[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 240 (Thursday, December 13, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64416-64417]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-30824]


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FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY


Draft Guidance for the Use of Portable (Hand-Held) Radiological 
Instruments

AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

ACTION: Notice of draft guidance.

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SUMMARY: We (FEMA) \1\ have developed draft guidance for the use of 
portable (hand-held) radiological instruments for the detection of 
radioactive contamination on persons in association with peacetime 
nuclear accidents. Three draft documents pertaining to the draft 
guidance are available for distribution, review and comment.
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    \1\ The terms ``we'' and ``us'' in this notice mean FEMA.

DATES: We invite comments on the draft guidance, which we should 
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receive on or before February 11, 2002.

ADDRESSES: You may obtain copies of the draft guidance documents from 
William F. McNutt, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 500 C Street, 
SW., Washington, DC 20472, (202) 646-2857, or (e-mail) 
[email protected].
    Please send any comments on the draft guidance to the Rules Docket 
Clerk, Office of the General Counsel, Federal Emergency Management 
Agency, 500 C Street, SW., Washington, DC 20472, or (e-mail) 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Vernon L. Wingert, Federal Emergency 
Management Agency, 500 C Street, SW., Washington, DC 20472, (202) 646-
2872.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The three draft guidance documents are: (a) 
Contamination Monitoring Guidance for Portable Instruments Used for 
Radiological Emergency Response (10 pages); (b) Background Information 
on Contamination Monitoring Guidance for Portable Instruments Used for 
Radiological Emergency Response (55 pages); and (c) Statements of 
Consideration for Contamination Monitoring Guidance for Portable 
Instruments Used for Radiological Emergency Response (7 pages).
    We developed this guidance in response to a request from the 
Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors (CRCPD). The CRCPD 
asked us to develop guidance for portable instruments that afford 
protection to the public equivalent to the portal monitor standard that 
we established and published in the Federal Register, 60 FR 15290-
15291, March 23, 1995.
    We worked through the Federal Radiological Preparedness 
Coordinating Committee (FRPCC) and its Offsite Emergency 
Instrumentation Subcommittee to develop and coordinate the portal 
monitor standard and the guidance for portable instruments. We chair 
the FRPCC and with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) co-chair the 
Offsite Emergency Instrumentation Subcommittee, which includes members 
from several Federal agencies. Members of the CRCPD's E-6 Committee 
(composed of State radiological health officials) participate in 
meetings of this Subcommittee as ex-officio members. We also made the 
draft guidance available to FEMA Regional staff and CRCPD constituents 
in all 50 States for review and comment. We

[[Page 64417]]

have addressed and resolved their comments.
    While we developed only one standard for portal monitors, we 
developed guidance for four (4) types of portable instruments because 
of the instrument-specific factors that influence the manner in which 
radiation is detected and measured. We developed the guidance for 
portable instruments through extensive empirical tests of different 
portable radiological instruments currently in use today by State and 
government personnel. Despite instrument-specific differences between 
portal monitors and portable instruments, use of the draft guidance 
will afford protection to individuals equivalent to that afforded by 
the portal monitor standard.
    Based on extensive consultation with Federal and State officials, 
the primary issue involving this guidance is the extended period of 
time required to monitor an individual adequately with some types of 
portable radiological instruments. The planning criterion set forth in 
this document for monitoring individuals using a portable CDV-700 
radiological instrument is 300 counts per minute (CPM) above background 
levels. Empirical studies undertaken since 1991 have substantiated per-
person monitoring time frames for different types of radiological 
instruments ranging from 2.6 minutes to as high as 19 minutes (for a 
CDV-700 with standard GM side window probe) for total body scans to 
detect spot contamination.
    The range of times required to monitor individuals, coupled with 
the need of State and local governments to provide sufficient resources 
to monitor at least 20% of the plume exposure pathway emergency 
planning zone (EPZ) population, may require State and local governments 
with certain types of radiological instruments to re-examine their 
radiological emergency planning and preparedness for accidents 
involving commercial nuclear power plants. This issue is extensively 
documented and addressed in the three documents previously cited, and 
we provide suggestions on how State and local governments may address 
this issue and related resource requirements.
    We welcome comments on the monitoring issue, related resource 
requirements, and any other issues raised by the draft guidance.

    Dated: December 7, 2001.
Joe M. Allbaugh,
Director.
[FR Doc. 01-30824 Filed 12-12-01; 8:45 am]
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