Drones flying overhead and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
This is where the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) plays a vital role. How so? The mission of the NRC , an independent agency funded by the federal government, is to ‘ensure the safe use of radioactive materials’ for the benefit of US civilians, while at the same time providing protection to its inhabitants and the environment.
So much for lofty goals. As it carries out its mission, the NRC regulates commercial nuclear power plants and other uses of nuclear materials, such as in nuclear medicine, through licensing, inspection and enforcement of its requirements.
NRC has oversight for nuclear materials and radioactive waste transport, storage and disposal
NRC operates on a budget of about $1 billion and employs approximately 3,000 staff.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s operations involve:
- Nuclear reactors (for the generation of electric power, research testing and training)
- Nuclear materials (used in medical, industrial and academic facilities)
- Radioactive waste (oversight for the transporting of, distribution, storage and disposal)
- Nuclear security (protect public safety and security by “guarding against theft and sabotage’)
Teleworking federal government workers, regulation and securing radioactive waste
Teleworking federal government workers and the regulation, transport, securitization of radioactive waste. Is it a misnomer or what? US Senator Shelley Moore Capito and US Representative Byron Donalds seemed to think so.
The last two bullets are of peculiar interest at this time. Why?
- Rampant speculation to suggest during the transport of radioactive waste materials, the whereabouts of some waste, is unknown.
- Securing the nation from a potential nuclear threat might prove troublesome considering (item#1). The radioactive waste material can not be accounted for, how is it that the agency has effectively ‘guard[ed] against theft and sabotage?
NRC response to FOIA for 2019-2023 Federal Employee Telework Data
We are releasing NRCs response to our Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. We wanted to see data demonstrating the number of civil servants charged with regulating and securing nuclear waste (and other duties) work at home, from anywhere or those that are not required to report regularly to a traditional office.
MEAD_Final Response FOIA-2024-000138 Signed_compressed
We were not alone in our quest. NRC provided responsive data tables and spreadsheets on teleworking staff. Further, NRC gave us their response to requests from Honorable U.S. Representative Byron Donalds and Honorable US Senator Shelley Moore Capito.
We’ve attached them here.
MEAD_Responsive Record II FOIA-2024-000138 6-28-23 Letter to the Honorable Byron Donalds_compressed
Other US Federal Agency Responses to Requests for Federal Employee Telework Data
- US Agency for Global Media
- US National Archives and Records Administration
- US White House Office of National Drug Control Policy
- US Department of Defense ( Pentagon ) Office of Inspector General
- US Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General
- US Election Assistance Commission
- US National Endowment of the Arts
- 2019-2024 US Consolidated Federal Telework Data: PDF (Spreadsheet, Data Tables Coming Soon!)
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Agency (NRC) FOIA Response for Federal Employee Telework Data Tables
NRC 2019-2023 Telework Data Table 1
Year | No. FT+PT Staff | No. Eligible | No. Employ Participating in Telework | No. Telework Home primary AND RTO Regularly |
---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | No rec. avail. | No rec. avail. | No rec. avail. | No rec. avail. |
2020 | 2799 | 2793 | 2799 | 2793 |
2021 | 2881 | 2878 | 2878 | 2878 |
2022 | 2640 | 2630 | 2630 | 2630 |
2023 | 2970 | 2965 | 2943 | 2943 |
NRC 2019-2023 Telework Data Table 2
No. Telework Home primary DONOT Rprt regular | Telework w/WFH Agreements precondition to participate | Teleworkers w/o written agreement | Teleworkers Accept. Perform | Teleworkers Nonperformers |
---|---|---|---|---|
No rec. avail. | No rec. avail. | No rec. avail. | No rec. avail. | No rec. avail. |
1850 | 2793 | 0 | unkn. | unkn. |
2878 | 2878 | 0 | unkn. | unkn. |
167 | 2630 | 0 | unkn. | unkn. |
181 | 2965 | 0 | unkn. | unkn. |
NRC 2019-2023 Telework Data Table 3
Discipl. Steps*Blanket Response | Telework Revocations Misconduct* | Telework denials-Security* | New Staff Mg Telework* | New duties staff Mg Telework | Re-assign staff Mg Telework*N/A Not Available | No. Employees/No. Incidents* |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Appropriate steps for terminating a telework agreement for employees disciplined for misconduct 1. Supervior informs employee in writing of termination of telework agreement. 2. Supervisor sends notice and reason for termination to the telework coordinator via email. 3. Termination is recorded in the employee's telework file. | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Appropriate steps for terminating a telework agreement for employees disciplined for misconduct 1. Supervior informs employee in writing of termination of telework agreement. 2. Supervisor sends notice and reason for termination to the telework coordinator via email. 3. Termination is recorded in the employee's telework file. | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Appropriate steps for terminating a telework agreement for employees disciplined for misconduct 1. Supervior informs employee in writing of termination of telework agreement. 2. Supervisor sends notice and reason for termination to the telework coordinator via email. 3. Termination is recorded in the employee's telework file. | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Appropriate steps for terminating a telework agreement for employees disciplined for misconduct 1. Supervior informs employee in writing of termination of telework agreement. 2. Supervisor sends notice and reason for termination to the telework coordinator via email. 3. Termination is recorded in the employee's telework file. | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
No rec. avail. | No rec. avail. | No rec. avail. | No rec. avail. | No rec. avail. | No rec. avail. | No rec. avail. |