NRC RESTORES VARIOUS DOCUMENTS
REMOVED FROM WEB SITE FOR SECURITY REVIEW
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The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has restored various documents that were temporarily removed from its web site Oct. 25 for an additional security review. These documents are related to a possible application for a high-level waste repository. The remainder of the restoration will proceed in a phased manner, based on priorities and feasibility, with large portions of the information expected to be restored in the next several weeks.

The Oct. 25 suspension of public access to documents on ADAMS, the NRC’s on-line document library, took place when documents were identified on that library that could possibly aid terrorists. The agency concluded that this finding warranted a temporary suspension of public access while the agency conducted a review to determine if other documents were present containing information such as drawings of site layouts.

Most documents removed were located on ADAMS, which is accessible through the NRC web site at www.nrc.gov. Many other documents on the web site have remained available, allowing the public to participate in the majority of the Commission’s ongoing regulatory activities. For example, access to the majority of rulemaking documents has continued to be available via the Ruleforum website, which was not affected by the ADAMS shutdown.

“The Commission is committed to conducting its work in the open to protect public health, safety, and security while maintaining appropriate accessibility to its activities,” said NRC Chairman Nils J. Diaz. “However, we will withhold any information that could be useful, or could reasonably be expected to be useful, to a terrorist.”

NRC yesterday restored references to the staff’s document collection in its electronic Licensing Support Network (www.lsnnet.gov) for a possible application for a high-level waste repository. (Documents from other potential parties to a Yucca Mountain hearing remained available through the Licensing Support Network during the period while NRC links were removed.) High-level waste documents on the electronic hearing docket (located at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/ehd.html#2) have also been restored for public access.

The agency expects to restore the remaining documents, in the following priority order, over the next few weeks:

• Additional hearing-related documents (i.e., non-high-level waste)


• Time-sensitive documents related to opportunities for hearing or needed for public reviews and comments, including license amendment applications


• Other nuclear reactor documents, and other documents not related to specific facilities, in ADAMS

Restoration of documents dealing with nuclear materials (i.e., non-reactor documents) is expected to take longer.

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Tuesday, December 09, 2008