#nrc

The Trump administration is seeking to scrap a decades-old radiation safety principle that requires companies and institutions using radioactive materials to keep radiation exposure as low as reasonably possible, even when it is already below legal safety limits. The proposed change by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) was published in the Federal Register on July 15. It would replace the long-standing "As Low As Reasonably Achievable" (ALARA) principle with a "graded approach," which the NRC says reduces ambiguity. The NRC says the changes could allow companies building smaller reactors to act quicker, without changing the standards for exposure to workers or the public... While critics question whether removing ALARA could raise permissible doses in certain cases. The proposal is open for public comment until August 31. https://www.newsweek.com/trump-admin-moves-to-scrap-50-year-us-radiation-safety-standard-12247989