Overview
- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission unveiled the proposal on Wednesday, removing the decades-old As Low As Reasonably Achievable standard and replacing it with a graded, risk-informed approach to dose management.
- The NRC says the change will not raise legal dose limits and is meant to reduce subjective requirements that add cost and delay to reactor licensing.
- Safety groups including the Union of Concerned Scientists say the proposal could allow higher exposures and raise cancer risks for workers and nearby communities.
- The agency opened a 45-day public comment period and signaled it wants to finalize major licensing reforms, including new paths for microreactors, by the end of 2026.
- The rule would affect commercial reactors, fuel facilities and other users of radioactive material such as hospitals and universities and follows administration directives and prior DOE moves to drop ALARA in some policies.