The U.S. May Revise Radiation Safety Regulations to Promote the Development of Nuclear Energy
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has proposed revising the radiation protection rules for workers and the public. The initiative is part of the Donald Trump administration’s policy aimed at accelerating the development of nuclear energy, streamlining regulatory procedures, and reducing the cost of building new reactors.
In 2025, Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders designed to expedite the licensing of new nuclear reactors, reform the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and involve the Department of Energy and the Pentagon in the construction of nuclear power plants on federal lands.
The administration’s main goal is to quadruple U.S. nuclear generating capacity by 2050. The White House attributes this to the rapid growth in electricity demand driven by data centers, electric vehicles, and the cryptocurrency industry.
One of the key changes will be a revision of the ALARA (As Low as Reasonably Achievable) principle, which has been the foundation of U.S. radiation safety standards for decades.
The ALARA principle stipulates that radiation exposure levels should be kept as low as reasonably achievable.
Instead, the regulator proposes using clear radiation dose limits and a risk-based approach to assessing radiation exposure.
NRC Chairman Ho Ni emphasized that the changes do not mean a relaxation of safety requirements.
“This rulemaking increases the clarity of our regulations. It does not lower the bar for our safety standards,” he said.
Representatives of the nuclear industry have long criticized the ALARA principle, considering it too costly and difficult to implement.
According to them, the current requirements are based on the Linear No-Threshold (LNT) model, under which any dose of radiation, even a minimal one, has the potential to increase the risk of developing cancer.
The industry is convinced that this model creates excessive costs, delays project implementation, and complicates the construction of new reactors.
The proposed changes will give operators more flexibility in assessing permissible radiation doses for workers and the public and will allow for the use of more modern radiation safety control methods.
According to Ho Ni, existing nuclear power plants are unlikely to significantly alter their operations if the new rules take effect.
“Now they will have a very clear idea of what the radiation protection requirements will be, and this will influence how they build and design the reactor—in terms of protection and the materials they use,” he explained.
At the same time, part of the scientific community has spoken out against the proposed reform.
Edwin Lyman, a physicist and nuclear safety expert at the Union of Concerned Scientists, stated that the scientific consensus remains unchanged: there is no safe level of radiation exposure, and the risk of developing cancer increases in proportion to the dose received.
“However, by eliminating the use of the ALARA principle, the agency’s proposed sweeping new rule will allow workers at nuclear facilities and the general public to be exposed to higher levels of carcinogenic radiation solely to save the nuclear industry money,” Lyman emphasized.
According to him, such a decision could increase the number of cancer cases, especially given that cancer rates among younger people are already on the rise.
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