High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is an independent agency of the United States government that was established by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 from the United States Atomic Energy Commission, and was first opened January 19, 1975. The NRC oversees reactor safety and security, reactor licensing and renewal, radioactive material safety, and spent fuel management (storage, security, recycling, and disposal). Some observers have criticized the Commission as an example of regulatory capture and the NRC has been accused of doing an inadequate job by the Union of Concerned Scientists.