Enforcement Policy
The Enforcement Policy was last updated on June 7, 2012, and is available in the NRC’s Agencywide Document Access and Management System (ADAMS) at ML12132A394. The Enforcement Policy explains the NRC's policies and procedures in initiating enforcement actions and the responsibilities of the presiding officers and the Commission in reviewing these actions.
(Note: For cross-reference and historical purposes, the previous version of the Enforcement Policy, dated November 28, 2008, is available in ADAMS at ML092440278.)
This policy statement is applicable to enforcement matters involving the radiological health and safety of the public, including employee health and safety, the common defense and security, and the environment.
In a notice published in the Federal Register on March 16, 2005, the Commission announced its intent to use the NRC public Web site and and the NRC's Agencywide Document Access and Management System (ADAMS) to communicate its "General Statement of Policy and Procedure for NRC Enforcement Actions - Enforcement Policy," to discontinue publication of the paper document, NUREG-1600, and to simplify the official policy statement title. The NRC is taking these actions because the policy statement is available electronically on the NRC public Web site and is widely known as the "NRC Enforcement Policy."
The following links are to recent proposed revisions of the Enforcement Policy, which the NRC issued for public comment and NRC's responses to the public's comments:
- December 6, 2011 Proposed Enforcement Policy Revision, request for comments
- Summary of public comments on the Policy and the staff's responses to those comments for Federal Register Notice (76 FR 76192).
- September 6, 2011 Proposed Enforcement Policy Revision, request for comments
- Summary of public comments on the Policy and the staff's responses to those comments for Federal Register Notice (76 FR 54986).
- August 9, 2011 Soliciation of comments on Proposed Revisions
- Summary of public comments on the Policy and the staff's responses to those comments for Federal Register Notice (76 FR 48919).
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(Proposed revisions in response to items in SRM-SECY-09-0190 and other revisions proposed by the staff)
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(Proposed revisions in response to items in SRM-SECY-09-0190 and other revisions proposed by the staff)
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(Proposed revisions on construction-related topics)
The following links are to recent revisions of the Enforcement Policy:
- June 7, 2012 Enforcement Policy Revision
- July 12, 2011 Enforcement Policy Revision
- April 25, 2011 Enforcement Policy Revision
- September 30, 2010 Enforcement Policy Revision
- November 28, 2008 Enforcement Policy Revision
- September 10, 2008, Enforcement Policy change
- January 7, 2008, Enforcement Policy revision
- April 18, 2006, Enforcement Policy revision
- January 14, 2005, Enforcement Policy revision
- November 15, 2004, Enforcement Policy revision
- October 26, 2004, Enforcement Policy revision
- August 13, 2004, Enforcement Policy revision
- June 16, 2004, Enforcement Policy revision
- February 18, 2004, Enforcement Policy revision
- January 5, 2004, Enforcement Policy revision
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(Revision related to construction topics, including enforcement discretion.)
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(Extension for Interim Enforcement Discretion for Certain Fire Protection Issues [staggered submittal approach].)
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(Revision related to interim Policy for minimum days off requirements of the NRC’s fitness for duty regulation.)
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(Major revision to clarify the use of terms and update the Policy, removing outdated information and adding information addressing enforcement issues in areas that are not currently directly addressed in the Policy.)
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(Revision related to adjustment of civil monetary penalties based on inflation, effective on October 23, 2008.)
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(The NRC May Grant A Six Month Extension of Discretion for Certain Fire Protection Issues.)
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(Revision related to civil penalty authority over contractors and subcontractors
for violations of employee protection regulations.)
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(Extension of Discretion Period of Interim for Certain Fire Protection
Issues.)
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(Extension for Interim Enforcement Discretion for Certain Fire Protection Issues.)
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(Revision related to Notices of Enforcement Discretion.)
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(Revision related to adjustment of civil monetary penalties based on inflation, effective November 26, 2004.)
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(Interim Enforcement Regarding the Use of Alternative Dispute Resolution.)
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(Interim Enforcement Discretion Policy for Certain Fire Protection Issues.)
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(Correction of previous Policy revision to include the deadline for submitting comments and correcting the methods for submitting comments.)
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(Revision related to action against non-licensees for violations involving packaging and transportation.)
For previous revisions of the Enforcement Policy, see History of Enforcement Policy.