U.S. radiation protection: role of national and international recommendations and opportunities for collaboration (harmony, not dissonance).

Abstract

For much of the 20th century, U.S. radiation protection policies were similar to those elsewhere in the world, in large part because the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) and the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) were closely aligned. In the 1970s, several U.S. regulations were released at about the same time as the 1977 recommendations from ICRP. The regulatory development process in the United States can be lengthy with ample opportunities for public involvement. While such deliberation is essential and beneficial, the rulemaking process does not lend itself to making frequent technical updates to rules. For this reason, many of the current radiation protection regulations in the United States are out of step with current recommendations of the ICRP and NCRP. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are considering updates to important radiation protection regulations. These regulatory development actions could present the United States with an opportunity for incorporating the latest science into the U.S. system of radiation protection and provide for consideration of the latest recommendations of ICRP and NCRP. In particular, a revision of the recommendations in NCRP Report No. 116 (Limitation of Exposure to Ionizing Radiation) could provide U.S. agencies with useful advice to be considered in these rulemakings.