United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Air and Radiation
(6608J)
EPA402-F-01-025
November 2001
www.epa.gov/radiation
RADIATION REGULATIONS,
STANDARDS, AND GUIDANCE
INTRODL
ODUCTION
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EPA's Radiation Program protects the public and the environment from
harmful exposure to radiation.
This brochure provides summaries of regulations, standards, and
guidance that apply to radiation protection activities administered by the
Program. Each summary includes a brief description of the document, as
well as applicable statutory authorities and FederaJ Register citations.
Please refer to the Federal Register citations listefl in this brochure or
corftact the Radiation Protection Division for more detailed information.
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REGULATIONS describes actions on how to achieve standards
Drinking Water Regulations
Primary Drinking Water Regulations: Radionuclides (40 CFR
141) - This regulation establishes maximum contaminant levels for
radionuclides in community water systems. It addresses both
natural and man-made radioactivity, specifies methods and
frequency of monitoring, and identifies calculation methodologies to
determine concentrations.
Maximum Contaminant Levels: (1) 5 pCi/l combined for radium-
226 and radium-228; (2) 15 pCi/l for gross alpha particle activity
(including radium-226, but excluding radon and uranium); (3)
annual dose equivalent to the total body or any internal organ not to
exceed 4 mrem/yr from beta particle and photon radioactivity from
man-made radionuclides; (4) 20,000 pCi/l for tritium; and (5) 8 pCi/l
for strontium-90.
Authority. Public Health Service Act, as amended by the Safe
Drinking Water Act
FR Citation. 41 FR 28402 (July 9, 1976)
Reportable Quantity for
Radionuclides
Reportable Quantity Adjustment - Radionuclides (40 CFR 302
and 355) - Sections 103(a) and 103(b) of the Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980
(CERCLA), as amended, require that persons in charge of vessels
or facilities from which a hazardous substance has been released,
within a 24-hour period in a quantity equal to or greater than its
reportable quantity (RQ), immediately notify the National Response
Center of the release. CERCLA established an RQ of one pound
for radionuclides. EPA, recognizing that an RQ of one pound may
not be appropriate, promulgated this final rule to adjust the RQ for
radionuclides (40 CFR 302) and administratively exempt from
reporting certain radionuclide releases (40 CFR 355).
Radionuclide RQs: The RQs in Table 302.4 (40 CFR 302) are in
units of pounds based on chemical toxicity. The RQs for all
(approximately 1,500) radionuclides are in units of curies based on
radiation hazard (40 CFR 302.4, Appendix B to Table 302.4).
Whenever the RQs in Table 302.4 and Appendix B to the table are
in conflict, the lowest RQ applies.
Exemptions from Radionuclide RQs: releases of radionuclides
that (1) occur naturally in the soil from land holdings; (2) occur
naturally from the disturbance of land for purposes other than
mining; (3) occur from the dumping of coal and coal ash at utility
and industrial facilities with coal-fired boilers; and (4) occur from
coal and coal ash piles at utility and industrial facilities with coal-
fired boilers.
Authorities: Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980; and Clean Water Act
FR Citation: 54 FR 22524 (May 24, 1989)
WIPP Certification Decision
Criteria for the Certification and Recertification of the Waste
Isolation Pilot Plant's (WIPP) Compliance With the Disposal
Regulations: Certification Decision (40 CFR 194) - EPA certifies
in this regulation that the WIPP will comply with the radioactive
waste disposal standards at 40 CFR 191. EPA's certification
decision establishes certain conditions that the Department of
Energy (DOE) must meet to maintain a certification for the WIPP
and before shipping waste for disposal in the WIPP. This
certification constituted final approval for shipment of certain
transuranic wastes from specific waste streams from Los Alamos
National Laboratory for disposal at the WIPP, and specified a
process by which the remaining waste generator sites in the DOE
complex could be approved by EPA to ship their waste to WIPP
as well.
Certification Standards: See 40 CFR 191, Environmental
Radiation Protection Standards for the Management and Disposal
of Spent Nuclear Fuel, and High-Level and Transuranic
Radioactive Wastes.
Authorities: WIPP Land Withdrawal Act of 1992, as amended; and
Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended
FR Citation: 63 FR 27354 (May 18, 1998)
WIPP Compliance Criteria
Criteria for the Certification and Recertification of the Waste
Isolation Pilot Plant's Compliance with the 40 CFR Part 191
Disposal Regulations (40 CFR 194) - In this regulation, EPA
issued criteria to determine if the WIPP will comply with the
disposal standards of Subparts B and C of 40 CFR 191,
Environmental Radiation Protection Standards for Management
and Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel, High-Level, and Transuranic
Radioactive Wastes. These criteria apply the Agency's generic
standards for the land disposal of certain radioactive wastes,
specifically for the WIPP, which is a deep geologic repository.
This regulation establishes criteria for general containment,
assurance requirements, and individual and ground-water
protection requirements.
Authorities: WIPP Land Withdrawal Act of 1992, as amended;
Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended; and Department of
Energy National Security and Military Applications of Nuclear
Energy Authorization Act of 1979
FR Citation: 61 FR 5224 (February 9, 1996)
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STANDARDS sets limits on radiation exposure
Emission Standards for
Hazardous Air Pollutants
National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants;
Radionuclides (40 CFR 61) - In December 1989, EPA issued final
decisions on radionuclide National Emission Standards for
Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPs) for eight source categories or
subparts.
Radionuclide Emissions Standards
Subpart B, Underground Uranium Mines: an effective dose less
than 10 mrem/year.
Subpart H, Department of Energy (DOE) Facilities: an effective
dose (other than radon) of less than 10 mrem/yr.
Subpart I, Certain Non-DOE Federal Facilities: an effective dose
of less thanl 0 mrem/yr and an effective dose from iodine of less
than 3 mrem/yr.
Subpart K, Elemental Phosphorus Plants: polonium-210
emissions from calciners and modulizing kilns not to exceed a total
of 2 Ci/yr.
Subpart Q, DOE Facilities Radon Emissions: emissions less
than 20 pCi/m2-s of radon-222 as an average for the entire source.
Subpart R, Radon from Phosphogypsum Stacks: emissions of
less than 20 pCi/m2-s of radon-222 into the air from stacks.
Subpart T, Non-Operational Uranium Mill Tailing Piles: for
disposal in uranium mill tailings piles that are no longer operational,
emissions must be less than 20 pCi/m2-s of radon-222 into the air.
Subpart T is still in effect for DOE facilities, but has been rescinded
for NRC licenses.
Subpart W, Operating Uranium Mill Tailing Piles: limits radon-
222 emissions rate to 20 pCi/m2-s.
Authority. Clean Air Act
FR Citation. 54 FR 51654 (December 15, 1989)
Standards for Spent Nuclear Fuel,
High-Level and Transuranic Wastes
Environmental Standards for the Management and Disposal of
Spent Nuclear Fuel, High-Level and Transuranic Radioactive
Wastes (40 CFR 191) - This rule establishes generally applicable
environmental standards for the management and land disposal of
spent nuclear fuel and high-level and transuranic radioactive wastes.
This rule limits the radiation exposure of members of the public from
the management and storage of spent nuclear fuel or high-level or
transuranic wastes, and establishes several different types of
requirements for disposal of these materials. It applies to wastes
generated by both commercial and government sponsored and
controlled activities. This regulation was issued in final form on
December 20, 1993.
Management and Storage Standards: radioactive discharges not to
exceed 25 mrem to the whole body and 75 mrem to the thyroid and
25 mrem to any other critical organ (40 CFR 191.03(a) or 25 mrem to
the whole body and 75 mrem to any critical organ (40 CFR
191.03(b)).
Disposal Standards: disposal systems for waste and any associated
radioactive materials shall be designed to provide reasonable
expectation that for 10,000 years after disposal, the annual committed
effective dose is not to exceed 15 mrem to any member of the public
in the accessible environment.
Groundwater Standards: Disposal shall not cause the levels of
radioactivity in any underground source of drinking water in the
accessible environment to exceed 5 pCi/l for radium-226 and radium-
228 combined; 15 pCi/l for gross alpha particle activity (including
radium-226 but, excluding radon and uranium); and for beta particle
and photon radioactivity, not to exceed an annual dose equivalent to
the total body or any organ of 4 mrem a year (40 CFR 141).
Containment Requirements: limit the projected cumulative releases
of radioactivity to the environment for 10,000 years after disposal.
Authorities: Atomic Energy Act of 1954; Nuclear Waste Policy Act of
1982; WIPP Land Withdrawal Act of 1992, as amended; and
Reorganization Plan No. 3, 1970, as amended.
FR Citations: 50 FR 38066 (September 19, 1985); 58 FR 66398
(December 20, 1993); and 41 FR 28402 (July 9, 1976)
Nuclear Power Operations
Environmental Radiation Protection Standards for Nuclear Power Operations (40 CFR 190) - This standard specifies the levels below which
normal operations of the uranium fuel cycle are determined to be environmentally acceptable.
Standards for Normal Operations
(1) the annual dose equivalent does not exceed:
- 25 mrem to the whole body
- 75 mrem to the thyroid
- 25 mrem to any other organ for any member of the public as the
result of exposures to planned discharges of radioactive materials,
radon and its daughters excepted, to the general environment.
(2) Release to environment contains less than:
- 50,000 Ci of krypton-85
- 5 mCi of iodine-129
- 0.5 mCi combined of plutonium-239 and other alpha-emitting
transuranic radionuclides with half-lives greater than one year.
These limits apply to the entire uranium fuel cycle per gigawatt-
year of electrical energy produced.
Authority: Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended; and Reorganization Plan No. 3, 1970
FR Citation: 42 FR 2858 (January 13, 1977)
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Uranium and Thorium Mill Tailings
Health and Environmental Standards for Uranium and Thorium
Mill Tailings (40 CFR 192) - EPA issued health and environmental
standards to govern stabilization, control, and cleanup of residual
radioactive materials at both operational and inactive uranium and
thorium processing sites.
Controlling Residual Radioactivity. Comparable provisions apply
to both uranium and thorium byproduct materials. For uranium
wastes following site closure, these standards are designed to be
effective for up to 1,000 years, to the extent reasonably achievable,
and, in any case, for at least 200 years; provide reasonable
assurance that releases of radon-222 from residual radioactive
material to the atmosphere will not exceed an average release rate
of 20 pCi/m2-s, and meet groundwater protection standards.
Cleanup Standards for Land and Buildings: remedial actions
shall be conducted so as to provide reasonable assurance that, as
a result of residual radioactive materials from any designated
processing site:
Cleanup Standards for Land: radium-226 (at uranium sites) or
radium-228 (at thorium sites) in land averaged over any area of
100 square meters shall not exceed background by more than
5 pCi/g in the 15 cm surface layer and 15 pCi/g in any 15 cm
layer below the surface layer.
Cleanup Standards for Buildings: remedial actions shall be
conducted so as to provide reasonable assurance that the annual
average (or equivalent) radon decay product concentration
(including background) shall not exceed 0.02 Working Level (WL)
and, in any case, the radon decay product concentration (including
background) shall not exceed 0.03 WL; and the level of gamma
radiation shall not exceed the background level by more than 20
mR/hr.
In November 1993, EPA amended 40 CFR 192 to establish
compliance and closure schedules. In January 1995, EPA amended
40 CFR 192 to establish final ground water standards that are
consistent with, but not identical to, RCRA requirements.
Authority: Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended by §206 of the
Uranium Mill Tailing Radiation Control Act of 1978
FR Citations: 48 FR 590 (January 5, 1983); 48 FR 45926
(October 7, 1983); 58 FR 60340 (November 15, 1993); and
60 FR 2854 (January 11,1995)
Yucca Mountain Public Health
and Safety Standards
Public Health and Environmental Radiation Protection Standards
for Yucca Mountain, Nevada (40 CFR 197) - Under the direction of
§801 of the Energy Policy Act of 1992, EPA developed public health
and safety standards for radioactive materials (including spent
nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste) stored or disposed of at
the potential Yucca Mountain repository. The Department of Energy
must demonstrate compliance with the standards set forth in 40 CFR
197 to be granted a license by the NRC to receive and possess
radioactive material at the Yucca Mountain site.
Storage Standards
Public Health and Safety Standards: exposure is not to exceed
more than an annual committed effective dose equivalent of 15
mrem for any member of the public in the general environment.
Disposal Standards
Compliance with the disposal standards is achieved by
demonstrating a reasonable expectation of meeting the specified
limits.
Individual Protection Standards: for 10,000 years following
disposal, exposure is not to exceed an annual committed effective
dose equivalent of 15 mrem to the reasonably maximally exposed
individual (RMEI).
Human Intrusion Standards: for 10,000 years following disposal,
exposure is not to exceed more than an annual committed effective
dose equivalent of 15 mrem to the RMEI as a result of human
intrusion.
Ground Water Protection Standards: for 10,000 years of
undisturbed performance after disposal, releases of radionuclides
will not cause the level of radioactivity in the representative volume
of ground water in the accessible environment to exceed:
(1) 5 pCi/l for combined radium-226 and radium-228 (including
natural background);
(2) 15 pCi/l for gross alpha activity (including radium-226, but
excluding radon and uranium, and including natural background);
or
(3) 4 mrem per year to the whole body or any organ from combined
beta and photon emitting radionuclides.
Authority. Energy Policy Act of 1992
FR Citation: 66 FR 32074 (June 13, 2001)
Standards for Disposal of Low-Activity Mixed Waste
Environmental Radiation Protection Standards for the Disposal of Low-Activity Mixed Radioactive Waste (40 CFR 193) - These standards
would establish conditions under which mixed waste may be disposed of in Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Subtitle C
hazardous waste landfills. Mixed waste is regulated as hazardous under RCRA and as radioactive under the Atomic Energy Act. The standard
limits the risk for mixed waste disposed at RCRA facilities. These limits are derived from exposure levels that are consistent with other EPA
standards for protection.
Disposal Standards: Exact form of standard to be determined.
Authority. Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended
FR Citation: Not Yet Available
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GUIDANCE
sets forth recommendations for setting radiation standards,
developing regulations, or achieving public health protection
Diagnostic X-Rays
Radiation Protection Guidance to Federal Agencies for
Diagnostic X-Rays - This guidance sets forth 12 recommendations
for reducing radiation exposure from the use of diagnostic x-rays.
These recommendations, transmitted to the President jointly by
EPA and the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, were
based on two guiding principles: avoidance of unnecessary
prescription of x-rays and use of good technique to minimize
radiation exposure.
Authority: Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended
FR Citation. 43 FR 4377 (February 1, 1978)
Occupational Exposure
Radiation Protection Guidance to Federal Agencies for
Occupational Exposure (January 1987) - This guidance
establishes general principles for the radiation protection of
workers and specifies the dose limits for occupational exposure. It
applies to all workers who are exposed to radiation in the course of
their work, either as employees of institutions and companies
subject to Federal regulation, or as Federal employees.
Authority: Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended
Citations: Radiation Protection Guidance to Federal Agencies for
Occupational Exposure (January 27, 1987); and 52 FR 2822
(January 27, 1987)
WIPP: Management and Storage of
Transuranic Waste
Guidance for the Implementation of EPA's Radiation Protection
Standards for Management and Storage of Transuranic Waste
(40 CFR Part 191, Subpart A) at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant -
EPA developed this guidance to implement radiation protection
standards for management and storage of transuranic radioactive
waste at the WIPP. The WIPP, a disposal site, is subject to EPA's
generic standards for radioactive waste management and storage
found in 40 CFR 191, Subpart A, during its operational phase. This
guidance describes how EPA intends to implement the generally
applicable Subpart A standard at WIPP, taking into account the
facility's technical and operational characteristics. Topics discussed
in this guidance include general compliance issues, emissions and
environmental monitoring, reporting and record keeping, and
determination of noncompliance.
Authority. Atomic Energy Act of 1954; Nuclear Waste Policy Act of
1982; WIPP Land Withdrawal Act of 1992, as amended.
Citations: Guidance for the Implementation of EPA's Standards for
Management and Storage of Transuranic Waste (40 CFR Part 191,
Subpart A) at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, EPA 402-R-97-001;
and 62 FR 9188 (February 28, 1997).
Protective Action Guides
Manual of Protective Action Guides and Protective Actions for Nuclear Incidents (1992) - EPA developed this manual to assist state and
local officials in preparing emergency response plans and in making decisions during a nuclear incident. This manual provides radiological
protection guidance that may be used for making decisions on protecting affected populations during any type of nuclear incident or radiological
emergency, except nuclear war. It provides a general discussion of Protective Action Guides (PAGs) and presents PAGs for specific exposure
pathways and associated time periods.
Protective Action Guides
Early Phase of Nuclear Incident
Evacuation/Sheltering: 1-5 rem
Administer Stable Iodine: 25 rem
Intermediate Phase of Nuclear Incident
Relocation: > 2 rem
Apply Dose Reduction Techniques: <2 rem
Human Food/Animal Feeds: See 47 FR 47073 or Chapter 3 of the PAG Manual
Drinking Water: recommendations are under development
Authority. 47 FR 10758 (March 11, 1982)
Citation: Manual of Protective Action Guides and Protective Actions for Nuclear Incidents, EPA 400-R-92-001 (May 1992)
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