duplication fees will--
(3) Describe the nature of the specific activity or research in which the agency records will be used and the specific
qualifications the requester possesses to utilize information for the intended use in such a way that it will contribute to
(4) Describe the likely impact on the public's understanding of the subject as compared to the level of public understanding
of the subject before disclosure;
(7) Indicate if public access to information will be provided free of charge or provided for an access fee or publication fee;
(c) The NRC will waive or reduce fees, without further specific information from the requester if, from information
provided with the request for agency records made under § 9.23(b), it can determine that disclosure of the information in the
agency records is in the public interest because it is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of the
operations or activities of the Federal Government and is not primarily in the commercial interest of the requester.
(d) In making a determination regarding a request for a waiver or reduction of fees, the NRC will consider the following
(2) How the disclosure of the information is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of Federal
Government operations or activities;
(3) The extent to which, the requester has a commercial interest that would be furthered by the disclosure of the requested
agency records; and whether that commercial interest exceeds the public interest in disclosure.
(e) The Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer will make an initial determination whether a request for a waiver or reduction of fees meets the requirements of this section. The Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer will inform requesters whenever their request for a waiver or reduction of fees is denied and will inform them of their appeal rights under § 9.29.
[68 FR 58800, Oct. 10, 2003 as amended at 70 FR 69421, Nov. 16, 2005]
§ 9.43 Processing of requests for a waiver or reduction of fees.
(a) Within 20 working days after receipt of a request for access to agency records for which the NRC agrees to waive fees
under § 9.39 (a) through (d) or § 9.41(c), the NRC will respond to the request as provided in § 9.25.
(b) In making a request for a waiver or reduction of fees, a requester shall provide the information required by § 9.41(b).
(c) After receipt of a request for the waiver or reduction of fees made in accordance with § 9.41, the NRC will either waive
or reduce the fees and notify the requester of the NRC's intent to provide the agency records promptly or deny the request
and provide a statement to the requester explaining why the request does not meet the requirements of § 9.41(b).
§ 9.45 Annual report to the Attorney General of the United States.
(a) On or before February 1 of each year, the NRC will submit a report covering the preceding fiscal year to the Attorney General of the United States.
Guidelines for agency preparation of the annual FOIA report can be found at: http://www.usdoj.gov/oip/foiapost/guidance-annualreport-052008.pdf . [63 FR 2876, Jan. 20, 1998; 63 FR 12988, Mar. 17, 1998, as amended at 64 FR 48951, Sept. 9, 1999]
Subpart B--Privacy Act Regulations
This subpart implements the provisions of section 3 of the Privacy Act of 1974, Pub. L. 93 - 579, 5 U.S.C. 552a, with
respect to (a) the procedures by which individuals may determine the existence of, seek access to and request correction of
NRC records concerning themselves, and (b) the requirements applicable to NRC personnel with respect to the use and
dissemination of such records. The regulations in this subpart apply to all records which are retrievable from a system of
records under the control of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission by the use of an individual's name or of an identifying
number, symbol, or other identifying particular assigned to such individual. Except where specifically provided otherwise,
this subpart applies to all NRC records maintained on individuals whether they predate or postdate September 27, 1975.
§ 9.51 Definitions.
(c) Record means any item, collection or grouping of information about an individual that is maintained by the NRC,
including, but not limited to, his education, financial transactions, medical history, employment history or criminal history,
and that contains the individual's name, or the identifying number, symbol or other identifying particular assigned to the
individual, such as a finger or voice print or a photograph.
(e) Systems of records means a group of records under the control of the NRC from which information is retrieved by the
name of an individual or by an identifying number, symbol, or other identifying particular assigned to an individual.
(f) Statistical record means a record in a system of records maintained for statistical research or reporting purposes only
and not used in whole or in part in making any determination about an identifiable individual, except as provided by the
Census Act, 13 U.S.C. 8.
§ 9.52 Types of requests.
(a) Individuals may make the following requests respecting records about themselves maintained by NRC in a system of
records subject to the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974:
(2) Request access to a record about the individual. Access requests may include requests to review the record and to have a
copy made of all or any portion thereof in a form comprehensible to the individual.
(b) Requests for accounting of disclosures. Individuals may, at any time, request an accounting by NRC of disclosures to
any other person or Government agency of any record about themselves contained in a system of records controlled by
NRC, except the following: (1) Disclosures made pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552; (2)
disclosures made within the Nuclear Regulatory Commission; (3) disclosures made to another Government agency or
instrumentality for an authorized law enforcement activity pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(b)(7); (4) disclosures expressly
exempted by NRC regulations from the requirements of 5 U.S.C. 552a(c)(3) pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(j)(2) and (k).
(a) Requests may be made in person or in writing. Assistance regarding requests or other matters relating to the Privacy Act of 1974 may be obtained by writing to the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer, by an appropriate method listed in § 9.6. Requests relating to records in multiple systems of records should be made to the same Officer. That Officer shall assist the requestor in identifying his request more precisely and shall be responsible for forwarding the request to the appropriate system manager.
(b) All written requests must be made to the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and sent by an appropriate method listed in § 9.6, and should clearly state on the envelope and in the letter, as appropriate: "Privacy Act Request,'' "Privacy Act Disclosure Accounting Request,'' "Privacy Act Correction Request.'' The NRC does not consider a request received until the date it is actually received by the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer.
(c) Requests may be made in person during official hours at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission office where the
record is located, as listed in the "Notice of System of Records" for the system in which the record is contained.
[40 FR 44484, Sept. 26, 1975, as amended at 41 FR 20645, May 20, 1976; 52 FR 31609, Aug. 21, 1987; 54 FR 53316, Dec. 28, 1989; 63 FR 15743, Apr. 1, 1998; 68 FR 58800, Oct. 10, 2003, 70 FR 34308, June 14, 2005]
(a) Identification requirements in paragraphs (a) (1) and (2) of this section are applicable to any individual who makes
requests respecting records about himself, except that no verification of identity shall be required if the records requested
are available to the public under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act. With respect to certain sensitive
records, additional requirements for verification of identity stated in the appropriate published "Notice of System of
Records" may be imposed.
(2) Requests in person. An individual making a request in person respecting a record about himself may establish his
identity by the presentation of a single document bearing a photograph (such as a passport or identification badge) or by the
presentation of two items of identification which do not bear a photograph but do bear a name, address and signature (such,
as a driver's license or credit card).
(b) Inability to provide requisite documentation of identity. An individual making a request in person or in writing respecting a record about himself who cannot provide the necessary documentation of identity may provide a notarized statement, swearing or affirming to his identity and to the fact that he understands that penalties for false statements may be imposed pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 1001, and that penalties for obtaining a record concerning an individual under false pretenses may be imposed pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(i)(3). Forms for such notarized statements may be obtained on request from the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer, and sent by an appropriate method listed in § 9.6.
(c) Verification of parentage or guardianship. In addition to establishing the identity of the minor, or other individual he
represents as required in paragraph (a) of this section, the parent or legal guardian of a minor or of an individual judicially
determined to be incompetent shall establish his status as parent or guardian by furnishing a copy of a birth certificate of
the minor showing parentage or a copy of a court order establishing guardianship.
[40 FR 44484, Sept. 26, 1975, as amended at 52 FR 31609, Aug. 21, 1987; 54 FR 53316, Dec. 28, 1989; 63 FR 15743, Apr. 1, 1998; 68 FR 58800, Oct. 10, 2003, 70 FR 34309, June 14, 2005]
§ 9.55 Specification of records.
(a)(1) Requests relating to records shall, insofar as practicable, specify the nature of the record sought, the approximate
dates covered by the record, the system of records in which the record is thought to be included and the system manager
having custody of the record system as shown in the annual compilation, "Notices of Records Systems", published by the
General Services Administration. Requests shall, in addition, comply with any additional specification requirements
contained in the published "Notice of System of Records" for that system.
(2) Requests for correction or amendment of records shall, in addition, specify the particular record involved, state the
nature of the correction or amendment sought and furnish justification for the correction or amendment.
(b) Requests which do not contain information sufficient to identify the record requested will be returned promptly to the
requestor, with a notice indicating what information is lacking. Individuals making requests in person will be informed of
any deficiency in the specification of records at the time the request is made. Individuals making requests in writing will be
notified of any such deficiency when their request is acknowledged.
§ 9.56 Accompanying persons.
An individual requesting access to records about himself may be accompanied by another individual of his own choosing.
Both the individual requesting access and the individual accompanying him shall sign the required form indicating that the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission is authorized to discuss the contents of the subject record in the presence of both
§ 9.60 Acknowledgement of requests.
(a) Written requests by individuals to verify the existence of, obtain access to or correct or amend records about themselves
maintained by NRC in a system of records subject to the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974, shall be acknowledged in
writing by the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer, within ten working days after date of actual receipt.
The acknowledgement shall advise the requestor if any additional information is needed to process the request. Wherever
practicable, the acknowledgement shall notify the individual whether his request to obtain access to the record or to correct
or amend the record has been granted or denied.
(b) When an individual requests access to records or permission to correct or amend records in person, every effort will be
made to make an immediate determination as to whether access or correction or amendment should be granted. If an
immediate determination cannot be made, the request will be processed in the same manner as a written request. Records
will be made available for immediate inspection whenever possible.
(a) When an individual requests information concerning the existence of, or access to, records about himself which have
been compiled in reasonable anticipation of a civil action or proceeding in either a court or before an administrative
tribunal, the NRC shall advise the individual only that no record available to him pursuant to the Privacy Act of 1974 has
(b) General exemptions. Generally, 5 U.S.C. 552a(j)(2) allows the exemption of any system of records within the NRC
from any part of section 552a except subsections (b), (c)(1) and (2), (e)(4)(A) through (F), (e)(6), (7), (9), (10), and (11),
and (i) of the act if the system of records is maintained by an NRC component that performs as one of its principal
functions any activity pertaining to the enforcement of criminal laws, including police efforts to prevent, control, or reduce
crimes, or to apprehend criminals, and consists of--
(1) Information compiled for the purpose of identifying individual criminal offenders and alleged offenders and consisting
only of identifying data and notations of arrests, the nature and disposition of criminal charges, sentencing, confinement,
release and parole, and probation status;
(2) Information compiled for the purpose of a criminal investigation, including reports of informants and investigators, and
associated with an identifiable individual; or
(3) Reports identifiable to an individual compiled at any stage of the process of enforcement of the criminal laws from
arrest or indictment through release from supervision.
(1) Information classified under criteria established by an Executive Order to be kept secret in the interest of national defense or foreign policy, and exempted under 5 U.S.C. 552a(k)(1).
(ii) Information which no longer warrants classification under these criteria shall be declassified and made available to the
individual. If the requested information has been classified by another agency, the responsible official of the NRC will
request the classifying agency to review the information to ascertain if classification is still warranted. If the information
continues to warrant classification, the individual shall be advised that the information sought is classified, that it has been
reviewed and continues to warrant classification, and that it has been exempted from access pursuant to 5 U.S.C.
552a(k)(1).
(2) Investigatory material compiled for law enforcement purposes exempted pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(k)(2). Requests
shall be responded to in the manner provided in paragraph (a) of this section unless a review of the information indicates
that the information has been used or is being used to deny the individual any right, privilege or benefit for which he is
eligible or to which he would otherwise be entitled under Federal law. In that event, the individual shall be advised of the
existence of the information and shall be provided the information except to the extent it would reveal the identity of a
confidential source. Information that would reveal the identity of a confidential source shall be extracted or summarized in
a manner which protects the source and the summary or extract shall be provided to the requesting individual.
(3) Material within a system of records required by statute to be maintained and used solely as statistical records and
exempted pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(k)(4). The exempted information requested will be reviewed by the responsible
official of the NRC to determine whether it continues to warrant exemption. Information which no longer warrants
exemption shall be made available to the individual. If the information continues to warrant exemption, the individual shall
be advised that the information sought is exempt from disclosure, that it has been reviewed and continues to warrant
exemption, and that it has been exempted from access pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(k)(4).
(4) Investigatory material compiled solely for the purpose of determining suitability, eligibility, or qualifications for
Federal civilian employment, Federal contracts, or access to classified information and exempted pursuant to 5 U.S.C.
552a(k)(5). Information exempted pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(k)(5) shall be made available to an individual upon request
except to the extent that the information would reveal the identity of a confidential source. Material that would reveal the
identity of a confidential source shall be extracted or summarized in a manner which protects the source and the summary
or extract shall be provided to the requesting individual.
(5) Testing or examination material exempted pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(k)(6). Testing or examination material used solely
to determine individual qualifications for appointment or promotion in the Federal service which has been exempted
pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(k)(6) shall not be made available to an individual if disclosure would compromise the objectivity
or fairness of the testing or examination process but may be made available if no possibility of such compromise exists.
[40 FR 44484, Sept. 26, 1975, as amended at 44 FR 50804, Aug. 30, 1979; 50 FR 50284, Dec. 10, 1985; 60 FR 63900, Dec. 13, 1995, 70 FR 34309, June 14, 2005]
[40 FR 44484, Sept. 26, 1975, as amended at 41 FR 44997, Oct. 14, 1976, 70 FR 34309, June 14, 2005]
(1) Notices granting access shall inform the individual when and where the requested record may be seen, how copies may
be obtained, and of any fees or anticipated charges which may be incurred pursuant to § 9.85 of this subpart.
(2) Notices denying access must state the reasons for the denial, and advise the individual that the denial may be appealed
to the Inspector General, for agency records located in the Office of Inspector General, or the Executive Director for
Operations, for all other agency records, in accordance with the procedures set forth in this section.
(b) Appeals from denials of access. If an individual has been denied access to a record the individual may request a final review and determination of that individual's request by the Inspector General or the Executive Director for Operations, as appropriate. A request for final review of an initial determination must be filed within 60 calendar days of the receipt of the initial determination. For agency records denied by the Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, the appeal must be in writing directed to the Inspector General and sent to the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer by an appropriate method listed in § 9.6. For agency records denied by the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer, the appeal must be in writing directed to the Executive Director for Operations and sent to the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer by an appropriate method listed in § 9.6. The appeal should clearly state on the envelope and in the letter "Privacy Act Appeal-Denial of Access.'' The NRC does not consider an appeal received until the date it is actually received by the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer.
(c) Final determinations. (1) The Inspector General, or the Executive Director for Operations or the EDO's designee, shall
make a final determination within 30 working days of the receipt of the request for final review, unless the time is extended
for good cause shown such as the need to obtain additional information, the volume of records involved, or the complexity
of the issue. The extension of time may not exceed 30 additional working days. The requester shall be advised in advance
of any extension of time and of the reasons therefor.
(2) If the Inspector General, or the Executive Director for Operations or the EDO's designee, determines that access was
properly denied because the information requested has been exempted from disclosure, the Inspector General, or the
Executive Director for Operations or the EDO's designee shall undertake a review of the exemption to determine whether
the information should continue to be exempt from disclosure. The Inspector General, or the Executive Director for
Operations or the EDO's designee, shall notify the individual in writing of the final agency determination to grant or deny
the request for access. Notices denying access must state the reasons therefor and must advise the individual of his/her right
to judicial review pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(g).
[40 FR 44484, Sept. 26, 1975, as amended at 41 FR 20645, May 20, 1976; 41 FR 25997, June 24, 1976; 52 FR 31609, Aug. 21, 1987; 54 FR 53316, Dec. 28, 1989; 55 FR 33647, Aug. 17, 1990; 63 FR 15743, Apr. 1, 1998; 68 FR 58800, Oct. 10, 2003, 70 FR 34309, June 14, 2005]
(a) Initial determinations. (1) For agency records located in the Office of the Inspector General, the Assistant Inspector General for Investigations shall determine whether to authorize or refuse correction or amendment of a record. For all other agency records, the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer, with the advice of the system manager having control of the record, shall determine whether to authorize or refuse correction or amendment of a record. The Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer shall notify the requesting individual. Unless the request presents unusual difficulties or involves extensive numbers of records, individuals must be notified of determinations to authorize or refuse correction or amendment of a record within 30 working days after receipt of the request. In making this determination, the NRC official shall be guided by the following standards:
(i) Records shall contain only such information about an individual as is relevant and necessary to accomplish an NRC
function required to be accomplished by statute or by executive order of the President;
(ii) Records used by NRC in making any determination about any individual shall be as accurate, relevant, current, and
complete as is reasonably necessary to assure fairness to the individual in the determination;
(iii) No record shall describe how any individual has exercised rights guaranteed by the First Amendment unless such
record is expressly authorized by statute or by the individual about whom the record is maintained, or is pertinent to and
within the scope of an authorized law enforcement activity.
(3) If correction or amendment of a record is refused, the Director, Office of Administration or the Director's designee,
shall notify the requesting individual in writing of the refusal and the reasons therefor, and shall advise the individual that
the refusal may be appealed to the Inspector General or the Executive Director for Operations, as appropriate, in
(b) Appeals from initial adverse determinations. If an individual's request to amend or correct a record has been denied, in whole or in part, the individual may appeal that action and request a final review and determination of that individual's request by the Inspector General or the Executive Director for Operations, as appropriate. An appeal of an initial determination must be filed within 60 calendar days of the receipt of the initial determination. For agency records denied by the Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, the appeal must be in writing directed to the Inspector General and sent to the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer by an appropriate method listed in § 9.6. For agency records denied by the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer the appeal must be in writing directed to the Executive Director for Operations and sent to the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer by an appropriate method listed in § 9.6. The appeal should clearly state on the envelope and in the letter ``Privacy Act Correction Appeal.'' The NRC does not consider an appeal received until the date it is actually received by the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer. Requests for final review must set forth the specific item of information sought to be corrected or amended and should include, where appropriate, records supporting the correction or amendment.
(c) Final determinations. (1) The Inspector General, for agency records located in the Office of the Inspector General, or
the Executive Director for Operations or the EDO's designee, for all other agency records, shall make a final agency
determination within 30 working days of receipt of the request for final review, unless the time is extended for good cause
shown such as the need to obtain additional information, the volume of records involved, or the complexity of the issue.
The extension of time may not exceed 30 additional working days. The requester shall be advised in advance of any
extension of time and of the reasons therefor.
(2) For agency records located in the Office of the Inspector General, if the Inspector General makes a final determination that an amendment or correction of the record is warranted on the facts, the Inspector General or the IG's designee, shall correct or amend the record pursuant to the procedures in § 9.66(a)(2). For all other agency records, if the Executive Director for Operations, or the EDO's designee, makes a final determination that an amendment or correction of the record is warranted on the facts, the EDO or the EDO's designee, shall notify the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer to correct or amend the record to the procedures in § 9.66(a)(2).
(3) If the Inspector General, or the Executive Director for Operations or the EDO's designee, makes a final determination
that an amendment or correction of the record is not warranted on the facts, the individual shall be notified in writing of the
refusal to authorize correction or amendment of the record in whole or in part, and of the reasons therefor, and the
individual shall be advised of his/her right to provide a "Statement of Disagreement" for the record and of his/her right to
judicial review pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(g).
(a) Written "Statements of Disagreement'' may be furnished by the individual within 30 calendar days of the date of receipt of the final adverse determination of the Inspector General or the Executive Director for Operations. "Statements of Disagreement'' directed to the Executive Director for Operations must be sent to the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer by an appropriate method listed in § 9.6, and should be clearly marked on the statement and on the envelope, "Privacy Act Statement of Disagreement." "Statements of Disagreement'' directed to the Inspector General must be sent to the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Officer by an appropriate method listed in § 9.6, and should be clearly marked on the statement and on the envelope "Privacy Act Statement of Disagreement''.
(b) The Inspector General or the Executive Director for Operations, or their designees, as appropriate, are responsible for
ensuring that: (1) The "Statement of Disagreement" is included in the system or systems of records in which the disputed
item of information is maintained; and (2) the original record is marked to indicate the information disputed, the existence
of a "Statement of Disagreement" and the location of the "Statement of Disagreement" within the system of records.
[55 FR 33848, Aug. 17, 1990; 68 FR 58800, Oct. 10, 2003, 70 FR 34309, June 14, 2005, 70 FR 34309, June 14, 2005]
§ 9.68 NRC statement of explanation.
The Inspector General, or the Executive Director for Operations or the EDO's designee, may if deemed appropriate, prepare
a concise statement of the reasons why the requested amendments or corrections were not made. Any NRC "Statement of
Explanation" must be included in the system of records in the same manner as the "Statement of Disagreement". Courtesy
copies of the NRC statement and of the notation of the dispute as marked on the original record must be furnished to the
individual who requested correction or amendment of the record.
§ 9.69 Notices of correction or dispute.
(a) When a record has been corrected upon request or when a "Statement of Disagreement" has been filed, the Freedom of
Information Act and Privacy Act Officer, shall, within 30 working days thereof, advise all prior recipients of the affected
record whose identity can be determined pursuant to an accounting of disclosures required by the Privacy Act or any other
accounting previously made, of the correction or of the filing of the "Statement of Disagreement".
(b) Any disclosure of disputed information occurring after a "Statement of Disagreement" has been filed shall clearly
identify the specific information disputed and be accompanied by a copy of the "Statement of Disagreement" and a copy of
any NRC "Statement of Explanation".
§ 9.80 Disclosure of record to persons other than the individual to whom it pertains.
(a) NRC Commissioners and NRC personnel shall not disclose any record which is contained in a system of records
maintained by NRC by any means of communication to any person, or to another Government agency, except pursuant to a
written request by, or with the prior written consent of, the individual to whom the record pertains, unless disclosure of the
(4) To the Bureau of the Census for purposes of planning or carrying out a census or survey or related activity pursuant to
the provisions of Title 13 of the United States Code;
(5) To a recipient who has provided the agency with advance adequate written assurance that the record will be used solely
as a statistical research or reporting record and the record is transferred in a form that is not individually identifiable. The
advance written statement of assurance shall (i) state the purpose for which the record is requested, and (ii) certify that the
record will be used only for statistical purposes. Prior to release for statistical purposes in accordance with the provisions of
this paragraph, the record shall be stripped of all personally identifying information and reviewed to ensure that the identity
of any individual cannot reasonably be determined by combining two or more statistical records;
(6) To the National Archives and Records Administration as a record that has sufficient historical or other value to warrant
its continued preservation by the United States Government, or to the Archivist of the United States or designee for
evaluation to determine whether the record has such value;
(7) To another agency or to an instrumentality of any governmental jurisdiction within or under the control of the United
States for a civil or criminal law enforcement activity if the activity is authorized by law, and if the head of the agency or
instrumentality has made a written request to the NRC specifying the particular portion of the record desired and the law
enforcement activity for which the record is sought. A record may be disclosed to a law enforcement agency at the
initiative of the NRC if criminal conduct is suspected, provided that such disclosure has been established as a routine use
by publication in the Federal Register, and the instance of misconduct is directly related to the purpose for which the record
is maintained;
(9) To either House of Congress or, to the extent of matter within its jurisdiction, to any committee or subcommittee
thereof or to any joint committee of the Congress or to any subcommittee of such joint committee;
(10) To the Comptroller General, or any authorized representatives, in the course of the performance of the duties of the
§ 9.81 Notices of subpoenas.
When records concerning an individual are subpoenaed or otherwise disclosed pursuant to court order, the NRC officer or
employee served with the subpoena shall be responsible for assuring that the individual is notified of the disclosure within
five days after such subpoena or other order becomes a matter of public record. The notice shall be mailed to the last known
address of the individual and shall contain the following information: (a) The date the subpoena is returnable; (b) the court
in which it is returnable; (c) the name and number of the case or proceeding; and (d) the nature of the information sought.
§ 9.82 Notices of emergency disclosures.
When information concerning an individual has been disclosed to any person under compelling circumstances affecting
health or safety, the NRC officer or employee who made or authorized the disclosure shall notify the individual at his last
known address within five days of the disclosure. The notice shall contain the following information: (a) The nature of the
information disclosed; (b) the person or agency to whom the information was disclosed; (c) the date of the disclosure; and
(d) the compelling circumstances justifying the disclosure.
[52 FR 49362, Dec. 31, 1987, as amended at 53 FR 52993, Dec. 30, 1988; 63 FR 15743, Apr. 1, 1998, 70 FR 34309, June 14, 2005]
(a) An injunction or other court order may be obtained pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(g) (1 - 3) to compel NRC to permit an
individual to review, amend or copy a record pertaining to him, or to be accompanied by someone of his own choosing
when he reviews his record. A court order may be obtained for the payment of a civil penalty imposed pursuant to 5 U.S.C.
552a(g)(4) if NRC intentionally or willfully fails to maintain a record accurately, or fails to comply with any provision of 5
U.S.C. 552a, or any provision of this subpart, if such failure results in an adverse determination or has an adverse effect on
an individual. Court costs and attorney's fees may be awarded in civil actions.
(b) Any officer or employee of NRC who willfully maintains a system of records without meeting the notice requirements
of 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(4), or who willfully discloses information knowing such disclosure to be prohibited by 5 U.S.C. 552a
or by any rules or regulations issued thereunder, may be guilty of a criminal misdemeanor and upon conviction may be
fined up to $5000. Any person who knowingly and willfully requests or obtains any record concerning an individual from
NRC under false pretenses may be convicted of a criminal misdemeanor and upon conviction may be fined up to $5,000.
[60 FR 63900, Dec. 13, 1995, 70 FR 34309, June 14, 2005]
Subpart C--Government in the Sunshine Act Regulations
§ 9.100 Scope of subpart.
This subpart prescribes procedures pursuant to which NRC meetings shall be open to public observation pursuant to the
provisions of 5 U.S.C. 552b. This subpart does not affect the procedures pursuant to which NRC records are made available
to the public for inspection and copying which remain governed by subpart A, except that the exemptions set forth in
§ 9.104(a) shall govern in the case of any request made pursuant to § 9.23 to copy or inspect the transcripts, recordings, or
minutes described in § 9.108. Access to records considered at NRC meetings shall continue to be governed by subpart A of
§ 9.101 Definitions.
(a) Commission means the collegial body of five Commissioners or a quorum thereof as provided by section 201 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974, or any subdivision of
that collegial body authorized to act on its behalf, and shall not mean any body not composed of members of that collegial body.
(c) Meeting means the deliberations of at least a quorum of Commissioners where such deliberations determine or result in the joint conduct or disposition of official Commission business, that is, where discussions are sufficiently focused on discrete proposals or issues as to cause or to be likely to cause the individual participating members to form reasonably firm positions regarding matters pending or likely to arise before the agency. Deliberations required or permitted by §§ 9.105, 9.106, or 9.108(c), do not constitute "meetings" within this definition.
(d) Closed meeting means a meeting of the Commission closed to public observation as provided by § 9.104.
(g) General Counsel means the General Counsel of the commission as provided by section 25(b) of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 and section 201(f) of the Energy Reorganization
Act of 1974, and, until such time as the offices of that officer are in the same location as those of the Commission, any member of his office specially designated in writing by him
pursuant to this subsection to carry out his responsibilities under this subpart.
§ 9.102 General requirement.
Commissioners shall not jointly conduct or dispose of Commission business in Commission meetings other than in
accordance with this subpart. Except as provided in § 9.104, every portion of every meeting of the Commission shall be
§ 9.103 General provisions.
The Secretary shall ensure that all open Commission meetings are held in a location such that there is reasonable space and
adequate visibility and acoustics, for public observation. No additional right to participate in Commission meetings is
granted to any person by this subpart. An open meeting is not part of the formal or informal record of decision of the
matters discussed therein except as otherwise required by law. Statements of views or expressions of opinion made by
Commissioners or NRC employees at open meetings are not intended to represent final determinations or beliefs. Such
statements may not be pleaded, cited, or relied upon before the Commission or in any proceeding under part 2 of these
regulations (10 CFR part 2) except as the Commission may direct. Members of the public attending open Commission
meetings may use small electronic sound recorders to record the meeting, but the use of other electronic recording
equipment and cameras requires the advance written approval of the Secretary.
§ 9.104 Closed meetings.
(a) Except where the Commission finds that the public interest requires otherwise, Commission meetings shall be closed,
and the requirements of §§ 9.105 and 9.107 shall not apply to any information pertaining to such meeting otherwise
required by this subpart to be disclosed to the public, where the Commission determines in accordance with the procedures
of § 9.105 that opening such meetings or portions thereof or disclosing such information, is likely to:
(1) Disclose matters that are (i) specifically authorized under criteria established by an Executive order to be kept secret in
the interests of national defense or foreign policy, and (ii) in fact properly classified pursuant to such Executive order;
(3) Disclose matters specifically exempted from disclosure by statute (other than 5 U.S.C. 552) provided that such statute
(i) requires that the matters be withheld from the public in such a manner as to leave no discretion on the issue, or (ii)
(4) Disclose trade secrets and commercial or financial information obtained from a person and privileged or confidential,
including such information as defined in § 2.790(d) of this title;
(5) Involve accusing any person of a crime, imposing a civil penalty on any person pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 2282 or 42
U.S.C. 5846, or any revocation of any license pursuant to 42 U.S.C. sec. 2236, or formally censuring any person;
(6) Disclose information of a personal nature where such disclosure would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of
(7) Disclose investigatory reports compiled for law enforcement purposes, including specifically enforcement of the
Atomic Energy Act of l1954, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 2011 et seq., and the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974, as amended,
42 U.S.C. 5801 et seq., or information which if written would be contained in such records, but only to the extent that the
production of such records or information would: (i) Interfere with enforcement proceedings, (ii) deprive a person of a right
to a fair trial or an impartial adjudication, (iii) constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy, (iv) disclose the
identity of a confidential source and, in the case of a record compiled by a criminal law enforcement authority in the course
of a criminal investigation, or by an agency conducting a lawful national security intelligence investigation, confidential
information furnished only by the confidential source, (v) disclose investigative techniques and procedures, or (vi)
(9) Disclose information the premature disclosure of which would be likely to significantly frustrate implementation of a
proposed Commission action, except that this subparagraph shall not apply in any instance where the Commission has
already disclosed to the public the content or nature of its proposed action, or where the Commission is required to make
such disclosure on its own initative prior to taking final action on such proposal; or
(10) Specifically concern the Commission's issuance of a subpoena, or the Commission's participation in a civil action or
proceeding or an action or proceeding before a state or federal administrative agency, an action in a foreign court or
international tribunal, or an arbitration, or the initiation, conduct or disposition by the Commission of a particular case of
formal agency adjudication pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 554 or otherwise involving a determination on the record after an
opportunity for a hearing pursuant to part 2 or similar provisions.
(b) Examples of situations in which Commission action may be deemed to be significantly frustrated are: (1) If opening
any Commission meeting or negotiations would be likely to disclose information provided or requests made to the
Commission in confidence by persons outside the Commission and which would not have been provided or made
otherwise; (2) if opening a meeting or disclosing any information would reveal legal or other policy advice, public
knowledge of which could substantially affect the outcome or conduct of pending or reasonably anticipated litigation or
negotiations; or (3) if opening any meeting or disclosing any information would reveal information requested by or
testimony or proposals to be given to other agencies of government, including the Congress and the Executive Branch
before the requesting agency would receive the information, testimony or proposals. The examples in the above sentence
are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to be exhaustive.
§ 9.105 Commission procedures.
(a) Action under § 9.104 shall be taken only when a majority of the entire membership of the Commission votes to take such action. A separate vote of the Commissioners shall be
taken with respect to each Commission meeting a portion or portions of which are proposed to be closed to the public pursuant to § 9.104, or which respect to any information which
is proposed to be withheld under § 9.105(c). A single vote may be taken with respect to a series of meetings, a portion or portions of which are proposed to be closed to the public, or
with respect to any information concerning such series of meetings, so long as each meeting in such series involves the same particular matters and is scheduled to be held no more
than thirty days after the initial meeting in such series. The vote of each Commissioner participating in such vote shall be recorded and no proxies shall be allowed.
(b) Within one day of any vote taken pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section, § 9.106(a), or § 9.108(c), the Secretary shall make publicly available at the NRC Web site,
http://www.nrc.gov, a written copy of such vote reflecting the vote of each member on the question. If a portion of a meeting is to be closed to the public, the Secretary shall, within
one day of the vote taken pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section or § 9.106(a), make publicly available at the NRC Web site, http://www.nrc.gov, a full written explanation of its
action closing the portion together with a list of all persons expected to attend the meeting and their affiliation.
(c) The notices and lists required by paragraph (b) of this section to be made public may be withheld from the public to the extent that the Commission determines that such information itself would be protected against disclosure by § 9.104(a). Any such determination shall be made independently of the Commission's determination pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section to close a meeting, but in accordance with the procedure of that subsection. Any such determination, including a written explanation for the action and the specific provision or provisions of § 9.104(a) relied upon, must be made publicly available to the extent permitted by the circumstances.
(a) Whenever any person whose interests may be directly affected by a portion of a meeting requests that the Commission
close such portion to the public for any of the reasons referred to in paragraphs (a) (5), (6), or (7) of § 9.104, the
Commission, upon request of any one Commissioner, shall vote by recorded vote whether to close such meeting.
(b) Any person may petition the Commission to reconsider its action under § 9.105(a) or paragraph (a) of this section by
filing a petition for reconsideration with the Commission within seven days after the date of such action and before the
meeting in question is held.
(c) A petition for reconsideration filed pursuant to paragraph (b) of this section shall state specifically the grounds on which
the Commission action is claimed to be erroneous, and shall set forth, if appropriate, the public interest in the closing or
opening of the meeting. The filing of such a petition shall not act to stay the effectiveness of the Commission action or to
postpone or delay the meeting in question unless the Commission orders otherwise.
§ 9.107 Public announcement of Commission meetings.
(a) In the case of each meeting, the Secretary shall make public announcement, at least one week before the meeting, of the time, place, and subject matter of the meeting, whether it
is to be open or closed to the public, and the name and phone number of the official designated by the Commission to respond to requests for information about the meeting. Such
announcement shall be made unless a majority of the members of the Commission determines by a recorded vote that Commission business requires that such meeting be called at
an earlier date, in which case the Secretary shall make public announcement of the time, place and subject matter of such meeting, and whether open or closed to the public, at the
earliest practical time.
(b) The time or place of a meeting may be changed following the public announcement required by paragraph (a) of this section only if the Secretary publicly announces such
changes at the earliest practicable time. The subject matter of as meeting, or the determination of the Commission to open or close a meeting, or portion of a meeting, to the public,
may be changed following the public announcement required by this subsection only if: (1) A majority of the entire membership of the Commission determines by a recorded vote
that Commission business so requires and that no earlier announcement of the change was possible, and (2) the Secretary publicly announces such change and the vote of each
member upon such change at the earliest practicable time.
(c) Immediately following each public announcement required by this section, notice of the time, place, and subject matter of a meeting, whether the meeting is open or closed, any
change in one of the preceding, and the name and phone number of the official designated by the Commission to respond to requests for information about the meeting, shall also be
submitted for publication in the Federal Register.
(1) Publicly posting a copy of the document at the NRC Web site, http://www.nrc.gov,; and, to the extent appropriate under the circumstances;
(e) Action under the second sentence of paragraph (a) or (b) of this section shall be taken only when the Commission finds that the public interest in prompt Commission action or
the need to protect the common defense or security or to protect the public health or safety overrides the public interest in having full prior notice of Commission meetings.
§ 9.108 Certification, transcripts, recordings and minutes.
(a) For every meeting closed pursuant to paragraphs (a) (1) through (10) of § 9.104 and for every determination pursuant to § 9.105(c), the General Counsel shall publicly certify at
the time of the public announcement of the meeting, or if there is no public announcement at the earliest practical time, that, in his or her opinion, the meeting may be closed to the
public and shall state each relevant exemptive provision unless the Commission votes pursuant to § 9.105(c) that such certification is protected against disclosure by § 9.104(a). A
copy of such certification, together with a statement from the presiding officer of the meeting setting forth the time and place of the meeting, and the persons present, shall be
retained by the Commission. The Commission shall maintain a complete transcript or electronic recording adequate to record fully the proceedings of each meeting, or portion of a
meeting closed to the public, except that in the case of a meeting, or portion of a meeting, closed to the public pursuant to paragraph (c)(10) of § 9.104, the Commission shall
maintain such a transcript, or recording or a set of minutes. Such minutes shall fully and clearly describe all matters discussed and shall provide a full and accurate summary of any
actions taken, and the reasons therefor, including a description of each of the views expressed on any item and the record of any rollcall vote (reflecting the vote of each
Commissioner on the question). All documents considered in connection with any action shall be identified in such minutes.
(b) The Commission shall make promptly available to the public at the NRC Web site, http://www.nrc.gov, the transcript, electronic recording, or minutes (as required by paragraph
(a) of this section) of the discussion of any item on the agenda, or of any item of the testimony of any witness received at the meeting, except for such item or items of such
discussion or testimony as the Commission determines pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section to contain information which may be withheld under § 9.104 or § 9.105(c). Copies of
such transcript, or minutes, or a transcription of such recording disclosing the identity of each speaker, shall be furnished to any person upon payment of the actual cost of
duplication or transcription as provided in § 9.14. The Secretary shall maintain a complete verbatim copy of the transcript, a complete copy of the minutes, or a complete electronic
recording of each meeting, or portion of a meeting, closed to the public, for a period of at least two years after such meeting, or until one year after the conclusion of any
Commission proceeding with respect to which the meeting or portion was held, whichever occurs later.
(c) In the case of any meeting closed pursuant to § 9.104, the Secretary of the Commission, upon the advice of the General Counsel and after consultation with the Commission,
shall determine which, if any, portions of the electronic recording, transcript or minutes and which, if any, items of information withheld pursuant to § 9.105(c) contain information
which should be withheld pursuant to § 9.104, in the event that a request for the recording, transcript, or minutes is received within the period during which the recording, transcript,
or minutes must be retained, under paragraph (b) of this section.
(d) If at some later time the Commission determines that there is no further justification for withholding any transcript, recording or other item of information from the public which
has previously been withheld, then such information shall be made available.
§ 9.109 Report to Congress.
The Secretary shall annually report to the Congress regarding the Commission's compliance with the Government in the
Sunshine Act, including a tabulation of the total number of open meetings, the total number of closed meetings, the reasons
for closing such meetings and a description of any litigation brought against the Commission pursuant to the Government
in the Sunshine Act, including any cost assessed against the Commission in such litigation (whether or not paid by the
Subpart D--Production or Disclosure in Response to Subpoenas or Demands of Courts or Other Authorities
§ 9.200 Scope of subpart.
(a) This subpart sets forth the procedures to be followed when a subpoena, order, or other demand (hereinafter referred to
as a "demand") for the production of NRC records or disclosure of NRC information, including testimony regarding such
records, is issued by a court or other judicial or quasi-judicial authority in a proceeding, excluding Federal grand jury
proceedings, to which the NRC is not a party. Information and documents subject to this subpart include:
(b) For purposes of this subpart, the term "employee of the NRC" includes all NRC personnel as that term is defined in
§ 9.3 of this part, including NRC contractors.
(c) This subpart is intended to provide instructions regarding the internal operations of the NRC and is not intended, and
does not, and may not, be relied upon to create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law by a party
against the NRC.
§ 9.201 Production or disclosure prohibited unless approved by appropriate NRC official.
No employee of the NRC shall, in response to a demand of a court or other judicial or quasi-judicial authority, produce any
material contained in the files of the NRC or disclose, through testimony or other means, any information relating to
material contained in the files of the NRC, or disclose any information or produce any material acquired as part of the
performance of that employee's official duties or official status without prior approval of the appropriate NRC official.
When the demand is for material contained in the files of the Office of the Inspector General or for information acquired by
an employee of that Office, the Inspector General is the appropriate NRC official. In all other cases, the General Counsel is
the appropriate NRC official.
§ 9.202 Procedure in the event of a demand for production or disclosure.
(a) Prior to or simultaneous with a demand upon an employee of the NRC for the production of material or the disclosure of
information described in § 9.200, the party seeking production or disclosure shall serve the General Counsel of the NRC
with an affidavit or statement as described in paragraphs (b) (1) and (2) of this section. Except for employees in the Office
of Inspector General, whenever a demand is made upon an employee of the NRC for the production of material or the
disclosure of information described in § 9.200, that employee shall immediately notify the General Counsel. If the demand
is made upon a regional NRC employee, that employee shall immediately notify the Regional Counsel who, in turn, shall
immediately request instructions from the General Counsel. If the demand is made upon an employee in the Office of
Inspector General, that employee shall immediately notify the Inspector General. The Inspector General shall immediately
provide a copy of the demand to the General Counsel, and as deemed necessary, consult with the General Counsel.
(b)(1) If oral testimony is sought by the demand, a summary of the testimony desired must be furnished to the General
Counsel by a detailed affidavit or, if that is not feasible, a detailed statement by the party seeking the testimony or the
party's attorney. This requirement may be waived by the General Counsel in appropriate circumstances.
(2) The General Counsel may request a plan from the party seeking discovery of all demands then reasonably foreseeable,
including but not limited to, names of all NRC personnel from whom discovery is or will be sought, areas of inquiry, length
of time away from duty involved, and identification of documents to be used in each deposition, where appropriate.
(c) The Inspector General or the General Counsel will notify the employee and such other persons, as circumstances may
warrant, of the decision on the matter.
§ 9.203 Procedure where response to demand is required prior to receiving instructions.
If a response to the demand is required before the instructions from the Inspector General or the General Counsel are
received, a U.S. attorney or NRC attorney designated for the purpose shall appear with the employee of the NRC upon
whom the demand has been made, and shall furnish the court or other authority with a copy of the regulations contained in
this subpart and inform the court or other authority that the demand has been, or is being, as the case may be, referred for
the prompt consideration of the appropriate NRC official and shall respectfully request the court or authority to stay the
demand pending receipt of the requested instructions. In the event that an immediate demand for production or disclosure is
made in circumstances which would preclude the proper designation or appearance of a U.S. or NRC attorney on the
employee's behalf, the employee shall respectfully request the demanding authority for sufficient time to obtain advice of
§ 9.204 Procedure in the event of an adverse ruling.
If the court or other judicial or quasi-judicial authority declines to stay the effect of the demand in response to a request
made in accordance with § 9.203 pending receipt of instructions, or if the court or other authority rules that the demand
must be complied with irrespective of instructions not to produce the material or disclose the information sought, the
employee upon whom the demand has been made shall respectfully decline to comply with the demand, citing these
regulations and United States ex rel. Touhy v. Ragen, 340 U.S. 462 (1951).