WASHINGTON, D.C. — The agency will use the existing threshold of five rem for a worker and 0.1 rem for the public as the upper limit for radiation exposure. The proposed rule allows the industry to ask for a "planned occupational dose limit extension," which would permit workers to receive 10 rem instead of five in any given year, provided their overall exposure does not exceed 25 rem in a five-year period.

NRC Chairman Ho Nieh stated that ALARA is no longer working. He linked the regulatory changes to broader energy needs across the country. "The reason we're taking these regulatory reforms is because there's a demand for, an urgent demand for more electricity in the United States, due to artificial intelligence, data centers and industrial growth," Ho Nieh said.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission stated in a public meeting earlier this month that it envisioned the dose limit extension would be used sparingly for activities such as reactor refueling and upgrades. The ALARA standard has required the nuclear industry to keep radiation exposure for workers and the public below stated limits where possible for fifty years.

A whole body CT scan is about one rem, according to the EPA. The public comment period for the new rule ends on August 31, 2026. The rule could go into effect in early 2027.

Why It Matters

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is proposing to eliminate the 'As Low As Reasonably Achievable' (ALARA) standard through a new proposed rule, allowing some workers to receive higher radiation exposures in special circumstances to meet urgent electricity demands. The change represents a shift in how the agency balances occupational safety with the operational needs of the nuclear industry during periods of high demand.

The proposed rule establishes specific numerical limits for these exceptions, permitting workers to receive 10 rem in a single year under the "planned occupational dose limit extension." This adjustment occurs against a backdrop of federal directives that have characterized the existing ALARA principle as based on a flawed understanding of radiation risks. The public comment period remains open until August 31, 2026, providing a window for stakeholders to respond before the rule potentially takes effect in early 2027.

Timeline

On May 1, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order calling for a wholesale overhaul of nuclear regulations. The executive order described the ALARA principle as a flawed understanding of radiation risks. On May 15, 2026, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued a correction regarding the State of Indiana: NRC Staff Assessment of a Proposed Agreement Between the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the State of Indiana. The public comment period for the new rule ends on August 31, 2026.

What's New

Additional reporting clarifies that As Low As Reasonably Achievable is an abbreviation. This detail provides context for the regulatory terminology used in the proposed rule and the associated executive orders.