Document: NRC Regulatory Guide
Document ID: f0baf50b-5bb7-4783-b2f9-9586e09c97e1
Document Type: regulatory_guide
Title: Preparation of Environmental Reports for Nuclear Power Stations + HISTORY - HISTORY 02/2017 – DG-4026 , Proposed Revision 3 09/2014 – Periodic Review of Revision 2 – Revise (Rev. 3)
Source: NRC Regulatory Guide Division 4
Source URL: https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML1611/ML16116A068.pdf
Revision Date: 2023-06
Chapter: 
Section ID: RG-4.2
CFR Part: 
CFR Title: 

Content:
nse Renewal GEIS). 2.9 Radiological Environment and Radiological Monitoring The purpose of a radiological environmental monitoring program (REMP) is to provide a basis for evaluating concentrations of radioactive materials and radiation levels in the environment from radiological releases once a reactor is operational. A well-designed and well-implemented environmental program will characterize the environment before operations to allow future reasonable, direct comparison with data collected after power operation begins. The preoperational program can also be used for all or some of the operational REMP. According to RG 4.1, “Radiological Environmental Monitoring for Nuclear Power Plants” (Ref. 50), the preoperational monitoring program is not required to be implemented until two years before plant operation; however, the preoperational REMP should be described in the ER. For a greenfield site, the applicant should summarize any information available from the literature about background radiological characteristics of the site. This characterization should address the sources of natural background and the background radiation levels from those sources in the area surrounding the site. The naturally occurring background radiation dose rates at the site should be estimated and provided in the ER. For a proposed new nuclear unit being constructed on or adjacent to currently operating or permanently shutdown nuclear plants, information on background radiological characteristics should be provided from the annual “Radioactive Effluent Release and Radiological Environmental Operating Report.” The applicant should review approximately five years’ worth of data from the past reports and DG-4026, Page 53 make a comparison of the exposures and concentrations in air, water, and vegetation between the preoperational monitoring and the operational monitoring results. In addition, any special reporting requirements or special monitoring programs (e.g.,