Under proposed 40 CFR part 191, subpart A—Environmental Standards for Management and Storage, Section 191.03, “Standards for Normal Operations”, specifies: (1) That operations should be conducted so as to reduce exposure to members of the public to the extent reasonably achievable, taking into account technical, social, and economic considerations; and (2) that, except for variances permitted for unusual operations under Section 191.04 as an upper limit, normal operations shall be conducted in such a manner as to provide reasonable assurance that the combined annual dose equivalent to any member of the public due to: (i) operations covered by 40 CFR part 190, (ii) planned discharges of radioactive material to the general environment from operations covered by this subpart, and (iii) direct radiation from these operations; shall not exceed 25 millirems to the whole body, 75 millirems to the thyroid, or 25 millirems to any other organ.

The guidelines will be revised as necessary after the adoption of final regulations by the EPA.

The implementation of 40 CFR part 191, subpart A and 10 CFR part 20 is required by 10 CFR 60.111. 10 CFR 60.111 also specifies requirements for waste retrieval, if necessary, including considerations of design, backfilling, and schedule. 10 CFR part 20 establishes (a) exposure limits for operating personnel and (b) permissible concentrations of radionuclides in uncontrolled areas for air and water. The latter are generally less restrictive than 40 CFR 191, subpart A, but may be limiting under certain conditions (i.e., if used as a maximum for short durations rather than annual averages).

The guidelines will be revised as necessary to ensure consistency with 10 CFR part 60.