Nuclear Regulatory Commission announce merger of Nuclear Reactor Offices

National Regulatory Commission (NRC) officials announced Tuesday that the agency has merged offices with the overarching goal of enhancing internal coordination, staff workload balancing, and response to commercial nuclear plant issues.

The NRC said its Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation and Office of New Reactors has become the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.

“We’ve merged these two important offices after extensive planning aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of our reactor safety programs to reflect an evolving industry,” Margaret M. Doane, NRC executive director for Operations, said. “The new organization can pivot critical skills to address oversight of the operating fleet and plants under construction, as well as ongoing and anticipated licensing activities for evolutionary and revolutionary reactor designs.”

The action provides a team focused on the NRC’s project management and technical review activities for the new reactors under construction at the Vogtle site in Georgia, noting the merged office also has divisions devoted to reactor oversight; operating reactor licensing; new and renewed licenses; advanced reactors and non-power production or utilization facilities; risk assessment; engineering and external hazards; and safety systems.

The leadership hierarchy includes Ho Nieh continuing as director of the merged office, supported by three deputy directors: Mirela Gavrilas, deputy director for Reactor Safety Programs and Mission Support; Andrea Veil, deputy director for Engineering Programs and Mission Support; and Robert Taylor, deputy director for New Reactors.