Energy Secretary Chris Wright killed the Department of Energy’s decades-old radiation safety standard Friday.
Wright ended the department’s use of the As Low As Reasonably Achievable — or “ALARA” — principle, which has long been a staple of nuclear regulation. ALARA is rooted in the idea that any radiation exposure carries risks, but low doses can be justified by practical considerations. Critics in the nuclear power and health fields argue that the standard is overly burdensome with no real safety benefits.
The move could lower operational costs and accelerate projects using nuclear material, but it will alter an established safety-first culture. The change in safety standards may impact DOE’s ongoing advanced nuclear reactor pilot program and high-stakes radiation cleanups, like the Hanford site in Washington state that has been dubbed the most contaminated place in the Western Hemisphere.
A person familiar with the Trump administration’s nuclear policy, granted anonymity to discuss sensitive issues, confirmed that Wright decided to remove ALARA from DOE regulations and that there would be a subsequent process to decide replacement standards. DOE did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
