NRC Opens Help Desk to Assist Public with Electronic Filings in Licensing Proceedings

Nov 11, 2008

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION DOCUMENTS AND
PUBLICATIONS/ContentWorks : The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has established a telephone and e-mail help desk to assist members of the public and licensees in submitting
or accessing documents through the agency's electronic filing system.

The help desk, activated Nov. 10, will help stakeholders seeking
information on license applications, including new nuclear power plants and
the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository. Help will also be available for
using the NRC's Electronic Hearing Docket for adjudications before the
Commission or an Atomic Safety and Licensing Board; the Electronic
Information Exchange for electronic submittal of documents; including
e-filings for agency adjudications, and the agency's ADAMS public online
document management system.

Until now, public requests for assistance have been handled by the NRC
Public Document Room staff. However, with electronic submissions in a wide
variety of licensing proceedings expected to increase dramatically, the
agency decided to create a dedicated help desk to handle requests for
assistance.

"The help desk will improve our customer service by providing members
of the public and our licensees with consistent and timely assistance in
filing documents for adjudicatory hearings, license applications, and other
matters," said Darren B. Ash, the NRC's deputy executive director for
corporate management and chief information officer. "This furthers our goal
of being open and transparent and encouraging maximum public participation
in our regulatory activities."

The NRC help desk will be open Mondays through Fridays, except federal
holidays, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time. The help desk can be reached
by toll-free telephone at 1-866-672-7640, or by e-mail at
[email protected].

More information on the help desk and instructions for electronic
submissions to the NRC can be found in the newly revised "Guidance for
Electronic Submissions to the NRC, Revision 4," on the agency Web site at
http://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals.html.