politics
US moves to eliminate long-time radiation safety principle for nuclear power
Key takeaways
- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) this week proposed to get rid of the requirement for nuclear plants to ensure that radiation exposure is as low as is reasonably achievable.
- NRC Chair Ho Nieh said in a statement that the agency is raising the standard for regulatory clarity, not lowering the standard for safety.
- Our radiation dose limits remain unchanged — what we re eliminating is unnecessary ambiguity, he said.
Why this matters: political developments that affect policy direction and public trust.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) this week proposed to get rid of the requirement for nuclear plants to ensure that radiation exposure is as low as is reasonably achievable.
Proponents of the change say just using radiation dose limits is less subjective than going by the as low as is reasonably achievable principle — and that it led to overly conservative protections that stifled the nuclear industry.
Supporters of the current language, however, say that having the as low as reasonably achievable principle, also known as ALARA, in place ensures that nuclear plants take all measures possible to reduce exposure for workers and the general public.
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