The
Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 is a United States federal law that established the
Nuclear Regulatory CommissionNuclear Regulatory Commission is a United States government agency that was established by the Energy Reorganization Act in 1974, and was first opened January 19, 1975. The NRC took over the role of oversight of nuclear energy matters and nuclear safety from the AEC, or Atomic Energy Commission...
. Under the
Atomic Energy Act of 1954The Atomic Energy Act of 1954, 42 U.S.C. § 2011 et seq., is a United States federal law that is, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, "the fundamental U.S...
, a single agency, the
U.S. Atomic Energy CommissionThe United States Atomic Energy Commission was an agency of the United States government established after World War II by Congress to foster and control the peace time development of atomic science and technology. President Harry S...
, had responsibility for the development and production of nuclear weapons and for both the development and the
safety regulationNuclear safety covers the actions taken to prevent nuclear and radiation accidents or to limit their consequences. This covers nuclear power plants as well as all other nuclear facilities, the transportation of nuclear materials, the use and storage of nuclear materials for medical, power,...
of the civilian uses of nuclear materials. The Act of 1974 split these functions, assigning to the
Energy Research and Development AdministrationThe United States Energy Research and Development Administration was a United States government organization formed from the split of the Atomic Energy Commission in 1975...
(now the
United States Department of EnergyThe United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
) the responsibility for the development and production of nuclear weapons, promotion of nuclear power, and other energy-related work, and assigning to the NRC the regulatory work, which does not include regulation of defense nuclear facilities.
The
Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 is a United States federal law that established the
Nuclear Regulatory CommissionNuclear Regulatory Commission is a United States government agency that was established by the Energy Reorganization Act in 1974, and was first opened January 19, 1975. The NRC took over the role of oversight of nuclear energy matters and nuclear safety from the AEC, or Atomic Energy Commission...
. Under the
Atomic Energy Act of 1954The Atomic Energy Act of 1954, 42 U.S.C. § 2011 et seq., is a United States federal law that is, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, "the fundamental U.S...
, a single agency, the
U.S. Atomic Energy CommissionThe United States Atomic Energy Commission was an agency of the United States government established after World War II by Congress to foster and control the peace time development of atomic science and technology. President Harry S...
, had responsibility for the development and production of nuclear weapons and for both the development and the
safety regulationNuclear safety covers the actions taken to prevent nuclear and radiation accidents or to limit their consequences. This covers nuclear power plants as well as all other nuclear facilities, the transportation of nuclear materials, the use and storage of nuclear materials for medical, power,...
of the civilian uses of nuclear materials. The Act of 1974 split these functions, assigning to the
Energy Research and Development AdministrationThe United States Energy Research and Development Administration was a United States government organization formed from the split of the Atomic Energy Commission in 1975...
(now the
United States Department of EnergyThe United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
) the responsibility for the development and production of nuclear weapons, promotion of nuclear power, and other energy-related work, and assigning to the NRC the regulatory work, which does not include regulation of defense nuclear facilities. The Act of 1974 gave the Commission its collegial structure and established its major offices.
A later amendment to the Act also provided protections for employees, whistleblowers, who raise
nuclear safetyNuclear safety covers the actions taken to prevent nuclear and radiation accidents or to limit their consequences. This covers nuclear power plants as well as all other nuclear facilities, the transportation of nuclear materials, the use and storage of nuclear materials for medical, power,...
concerns. Whistleblowers who believe they suffered retaliation for their protected activities have to file a written complaint with the
Occupational Safety and Health AdministrationThe United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Labor. It was created by Congress of the United States under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, signed by President Richard M. Nixon, on December 29, 1970...
(OSHA) within 180 days of the first notice of the adverse action. The whistleblowers would later have a choice of having their claim heard by an administrative law judge of the
United States Department of LaborThe United States Department of Labor is a Cabinet department of the United States government responsible for occupational safety, wage and hour standards, unemployment insurance benefits, re-employment services, and some economic statistics. Many U.S. states also have such departments. The...
or file a lawsuit in court and seek a trial to a judge or jury.
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