Dose Limits for Individual Members of the Public

(A) Each licensee or registrant shall conduct operations so that: (1) the total effective dose equivalent to individual members of the public from the licensed or registered operation does not exceed one millisievert (0.1 rem) in a year, exclusive of the dose contribution from background radiation, from any medical administration the individual has received, from exposure to individuals administered radioactive material and released in accordance with 105 CMR 120.540, from voluntary participation in medical research programs, and from the licensee's disposal of radioactive material into sanitary sewerage in accordance with 105 CMR 120.253; and (2) the dose in any unrestricted area from external sources exclusive of the dose contributions from patients administered radioactive material and released in accordance with 105 CMR 120.540, does not exceed 0.02 millisievert (0.002 rem) in any one hour; and (3) the total effective dose equivalent to individual members of the public from infrequent exposure to radiation from radiation machines does not exceed 5mSv (0.5 rem). (B) If the licensee or registrant permits members of the public to have access to restricted areas, the limits for members of the public continue to apply to those individuals. (C) A licensee, registrant, or an applicant for a license or registration may apply for prior Agency authorization to operate up to an annual dose limit for an individual member of the public of five millisieverts (0.5 rem). This application shall include the following information: (1) demonstration of the need for and the expected duration of operations in excess of the limit in 105 CMR 120.221(A); (2) the licensee's or registrant's program to assess and control dose within the five millisieverts (0.5 rem) annual limit; and (3) the procedures to be followed to maintain the dose ALARA. (D) In addition to the requirements of 105 CMR 120.200, a licensee subject to the provisions of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's generally applicable environmental radiation standards in 40 CFR 190 shall comply with those requirements. (E) The Agency may impose additional restrictions on radiation levels in unrestricted areas and on the total quantity of radionuclides that a licensee may release in effluents in order to restrict the collective dose.