Health Physics Questions and Answers - Question 12

Question 12: How will the revised Regulatory Guides be used in determining acceptability of a licensee's implementation of the revised Part 20?

Answer: In determining the acceptability of a licensee's implementation of the revised Part 20, new regulatory guides will be used in the same way existing guides have been used in determining acceptability of a licensee's implementation of the old Part 20 in cases in which there is no licensee commitment to the guide in a license application. As stated in virtually every guide, Regulatory Guides are not regulations and compliance with them is not required, unless the guide has been made a specific condition of a license (a common practice for materials licensees who are licensed by NRC's Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards). Also, as indicated in every guide, alternatives to methods described in the guide may be acceptable.

(Reference: Regulatory Guides)