OMNIBUS SPENDING BILL INCLUDES REVERSION OF NRC SENSITIVE DOCUMENT POLICY

The omnibus spending bill released this week includes language that would stipulate the Nuclear Regulatory Commission revert its sensitive document policy towards Congressional requests for information back to its 2011 version of the Commission policy. This addition to the bill would cancel the much-maligned sensitive document policy update from September that applied restrictions as to which congressmen could receive the sensitive information. Under the general provisions for independent agencies section of Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2014, the bill reads, “The Nuclear Regulatory Commission shall comply with the July 5, 2011, version of Chapter VI of its Internal Commission Procedures when responding to Congressional requests for information.” The NRC’s new policy says that only Chairs and Ranking Members can receive sensitive documents, but even then, NRC staff has the ability to limit sending them the sensitive material. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chair Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) led the Congressional outcry about the new policy, sending a letter to NRC Chair Allison Macfarlane criticizing the new rule as a form of oversight circumvention. The NRC said yesterday that it will do whatever Congress directs it to do.