Health Physics Questions and Answers - Question 18

Question 18: For power reactors, the Technical Specification instantaneous release rate limits are based on old Part 20 doses and concentrations (relative to an implied 500 mrem/yr limit). Will changes in the Technical Specifications and ODCMs be required as a result of the explicit 100-mrem/yr limit in the revised Part 20?

Answer: The instantaneous release rate limits for airborne releases will not be changed because they are imposed on licensees as a control to ensure that licensees meet Appendix I requirements. However, the instantaneous release rates for liquid effluents, to the extent that they directly reference Appendix B concentration values, will need to be changed. The corresponding bases and certain alarm set-points will have to be changed by license amendment.

(Reference: Reactor Technical Specifications)