Document: NRC Regulatory Guide
Document ID: 29acb072-d497-44e6-ac1c-a053c0a468a0
Document Type: regulatory_guide
Title: Meteorological Monitoring Programs for Nuclear Power Plants + HISTORY - HISTORY DG-1164 , Third Proposed Revision 1, published 10/2006 Draft ES 926-4 , Second Proposed Revision 1, entitled "Meteorological Measurement Program for Nuclear Power Plants," published 04/1986 Draft SS 926-4 , First Proposed Revision 1, entitled "Meteorological Programs In Support of Nuclear Power Plants," published 09/1980 Revision 0, entitled "Onsite Meteorological Programs," was issued as Safety Guide 23
Source: NRC Regulatory Guide Division 1
Source URL: https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML0625/ML062540408.pdf
Revision Date: 2023-06
Chapter: 
Section ID: RG-1.23
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restricted areas as low as practicable. In addition, 10 CFR 50.36a(a)(2) requires nuclear power plant licensees to submit a report to the Commission annually that specifies the quantity of each of the principal radionuclides released to unrestricted areas in liquid and gaseous effluents during the previous 12 months, including any other information that the Commission may need to estimate maximum potential annual radiation doses to the public resulting from effluent releases. A knowledge of meteorological conditions in the vicinity of the reactor is important to provide the basis for estimating maximum potential annual radiation doses resulting from radioactive materials released in gaseous effluents. DG-1164, Page 3 In order for the Commission to fulfill its responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, and in accordance with the requirements of Subpart A, “National Environmental Policy Act — Regulations Implementing Section 102(2),” of 10 CFR Part 51, “Environmental Protection Regulations for Domestic Licensing and Related Regulatory Functions,” basic meteorological information must be available for use in assessing (1) the environmental effects of radiological and nonradiological emissions and effluents resulting from the construction or operation of a nuclear power plant and (2) the benefits of design alternatives. Thus, each nuclear power plant site has multiple needs for an onsite program to measure and document basic meteorological data. These data may be used to develop atmospheric transport and diffusion parameters that, with appropriate atmospheric dispersion models, may be used to estimate potential radiation doses to the public resulting from actual routine or accidental releases of radioactive materials to the atmosphere or to evaluate the potential dose to the public and control room as a result of hypothetical reactor accidents. These data may also be used to assess nonradiological environmental effects