When was the last update to the NRC’s radiation protection regulations in 10 CFR Part 20?
The NRC last extensively revised its standards for protection against ionizing radiation, 10 CFR Part 20, in 1991 after a 12-year rulemaking process, and the revisions took effect in 1994. The revisions, which were primarily based on recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) from 1977, as detailed in ICRP Publications 26 and 30, included a complete revision of the NRC’s regulations, modified the structure of the regulatory requirements, adjusted the limits for occupational and public exposure, and updated the available numerical values for demonstrating compliance. Since that time, the NRC has added other radiation protection amendments and periodically amended related regulations.
