§ 1.41 - Office of Federal and State Materials and Environmental Management Programs.

(a) The Office of Federal and State Materials and Environmental Management Programs (FSME) is responsible for protecting the public health and safety, the common defense and security, and the environment by licensing, inspecting, and assessing environmental impacts for all nuclear material facilities and activities which are not the responsibility of the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS). FSME is also responsible for developing all new regulations and amending existing regulations for all nuclear material facilities and activities regulated by both FSME and NMSS.

(b) The Office of Federal and State Materials and Environmental Management Programs—

(1) Plans and directs NRC's program of cooperation and liaison with States, local governments, interstate and Indian Tribe organizations; and coordinates liaison with other Federal Agencies;

(2) Participates in formulation of policies involving NRC/State cooperation and liaison;

(3) Develops and directs administrative and contractual programs for coordinating and integrating Federal and State regulatory activities;

(4) Maintains liaison between NRC and State, interstate, regional, Indian Tribal, and quasi-governmental organizations on regulatory matters;

(5) Promotes NRC visibility and performs general liaison with other Federal Agencies, and keeps NRC management informed of significant developments at other Federal Agencies which affect the NRC;

(6) Monitors nuclear-related State legislative activities;

(7) Directs regulatory activities of State Liaison and State Agreement Officers located in Regional Offices;

(8) Participates in policy matters on State Public Utility Commissions (PUCs);

(9) Administers the State Agreements program in a partnership arrangement with the States;

(10) Develops staff policy and procedures and implements State Agreements program under the provisions of section 274b of the Atomic Energy Act (the Act), as amended;

(11) Provides oversight of program of periodic routine reviews of Agreement State programs to determine their adequacy and compatibility as required by section 274j of the Act and other periodic reviews that may be performed to maintain a current level of knowledge of the status of the Agreement State programs;

(12) Provides training to the States as provided by section 274i of the Act and also to NRC staff and staff of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force;

(13) Provides technical assistance to Agreement States;

(14) Maintains an exchange of information with the States;

(15) Conducts negotiations with States expressing an interest in seeking a section 274b Agreement;

(16) Supports, consistent with Commission directives, State efforts to improve regulatory control for radiation safety over radioactive materials not covered by the Act;

(17) Serves as the NRC liaison to the Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors, Inc. (CRCPD) and coordinates NRC technical support of CRCPD committees;

(18) Develops, promulgates, and amends regulations generally associated with the materials regulated by both FSME and NMSS and for all security-related regulations which will be applied to licensees and holders of certificates of compliance issued by FSME and NMSS;

(19) Develops and implements NRC policy for the regulation of activities involving safety, quality, approval, and inspection of the use and handling of nuclear and other radioactive materials, such as uranium activities;

(20) Regulates medical, industrial, academic, and commercial uses of radioactive isotopes;

(21) Oversees safe management and disposal of low-level radioactive wastes;

(22) Plans and directs program for financial assurance of FSME licensees;

(23) Manages the decommissioning of facilities and sites when their licensed functions are over;

(24) Supports safeguards activities including—

(i) Developing overall agency policy;

(ii) Monitoring and assessing the threat environment, including liaison with intelligence agencies, as appropriate; and

(iii) Conducting licensing and review activities appropriate to deter and protect against threats of radiological sabotage and threats of theft or diversion of nuclear material at regulated facilities and during transport; and

(25) Identifies and takes action for activities under its responsibility, including consulting and coordinating with international, Federal, State, Indian Tribal and local agencies, as appropriate.