Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (or NRC) is a United States government agency that was established by the Energy Reorganization Act. The NRC took over the role of oversight of nuclear energy matters and nuclear safety. The oversight of nuclear weapons, as well as the promotion of nuclear power, was transferred to the United States Department of Energy.
The NRC oversees reactor safety, reactor licensing and renewal, material safety and licensing, and waste management (storage and disposal).
The NRC's mission is to regulate the nation's civilian use of byproduct, source, and special nuclear materials to ensure adequate protection of public health and safety, to promote the common defense and security, and to protect the environment.
The NRC's regulatory mission covers three main areas: reactors (commercial reactors for generating electric power and research and test reactors used for research, testing, and training), materials (uses of nuclear materials in medical, industrial, and academic settings and facilities that produce nuclear fuel) and waste (transportation, storage, and disposal of nuclear materials and waste, and decommissioning of nuclear facilities from service).
This oversight is done on several levels, for example:
- Each power-producing reactor site has Resident Inspectors, who monitor day to day operations;
- Numerous special inspection teams, with many different specialties, routinely conduct inspections at each site;
- Whistleblower reports are investigated by special teams.
Source: Wikipedia.org: Nuclear Regulatory Commission 
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See also: Energy Reorganization Act; Whistleblower law