Minor corrections, clarifying changes, and a minor policy change--NRC. Final rule

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is amending its regulations to make minor corrections and clarifying changes to the NRC's 10 CFR Part 20, "Standards for Protection Against Radiation." The final rule is also intended to conform other regulations with the Commission's 1991 revised radiation protection requirements. In addition, the final rule includes a minor policy change that raises the monitoring criteria for minors from 0.05 rem (0.5 mSv) to 0.1 rem (1 mSv) in a year and for declared pregnant women from 0.05 rem (0.5 mSv) to 0.1 rem (1 mSv) during their pregnancies. The 0.1 rem (1 mSv) in a year deep dose equivalent monitoring criterion is consistent with the public dose limit and represents a quantity more consistent with the measurement sensitivity of individual personnel dosimetry. Licensees are still required to ensure that the occupational dose limit of 0.5 rem (5 mSv) in a year is not exceeded for minors, that the dose limit of 0.5 rem (5 mSv) to an embryo/fetus due to occupational exposure of a declared pregnant woman is not exceeded during the course of the pregnancy, and that sufficient effort is made to ensure that substantial variations above a uniform monthly exposure rate for a declared pregnant woman are avoided. These changes to the threshold for monitoring exposures to radiation and radioactive material to demonstrate compliance with the limits do not change the occupational dose limits for minors or declared pregnant workers.