[en] Regulation of the nuclear fuel cycle is a highly balkanized process, divided primarily among the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Department of Energy (DOE), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Department of Transportation (DOT). The nuclear fuel cycle for a typical light-water reactor consists of five discrete stages: (1) material mining and milling; (2) fuel conversion, enrichment, and fabrication; (3) power production; (4) spent fuel reprocessing; and (5) radioactive waste disposal. The major federal acts regulating facilities in the nuclear fuel cycle include: (1) the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (AEA), as amended; (2) the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978; (3) the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act of 1980; (4) the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982; and (5) the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act of 1974. Because two or more federal agencies play a role in almost every stage of the cycle, there is considerable potential for regulatory overlaps and conflicts in the regulation of routine (federally permitted) releases from nuclear facilities. Surprisingly, there are also gaps in the regulatory process. These gaps, overlaps, and conflicts are discussed