WE-D-211A-08: Options to Revise NRC Radiation Protection Regulations

Abstract

In December 2007, the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) published revised and updated recommendations for radiation protection as ICRP Publication 103. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff engaged in a comparative review of the NRC Standards for Protection Against Ionizing Radiation, 10 CFR Part 20, and other NRC regulations, with ICRP Publication 103, and provided the Commission with recommendations for next steps in December, 2008. The Commission has approved the staff recommendation to seek early engagement with stakeholders and interested parties on the technical and regulatory issues and options for potential changes to the agency's radiation protection regulations, to achieve greater alignment between the regulations and ICRP Publication 103. The NRC staff is particularly interested in understanding the perspectives of different organizations and groups on the benefits, burdens, and impacts of possible options for change. The NRC staff has not made any decisions on particular positions or changes at this time. This presentation provides background on the current regulatory framework, the contents of the 2007 ICRP recommendations, the status of international standards updates, and describes issues identified by NRC staff as initial key topics for discussion with stakeholders on options and necessary technical information for possible future rulemaking. These issues include the occupational dose limits, the application of constraints to the optimization process, and updates of the scientific information and models supporting dose assessment and compliance.