Nuclear Regulator Updating How It Handles Public Safety Concerns

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is aiming to respond more quickly to the public’s nuclear power plant safety concerns after the agency’s inspector general said the NRC’s slow response time is likely to erode public trust.

Any member of the public who has a safety concern about a nuclear power plant or other nuclear materials site has the right under federal law to petition the NRC to investigate and enforce safety regulations against the site operator. The petition process is known by the section of federal code that authorizes it—Title 10, Section 2.206.

Petitions sometimes take more than ...