[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 187 (Tuesday, September 29, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49895-49896]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-23433]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[NRC-2009-0425]


Draft Regulatory Guide: Issuance, Availability

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of Issuance and Availability of Draft Regulatory Guide, 
DG-8039, ``Methods for Estimating Effective Dose Equivalent from 
External Exposure.''

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Roger Pedersen, U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, telephone: (301) 415-
3162, e-mail to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Introduction

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing for public 
comment a draft guide in the agency's ``Regulatory Guide'' series. This 
series was developed to describe and make available to the public such 
information as methods that are acceptable to the NRC staff for 
implementing specific parts of the NRC's regulations, techniques that 
the staff uses in evaluating specific problems or postulated accidents, 
and data that the staff needs in its review of applications for permits 
and licenses.
    The draft regulatory guide (DG), entitled, ``Methods for Estimating 
Effective Dose Equivalent from External Exposure,'' is temporarily 
identified by its task number, DG-8039, which should be mentioned in 
all related correspondence. DG-8039 will be a new regulatory guide.
    This regulatory guide describes dosimetry methods that the NRC 
considers acceptable for determining effective dose equivalent for 
external (EDEX) radiation exposures. These methods provide a 
conservative estimate of EDEX and may be used to calculate TEDE in 
demonstrating compliance with TEDE-based regulatory requirements 
consistent with the provisions in 10 CFR 20.1201(c).
    Title 10, section 20.1003, ``Definitions,'' of the Code of Federal 
Regulations (10 CFR 20.1003) defines total effective dose equivalent 
(TEDE) as the sum of the effective dose equivalent (EDE) (for external 
exposures) and the committed EDE (for internal exposures). In 10 CFR 
20.1201(a), the NRC provides an annual dose limit of 0.05 sievert (5 
rem) TEDE and in 10 CFR 20.1201(c) requires that when an external 
personal monitoring device is used to measure external exposure, the 
deep-dose equivalent (DDE) must be used as an estimate of the EDE 
unless the EDE is determined more directly by a dosimetry method 
approved by the NRC. In using the DDE to estimate the EDE, the assigned 
DDE must be for the part of the body receiving the highest radiation 
exposure.

II. Further Information

    The NRC staff is soliciting comments on DG-8039. Comments may be 
accompanied by relevant information or supporting data and should 
mention DG-8039 in the subject line. Comments submitted in writing or 
in electronic form will be made available to the public in their 
entirety through the NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management 
System (ADAMS).
    Because your comments will not be edited to remove any identifying 
or contact information, the NRC cautions you against including any 
information in your submission that you do not want to be publicly 
disclosed.
    The NRC requests that any party soliciting or aggregating comments 
received from other persons for submission to the NRC inform those 
persons that the NRC will not edit their comments to remove any 
identifying or contact information, and therefore, they should not 
include any information in their comments that they do not want 
publicly disclosed. You may submit comments by any of the following 
methods:
    1. Mail comments to: Rulemaking and Directives Branch, Mail Stop: 
TWB-05-B01M, Office of Administration, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.
    2. Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov 
and search for documents filed under Docket ID NRC-2009-0425. Address 
questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher, 301-492-3668; e-mail 
[email protected].
    3. Fax comments to: Rulemaking and Directives Branch, Office of 
Administration, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission at (301) 492-3446.
    Comments would be most helpful if received by November 26, 2009. 
Comments received after that date will be considered if it is practical 
to do so, but the NRC is able to ensure consideration only for comments 
received on or before this date. Although a time limit is given, 
comments and suggestions in connection with items for inclusion in 
guides currently being developed or improvements in all published 
guides are encouraged at any time.
    Requests for technical information about DG-8039 may be directed to 
the NRC contact, Roger Pedersen at (301) 415-3162 or e-mail to 
[email protected].
    Electronic copies of DG-8039 are available through the NRC's public 
Web site under Draft Regulatory Guides in the ``Regulatory Guides'' 
collection of the NRC's Electronic Reading Room at

[[Page 49896]]

http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/. Electronic copies are 
also available in ADAMS (http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html), 
under Accession No. ML091390066.
    In addition, regulatory guides are available for inspection at the 
NRC's Public Document Room (PDR) located at 11555 Rockville Pike, 
Rockville, Maryland. The PDR's mailing address is USNRC PDR, 
Washington, DC 20555-0001. The PDR can also be reached by telephone at 
(301) 415-4737 or (800) 397-4205, by fax at (301) 415-3548, and by e-
mail to [email protected].
    Regulatory guides are not copyrighted, and Commission approval is 
not required to reproduce them.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 3rd day of September 2009.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Andrea D. Valentin,
Chief, Regulatory Guide Development Branch, Division of Engineering, 
Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research.
[FR Doc. E9-23433 Filed 9-28-09; 8:45 am]
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