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<br />living, strengthening free competition in private enterprise, and promoting <br />85 <br />worl d peace." <br />The Act initiates programs to foster research and development for <br />maximum scientific progress, to control technical information and dissemi- <br />nation of such information as soon as effective safeguards against destruc- <br />tive uses can be devised, and to control the production, ownership, and <br />transfer of nuclear materials. 85 <br /> <br /> <br />2.5.2 Atomic Energy Act of 1954 <br />This statute authorized participation by the private sector in the <br />development of nuclear energy. AEC was vested with the absolute power <br />to license the receipt, possession, transfer, import, and use of source, <br />special nuclear, and byproduct materials. 86 This regulatory program does <br />not extend to the mining of uranium or other source materials but is acti- <br />vated once these materials are removed from their natural state. AEC also <br />exempted from licensing requirements any unrefined or unprocessed ore <br />t . . t . I 87 <br />con alnlng source ma erla s. <br />The Act empowered AEC to license the construction and operation of <br />refining facilities, plants producing uranium hexaflouride, enrichment <br />facilities, gaseous diffusion plants, nuclear power plants, reprocessing <br />plants, and waste disposal sites.88 AEC, now the Nuclear Regulatory <br />Commission (N RC), had complete authority to determine health and safety <br />measures as conditions for receipt of licenses for any covered activity. <br /> <br />2.5.3 1959 Amendments <br />Congress clarified the respective roles of the AEC and individual <br />states with respect to controlling special nuclear materials located wholly <br />within a state. The 1959 Amendments directed AEC to relinquish certain <br />defined areas of jurisdiction by entering into "turnover" agreements with a <br />89 <br />state's governor. <br /> <br />2-30 <br />