Atomic Safety and Licensing Board

United States
Department of Energy

Seal of the Department of Energy
James Forrestal headquarters complex in Washington, D.C.
Department overview
Formed	August 4, 1977
Preceding agencies	Energy Research and Development Administration Federal Energy Administration
Employees	16,000 federal (2009)[1] 93,094 contract (2008)
Annual budget	$24.1 billion (2009)
Department executives	Steven Chu, Secretary Daniel Poneman, Deputy Secretary.
Website	energy.gov

A unit of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission authorized under the Atomic Energy Act, the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel consists of administrative law judges who hear complaints similar to ordinary district court except for subject matter jurisdiction which pertains to matters under the Act, specifically, nuclear safety issues pertaining to licensed nuclear power plants. There are in excess of one hundred such plants in the United States, some of which are subject to litigation before the panel.^[2]

Scope of authority

Licensing Boards conduct public hearings concerning contested issues that arise in the course of licensing and enforcement. The scope is restricted to nuclear reactors and the civilian use of nuclear materials .^[3][4] Jurisdiction is limited to civilian commercial nuclear power reactors, test and research reactors in the United States. Thus, plants owned by US firms or operated by the US government in overseas location, are exempt.^[4]

Mandate

The NRC is charged to protect the public health, safety, and the environment. The ASLB does not look to promotion of nuclear or atomic energy as any concern. It differs from "similar federal regulatory or administrative tribunals" in that the three Board judges usually consist of one attorney and two scientific experts.^[5] "Individuals who are directly affected by any licensing action involving a facility producing or utilizing nuclear materials can participate in a hearing..."^[6]

Current and historic concerns

Matters under adjudication include "early site permits", operating licenses for proposed nuclear reactors, Yucca Mountain, and the contentions ^[7] of Mothers for Peace with regard to Diablo Canyon Power Plant.^[8] In the aftermath of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident, regulatory pressures are expected to increase.^[9]

Diablo Canyon Power Plant

DCPP is located in an area proximal to several earthquake faults which have created increasing public anxiety in 2011. As a result,both the operator, Pacific Gas and Electric, anti-nuclear activists, and public officials requested that the litigation before the Board, as well as re-licensing of the plant, to be suspended pending completion of three dimensional seismic studies. This request was granted,^[10] with all sides ^[11] claiming the move as a victory for their respective causes.

See also

• Diablo Canyon Power Plant
• Diablo Canyon earthquake vulnerability
• Mothers for Peace
• Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility
• Nuclear safety
• Nuclear safety in the United States
• Nuclear energy policy in the United States
• Nuclear energy policy in the United States
• United States Department of Energy
• United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission
• Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
• Nuclear Regulatory Commission
• Proposed and finalized federal regulations from the United States Department of Energy
• GovEnergy

Agencies under the United States Department of Energy
Headquarters: James V. Forrestal Building Ernest Moniz, Secretary of Energy Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, Deputy Secretary of Energy
Deputy Secretary of Energy	Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence Energy Information Administration ARPA-E
Under Secretary of Energy for Energy and Environment	Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Under Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Security	National Nuclear Security Administration
Under Secretary of Energy for Science	Office of Science OSTI
Assistant Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Energy	Office of Nuclear Energy
Power Marketing Administration	Bonneville Power Administration Southeastern Power Administration Southwestern Power Administration Western Area Power Administration
National Laboratory System	Ames Argonne NBL CNM APS ATLAS EMC Berkeley ALS MF NCEM NERSCC ESN JGI Brookhaven AGS CFN NSLS NSLS II RHIC Fermilab TeV Idaho RESL JLab Livermore NARAC NIF Los Alamos DARHTF NETL Albany NREL Oak Ridge SNS CNMS HFIR NCCS Pacific Northwest EMSL PPPL NSTX TFTR SRNL Sandia Z SLAC SSRL
Energy Department Facilities and Reservations	Fernald NLO Hanford K-25 Kansas City Plant Nevada Test Site Area 19 Area 20 NHHOR Pantex Rocky Flats SSFL ETEC SRE SRS SPR WIPP Y-12 Yucca Mountain
Independent Agency	Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Federal executive departments of the United States of America
Executive Departments	Agriculture Commerce Defense Education Energy Health and Human Services Homeland Security Housing and Urban Development Interior Justice Labor State Transportation Treasury Veterans Affairs
Former	Air Force Army Commerce and Labor Health, Education, and Welfare Navy Post Office War

References

External links

• The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission supervises the US Nuclear industry
• Nuclear Power Safety and Security Information