Petition the NRC To Take an Enforcement Action

The process of issuing sanctions against an NRC licensee or other person subject to the Commission's jurisdiction for violating NRC regulations is called Enforcement. Although an enforcement action is most often initiated by the NRC staff, any member of the public may raise potential health and safety issues in a petition to the NRC. This provision is contained in Subpart B, Section 2.206 of the NRC's regulations and therefore petitions submitted under this regulation are often referred to as "2.206" petitions. If warranted, the NRC can take action to modify, suspend, or revoke a license, or take other appropriate enforcement action to resolve a problem identified in a 2.206 petition.

• Before You Submit a 2.206 Petition
• How To Submit a 2.206 Petition
• How NRC Processes a 2.206 Petition
• More Information (Brochure, Management Directive 8.11, Desktop Guide)

See the 2.206 Petition Documents webpage for a table that includes information on active and recently completed petitions and also includes the links below to periodic 2.206 petition status reports and issued director’s decisions.

• Status Reports of Current and Recent 2.206 Petitions
• Director's Decisions on Completed 2.206 Petitions

Before You Submit a 2.206 Petition

Before you submit a 2.206 petition, you may wish to contact the agency's 2.206 Coordinator, NRR Division of Operating Reactor Licensing, 301-415-1383, to –

• obtain more information about the procedure and process for filing and responding to a 2.206 petition;

• request assistance to help you clarify a potential petition so that the NRC is able to better understand the nature of the issues of concern to you.

How To Submit a 2.206 Petition

Requests must be addressed to the Executive Director for Operations and must be filed by --

E-mail addressed to –
Executive Director for Operations
Petition.Resource@nrc.gov

or by delivery to –

NRC Public Document Room
11555 Rockville Pike
Rockville, Maryland 20852

or by mail addressed to --

Executive Director for Operations
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Washington, DC 20555-0001

The request must specify the action requested and set forth the specific facts supporting the request for the NRC to take enforcement-related action. Unsupported assertions of safety problems or general opposition to nuclear power are not considered sufficient grounds for action.

Requests may also be submitted using the General Submission Form on the NRC Electronic Information Exchange (EIE) system, E-mail, Delivery Service, FAX, and in person.

How NRC Processes a 2.206 Petition

The Executive Director for Operations will refer the request to the Director of the NRC office with responsibility for the subject of the request for appropriate action.

If the request satisfies the criteria for review as a 2.206 petition (as specified in Management Directive 8.11), the staff will send you an acknowledgment letter. Within a reasonable time thereafter, the responsible office Director will issue a "Director's decision" that either grants the requested action in whole or in part or denies the request and gives the reasons for the decision. If the request is not accepted for review as a 2.206 petition, you will be so notified. Your request will be treated as regular correspondence and you will get a response to your concerns.

Director's decisions will be filed with the Office of the Secretary. Within 25 days after the date of a Director's decision, the Commission may decide to review that decision. However, no petition or other request for Commission review of a Director's decision under this section will be entertained by the Commission.

Once a petition is accepted for review, and throughout the petition process, you will be informed of progress and given copies of all relevant correspondence. A public meeting may be held, if appropriate.

The NRC publishes a notice in the Federal Register when it receives a 2.206 petition, and again when the Director's decision is issued. In addition, a Status Report of Petitions Under Review and Director's Decisions on Completed Petitions are published at this Web site.

More Information

More information on the petition process may be found in our brochure on this subject, "Enforcement Petition Process," and in Management Directive 8.11 and the Desktop Guide, which provide guidance on the review process for 10 CFR 2.206 Petitions for NRC staff.

The NRC has initiated efforts to update the 2.206 process.  On October 20, 2020, the NRC held a public meeting to discuss proposed changes to the 2.206 process described in Management Directive 8.11, “Review Process for 10 CFR 2.206 Petitions.”  Please see the transcript for the meeting.