Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (NUREG/BR-0466)

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Publication Information

Date Published: February 2010

Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research
U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Washington, DC 20555-0001

Introduction

The Atomic Energy Act of 1954 provided the framework for the widespread use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. The 1954 Act created the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission to both regulate nuclear power and to encourage the use of nuclear energy.

In 1974, the Energy Reorganization Act split the two functions of the Atomic Energy Commission. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) was created to regulate the safe operation of commercial nuclear power and began operation on January 19, 1975. Initially, the U.S. Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) was created to manage energy research and development, nuclear weapons, and naval reactors programs. In 1977, ERDA was combined with the Federal Energy Administration to form the U.S. Department of Energy.