Answer to Question #440 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

Category: Policy, Guidelines, and Regulations

The following question was answered by an expert in the appropriate field:

What is the current cost justification for receiving a 1 rem dose?

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) gave recommendations of $2,000/person-rem in NUREG-1530 Assessment of NRC's Dollar Per Person-Rem Conversion Factor Policy, published in 1995. Background material for factors considered in this policy can be found in Value of Public Health and Safety Actions by J. W. Baum, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission NUREG/CR-6213, BNL-NUREG-52413, 1994, and in NCRP Report No. 120 on "Dose Control at Nuclear Power Plants," 1994. The NRC employed this value in NUREG/BR-184 Regulatory Analysis Technical Evaluation Handbook, Final Report, Jan. 1997. In that document it is stated that "this value will be subject to periodic NRC review." But I know of no changes to date. This document also points out that "the $2,000/person-rem value is to be used for routine and accidental emissions for both public and occupational exposure."

"Unlike past NRC practice, off-site property consequences are to be separately valued and are not part of the $2,000 per person-rem value. Monetary conversion of radiation exposure using the $2,000 per person-rem value is to be performed for the year in which the exposure occurs and then discounted to present value for purposes of evaluating values and impacts." It should be noted that the $2,000/person-rem value is based on health effects only. The actual value to be used at a given site may be more if operations are impacted by high doses as indicated in NCRP Report 120 for nuclear power plants. Thus, the value should be plant specific for occupational exposures.

J.W. Baum, PhD, CHP

Editor's Note: National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) reports are available by contacting NCRP.

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