42 U.S.C. § 5843 — Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

(a) Establishment; appointment of Director^* This section establishes in the Commission an Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation under the direction of a Director of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, who must be appointed by the Commission, who can report directly to the Commission, as provided in section 5849 of this title , and who must serve at the pleasure of and be removable by the Commission.

(b) Functions of Director Subject to the provisions of this chapter, the Director of Nuclear Reactor Regulation must perform such functions as the Commission must delegate, including the following:
(1) Principal licensing and regulation involving all facilities, and materials licensed under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended [ 42 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.], associated with the construction and operation of nuclear reactors licensed under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended;
(2) Review the safety and safeguards of all such facilities, materials, and activities, and such review functions must include, but not be limited to—
(A) monitoring, testing and recommending upgrading of systems designed to prevent substantial health or safety hazards; and
(B) evaluating methods of transporting special nuclear and other nuclear materials and of transporting and storing high-level radioactive wastes to prevent radiation hazards to employees and the general public.
(3) Recommend research necessary to fulfill the licensing and regulatory oversight functions of the Commission.

(c) Licensing process In carrying out the principal licensing and regulation functions under subsection (b)(1), the Director of Nuclear Reactor Regulation must—
(1) establish techniques and guidance for evaluating applications for licenses for nuclear reactors to support efficient, timely, and predictable reviews of applications for those licenses to enable the safe and secure use of nuclear reactors;
(2) maintain the techniques and guidance established under paragraph (1) by periodically assessing and, if necessary, modifying those techniques and guidance; and
(3) obtain approval from the Commission if establishment or modification of the techniques and guidance under paragraph (1) or
(2) involves policy formulation.

(d) Responsibility for safe operation of facilities Nothing in this section must be construed to limit in any way the functions of the Administration relating to the safe operation of all facilities resulting from all activities within the jurisdiction of the Administration under this chapter.