NRC Resolution of Ritenour Petition for Rulemaking
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) announced the resolution of the E. Russell Ritenour, PhD, petition for rulemaking (PRM-35-20) on May 14, 2008. NRC decided to proceed with a rulemaking only if additional data could be compiled and a technical basis developed. If NRC is unable to develop an adequate technical basis for the rulemaking, the issues discussed within the petition would be dropped.
The petition called for the NRC to revise Part 35 to grandfather all prospective Authorized Medical Physicists (AMP) and Radiation Safety Officers (RSO) with board certifications that were acceptable prior to October 25, 2005. Currently, only individuals specifically listed on a NRC or Agreement State license on or before October 25, 2005 are grandfathered and all others are not, regardless of board certification status.
A deadline for the development of the technical basis was not provided by the resolution. ACR will continue to monitor the issues discussed in the petition.
Federal Register notice of resolution (5-14-2008): http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/E8-10736.htm
PRM-35-20 (9-10-2006): http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocumentDetail&d=NRC-2006-0020-0001
ACR comments on petition (1-12-2007): http://www.acr.org/Hidden/GR_Econ/FeaturedCategories/federal/nrc/ACRCommentsonGrandfatheringofRSOsAMPsDoc12.aspx