Chapter 481. Virginia Radiation Protection Regulations

The terabecquerel (TBq) values are the regulatory standard. The curie (Ci) values specified are obtained by converting from the TBq value. The curie values are provided for practical usefulness only and are rounded after conversion. Radioactive material Category 1 (TBq) Category …

Article 1 Purpose and Scope A. This part, and Parts V (12VAC5-481-1170 et seq.), VII (12VAC5-481-1660 et seq.), XI (12VAC5-481-2330 et seq.), XIII (12VAC5-481-2950 et seq.), XIV (12VAC5-481-3140 et seq.) and XVI (12VAC5-481-3460 et seq.) of this chapter, provide for the licensing…

Article 2 Exemptions from the Regulatory Requirements A. Common and contract carriers, freight forwarders, warehousemen, and the U.S. Postal Service are exempt from this part and the requirements for a license set forth in this chapter to the extent that they transport or store r…

Statutory Authority§ 32.1-229 of the Code of Virginia.

A. Exempt concentrations. 1. Except as provided in subdivisions 3 and 4 of this subsection, any person is exempt from the requirements for a license set forth in this part to the extent that such person receives, possesses, uses, transfers, owns, or acquires products or materials…

Article 3 Licenses A radioactive materials license will be one of the following: 1. A general license is provided by regulation, grants authority to a person for certain activities involving radioactive material, and is effective without the filing of an application with the agen…

A. Small quantities of source material. 1. A general license is hereby issued authorizing commercial and industrial firms; research, educational, and medical institutions; and federal, state, and local government agencies to receive, possess, use, and transfer uranium and thorium…

A. An application for a specific license to initially transfer source material for use under 12VAC5-481-420 A or equivalent regulations of the NRC or another agreement state will be approved if: 1. The applicant satisfies the general requirements specified in 12VAC5-481-450; and …

A. Certain devices and equipment. 1. A general license is hereby issued to transfer, receive, acquire, own, possess, and use radioactive material incorporated in the following devices or equipment that have been manufactured, tested, and labeled by the manufacturer in accordance …

A. Applications for specific licenses shall be filed on a form prescribed by the agency. B. The agency may at any time after the filing of the original application, and before the expiration of the license, require further statements in order to enable the agency to determine whe…

A. A license application will be approved if the agency determines that: 1. The applicant is qualified by reason of training and experience to use the material in question for the purpose requested in accordance with these regulations in such a manner as to minimize danger to pub…

A. Any licensee who possesses or uses an aggregated quantity of Category 1 or Category 2 radioactive material equal to or in excess of those in subdivision 1 of this subsection shall establish a physical protection program that meets all requirements detailed in this section. 1. …

(Repealed.)

This section prescribes requirements for the issuance of specific licenses of broad scope for radioactive material and certain regulations governing holders of such licenses. (Authority to transfer possession or control by the manufacturer, processor, or producer of any equipment…

A. Reserved. B. Licensing the distribution of radioactive material in exempt quantities. (Authority to transfer possession or control by the manufacturer, processor, or producer of any equipment, device, commodity, or other product containing radioactive material whose subsequent…

A. Upon a determination that an application meets the requirements of the Act and the regulations of the agency, the agency will issue a specific license authorizing the proposed activity in such form and containing such conditions and limitations as it deems appropriate or neces…

Statutory Authority§ 32.1-229 of the Code of Virginia.

A. Each license issued pursuant to this part shall be subject to all the provisions of the Act, now or hereafter in effect, and to all rules, regulations, and orders of the agency. B. No license issued or granted under this part and no right to possess or utilize radioactive mate…

A. Except as provided in 12VAC5-481-520, a specific license shall expire at the end of the specified day in the month and year stated in the license. If an application for license renewal has been filed at least 30 days prior to the expiration date stated in the existing license …

A. Applications for renewal of specific licenses shall be filed in accordance with 12VAC5-481-440. B. In any case in which a licensee, not less than 30 days prior to expiration of his existing license, has filed an application in proper form for renewal or for a new license autho…

Amendment requests for a license shall be filed in accordance with 12VAC5-481-440 and shall specify the respects in which the licensee desires the license to be amended and the grounds for such amendment. Statutory Authority§ 32.1-229 of the Code of Virginia.

In considering an application by a licensee to renew or amend the license, the agency will apply the criteria set forth in 12VAC5-481-450 through 12VAC5-481-480 and in Parts V (12VAC5-481-1170 et seq.), VII (12VAC5-481-1660 et seq.), XI (12VAC5-481-2330 et seq.), XII (12VAC5-481-…

Article 5 Licenses Held at the Time of the Effective Date of These Regulations Any person who, on the effective date as stated in 12VAC5-481-160, possesses a general or specific license for source, byproduct, or special nuclear material in quantities not sufficient to form a crit…

Any person who, on September 20, 2006, possesses NARM for which a specific license is required by the Act or this part shall be deemed to possess such a license issued under the Act and this part. Such license shall expire 90 days after September 20, 2006; provided, however, that…

Article 6 Transfer of Material A. No licensee shall transfer radioactive material except as authorized pursuant to this section. B. Except as otherwise provided in the license and subject to the provisions of subsections C and D of this section, any licensee may transfer radioact…

Article 7 Records A. Record retention. A licensee shall retain records required by 12VAC5-481-100 or by license condition. If a retention period is not otherwise specified by this chapter or license condition, the record shall be retained until the agency terminates each license.…

Article 8 Modification and Revocation of Licenses A. The terms and conditions of all licenses shall be subject to amendment, revision, or modification or the license may be suspended or revoked by reason of amendments to the Act, or by reason of rules, regulations, and orders iss…

Licenses of radioactive, source, and special nuclear material in quantities not sufficient to form a critical mass. 1. Subject to these regulations, any person who holds a specific license from the NRC or another Agreement state, and issued by the agency having jurisdiction where…

Statutory Authority§ 32.1-229 of the Code of Virginia.

Article 1 General Provisions A. Part IV (12VAC5-481-600 et seq.) of this chapter establishes standards for protection against ionizing radiation resulting from activities conducted pursuant to licenses or registrations issued by the agency. These regulations are issued pursuant t…

Except as specifically provided in other parts of these regulations, Part IV (12VAC5-481-600 et seq.) of this chapter applies to persons licensed or registered by the agency to receive, possess, use, transfer, or dispose of sources of radiation. The limits in Part IV (12VAC5-481-…

A. Any existing license or registration condition that is more restrictive than Part IV (12VAC5-481-600 et seq.) of this chapter remains in force until there is an amendment or renewal of the license or registration. B. If a license or registration condition exempts a licensee or…

Article 2 Radiation Protection Programs A. Each licensee shall develop, document, and implement a radiation protection program commensurate with the scope and extent of licensed activities and sufficient to ensure compliance with the provisions of this chapter. B. The licensee sh…

Article 3 Occupational Dose Limits A. The licensee shall control the occupational dose to individual adults, except for planned special exposures under 12VAC5-481-690, to the following dose limits. 1. An annual limit, which is the more limiting of: a. The total effective dose equ…

A. If the licensee is required to monitor under subdivisions 1 and 2 of 12VAC5-481-760, the licensee shall demonstrate compliance with the dose limits by summing external and internal doses. If the licensee is required to monitor only under subdivision 1 of 12VAC5-481-760 or only…

A. Licensees shall, when determining the dose from airborne radioactive material, include the contribution to the deep-dose equivalent, lens dose equivalent, and shallow-dose equivalent from external exposure to the radioactive cloud (see Appendix B to 10 CFR Part 20). B. Airborn…

A. For purposes of assessing dose used to determine compliance with occupational dose equivalent limits, the licensee shall, when required under 12VAC5-481-760, take suitable and timely measurements of either: 1. Concentrations of radioactive materials in air in work areas; 2. Qu…

A. For each individual who may enter the licensee's or registrant's restricted area and is likely to receive, in a year, an occupational dose requiring monitoring pursuant to 12VAC5-481-760, the licensee or registrant shall determine the occupational radiation dose received durin…

A licensee may authorize an adult worker to receive doses in addition to and accounted for separately from the doses received under the limits specified in 12VAC5-481-640 provided that each of the following conditions is satisfied: 1. The licensee authorizes a planned special exp…

Statutory Authority§ 32.1-229 of the Code of Virginia.

The annual occupational dose limits for minors are 10% of the annual dose limits specified for adult workers in 12VAC5-481-640.Statutory Authority§ 32.1-229 of the Code of Virginia.

A. The licensee shall ensure that the dose equivalent to the embryo/fetus during the entire pregnancy due to occupational exposure of a declared pregnant woman does not exceed 500 millirem (5 mSv). B. The licensee shall make efforts to avoid substantial variation above a uniform …

Article 4 Radiation Dose Limits for Individual Members of the Public A. Each licensee shall conduct operations so that: 1. The total effective dose equivalent to individual members of the public from the licensed operation does not exceed 100 millirem (1 mSv) in a year exclusive …

A. The licensee shall make or cause to be made, as appropriate, surveys of radiation levels in unrestricted and controlled areas and radioactive materials in effluents released to unrestricted and controlled areas to demonstrate compliance with the dose limits for individual memb…

Article 5 Testing for Leakage or Contamination of Sealed Sources A. The licensee or registrant in possession of any sealed source shall assure that: 1. Each sealed source, except as specified in subsection B of this section, is tested for leakage or contamination and the test res…

Article 6 Surveys and Monitoring A. Licensees shall make or cause to be made surveys of areas, including the subsurface, that: 1. Are necessary for the licensee to comply with this chapter; and 2. Are reasonable under the circumstances to evaluate: a. The magnitude and extent of …

Each licensee shall monitor exposures from sources of radiation at levels sufficient to demonstrate compliance with the occupational dose limits of this part. At a minimum: 1. Each licensee shall monitor occupational exposure to radiation from licensed and unlicensed radiation so…