Section 157.23. Radiation dose limits for individual members of the public.

 

(1)   Dose limits for individual members of the public.

(a) A licensee or registrant shall conduct operations to meet all of the following:

1. The total effective dose equivalent to individual members of the public from the licensed or registered operation may not exceed one mSv (100 mrem) in a year, exclusive of the dose contribution from background radiation, medical radiation exposure, exposure to individuals administered radioactive material and released in accordance with s. DHS 157.62 (8) , voluntary participation in medical research programs and the licensee's or registrant's disposal of radioactive material into sanitary sewerage under s. DHS 157.30 (3) . Facilities with radiation machines installed prior to the effective date of August 1, 2002, that meet the requirements of 5 mSv (500 mrem) in a year are exempt from this requirement.

2. The dose in any unrestricted area from external sources does not exceed 0.02 mSv (2 mrem) in any one hour, exclusive of the dose contributions from patients administered radioactive material and released in accordance with s. DHS 157.62 (8) .

(b) If a licensee or registrant permits members of the public to have access to controlled areas, the limits under par. (a) 1. for members of the public continue to apply to those individuals.

(c) A licensee or a registrant or an applicant for a license or registration may apply for prior department authorization to operate up to an annual dose limit for an individual member of the public of 5 mSv (500 mrem). The application shall include all the following information:

1. Demonstration of the need for and the expected duration of operations exceeding the limit in par. (a) .

2. A licensee's or registrant's program to assess and control dose within the 5 mSv (500 mrem) annual limit.

3. The procedures to be followed to maintain the dose ALARA.

(d) In addition to the requirements of this section, a licensee or registrant subject to the provisions of the U.S. environmental protection agency's generally applicable environmental radiation standards in 40 CFR 190 shall comply with those standards.

(e) The department may impose additional restrictions on radiation levels in unrestricted areas and on the total quantity of radionuclides that a licensee or registrant may release in effluents to restrict the collective dose.

(f) A licensee or registrant may permit visitors to individuals who cannot be released under s. DHS 157.62 (8) . A visitor may receive a radiation dose greater than one mSv (100 mrem) if both of the following conditions are met:

1. The radiation dose received by the visitor does not exceed 5 mSv (0.5 rem).

2. The authorized user has predetermined that the visit is appropriate.

(2)   Compliance with dose limits for individual members of the public.

(a) A licensee or registrant shall make or cause to be made, as appropriate, surveys of radiation levels in unrestricted and controlled areas and radioactive materials in effluents released to unrestricted and controlled areas to demonstrate compliance with the dose limits for individual members of the public in sub. (1) .

(b) A licensee or registrant shall show compliance with the annual dose limit in sub. (1) by either of the following means:

1. Demonstrating by measurement or calculation that the total effective dose equivalent to the individual likely to receive the highest dose from the licensed or registered operation does not exceed the annual dose limit.

2. Demonstrating both of the following:

a. The annual average concentrations of radioactive material released in gaseous and liquid effluents at the boundary of the unrestricted area do not exceed the values specified in Table II of Appendix E.

b. If an individual were continuously present in an unrestricted area, the dose from external sources would not exceed 0.02 mSv (2 mrem) in an hour and 0.5 mSv (50 mrem) in a year.

(c) Upon approval from the department, a licensee or registrant may adjust the effluent concentration values in Table II of Appendix E for members of the public to take into account the actual physical and chemical characteristics of the effluents, such as aerosol size distribution, solubility, density and chemical form.

CR 01-108 : cr. Register July 2002 No. 559 , eff. 8-1-02.