Tell The NRC: Continue Protecting Workers

Tell the NRC: Continue Protecting Workers

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Standing up for our communities, again. Public Comments Open July 15 on Sweeping Nuclear Regulatory Changes and Potential Impacts to Workers

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing major regulatory changes in response to Executive Order 14300. This order directs the agency in charge of protecting communities from radiation exposure to revise and streamline nuclear regulations. These changes will reshape how nuclear reactors, fuel manufacturing facilities, radioactive waste projects, and other nuclear activities are operated, licensed, and regulated. 

Background

On July 15, 2026, the NRC published proposed rules that would revise the NRC’s radiation protection framework that could lead to greater annual and lifetime exposures for workers and the public. In particular, the NRC is reconsidering its use of the linear no-threshold (LNT) model for radiation exposure and the “as low as reasonably achievable” standard. The data-backed LNT model holds that there is no threshold at which radiation is safe and correctly assumes that any radiation exposure increases health risk. Based on this model, the “As Low As Reasonably Achievable” (ALARA) principle requires minimizing exposure whenever possible. These standards are based on decades of research, evidence, and lived experience. While this rulemaking leaves the LNT standard in place for now, it attempts to do away with ALARA- the principle that has helped ensure a basic standard of safety for the public, but in particular for workers in related industries, who face radiation risk on a daily basis. In simple terms, weakening this standard could allow higher levels of occupational radiation exposure for workers, leading to an increased risk of cancer and other health risks. At a time when our young people are being told they will be able to get jobs in the nuclear industry, this is deeply concerning. The deadline to submit these comments is 11:59 p.m. ET or 9:59 pm MT on August 31, 2026.

 

Workers who are routinely, often daily or multiple times a day, exposed to ionizing radiation as part of their jobs could be among those most impacted by these proposed changes to the NRC rules.

 

Workers who could be affected include, but are not limited to:

 

  • Uranium miners and exploratory drillers 
  • Uranium mill workers
  • Uranium ore transportation drivers
  • In-situ uranium recovery workers
  • Uranium conversion, enrichment, and fuel fabrication workers
  • Nuclear power plant operators and maintenance workers
  • Small modular reactor workers
  • Reactor construction and decommissioning workers
  • Radioactive waste treatment, storage, transportation, and disposal workers
  • Industrial radiographers
  • Nuclear medicine technologists
  • Radiologic technologists (X-ray, CT, fluoroscopy)
  • Radiation therapists
  • Research laboratory personnel working with radioactive materials
  • Emergency responders and hazardous materials (HAZMAT) teams responding to radiological incidents

The Utah Connection

Many of these professions already receive occupational radiation exposure as part of their daily responsibilities. Radiation exposure accumulates over a lifetime and radiation related illness can take years to manifest. Changes to the amount of allowable occupational radiation exposure is particularly concerning for those who spend decades working in these industries. Strong radiation protection standards are essential to reducing preventable health risks from radiation exposure while ensuring workers can safely perform these crucial jobs.

 

Strong worker protections are also community protections. Workers are often the first people exposed throughout the nuclear fuel cycle, from uranium mining to waste management. Protecting workers helps reduce unnecessary radiation exposure throughout the entire system and reflects lessons learned from decades of occupational health research.

 

As the US pursues a new nuclear renaissance, these projections should be increased, not decreased.

The NRC is proposing a broad review of its radiation protection framework for the benefit of private industry. Changes to radiation standards could affect how much radiation the public could be exposed to, as well as how worker and public exposure to radioactive materials is evaluated and regulated. 

 

Scientific research has consistently linked exposure to ionizing radiation with an increased risk of leukemia, thyroid cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, and other solid cancers. Radiation exposure has also been associated with cataracts, cardiovascular disease at higher cumulative doses, and potential impacts on fetal development during pregnancy. While the level of risk depends on the dose and duration of exposure, public health experts have long recognized that there is no known completely risk-free level of ionizing radiation exposure.

Proposed changes to oversight and radiation exposure rates could affect how risks are evaluated and how communities prepare for accidents or radiological releases. These proposed changes could also impact how much radiation emergency responders can be exposed to. 

Proposed changes to radiation exposure standards that increase the allowable annual rate of exposure, and change the timeline on which high levels are measured will have profound impacts on workers who are in close daily contact with radioactive materials daily. This includes, but is not limited to, uranium miners, uranium ore truckers, as well workers at uranium mills, nuclear fuel production facilities, nuclear reactors, and waste facilities.

Why You Should Care

What is missing from the current push for rapid nuclear expansion is an acknowledgment of the human costs of the past. Utah has a long history of radiation exposure from nuclear weapons testing and uranium production during the Cold War Era. Thousands of uranium workers, Downwinders, Tribal communities, military personnel, and nearby residents experienced elevated rates of cancer and other serious illnesses after being exposed to ionizing radiation.

 

After decades of advocacy by affected families and communities, Congress established the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) to recognize and compensate many individuals harmed by radiation exposure. In 2025, RECA was expanded to include all of Utah, recognizing the widespread impacts of radioactive fallout and uranium-related activities across the state.

 

Those hard-learned lessons helped shape today’s radiation protection standards. Weakening those protections now risks repeating mistakes that communities across Utah have already experienced.

 

At the same time, Utah is rapidly becoming a hub for nearly every stage of the nuclear fuel cycle, including uranium mining, milling, radioactive waste disposal, uranium enrichment, fuel production, and proposed advanced reactor projects. Check out HEAL’s map of existing and proposed nuclear related sites here.

 

As more workers enter radiation-related industries and more communities live near nuclear facilities, maintaining strong independent oversight and protective radiation standards becomes increasingly important. If the NRC decreases radiation protections for our communities, it could mean that our families are at greater risk of radiation related illnesses. 

 

These proposed NRC rule changes could accelerate nuclear development while reducing opportunities for public input, weakening independent oversight, and changing how radiation risks are evaluated. Communities that could be affected by new nuclear facilities deserve transparency, strong protections, meaningful opportunities for input, robust emergency planning support, and the ability to stop nuclear development in their communities before decisions are made. 

 

  • If the NRC weakens radiation protection standards or allows higher levels of radiation exposure to the public, families and children could face increased health risks over time.

 

  • Children are generally more vulnerable to radiation exposure because their bodies are still developing, their cells divide more rapidly, and they have a longer lifetime ahead during which radiation-related illnesses may develop. Women, girls, and the elderly are also more vulnerable.  

 

  • Scientific research has linked radiation exposure to an increased risk of cancers, including leukemia, thyroid cancer, breast cancer, and other solid tumors, as well as potential impacts on fetal development during pregnancy. While the exact risk depends on the dose and duration of exposure, public health experts have long recognized that there is no known completely risk-free level of ionizing radiation exposure. 

 

  • For communities living near nuclear facilities, waste sites, uranium operations, or areas affected by accidental releases, weakening radiation protections could increase cumulative exposure and leave future generations more vulnerable to preventable health impacts.

 

The decisions made through these rulemakings could shape the future of nuclear development in Utah, across the nation, and around the world for decades. These decisions will also have impacts on the health of communities for generations.

 

These changes may affect:

  • Public health protections from radiation exposure.
  • Occupational health and safety for workers routinely exposed to ionizing radiation, including uranium workers, nuclear workers, radioactive waste workers, medical professionals, industrial radiographers, and emergency responders.
  • Emergency preparedness and community safety.
  • Environmental review and accountability.
  • Tribal sovereignty and environmental justice.
  • Long-term radioactive waste management.
  • Transparency and meaningful public participation in decision-making.
  • Taxpayer risks associated with nuclear development, long-term waste management, and costly cleanup efforts.

 

Workers deserve a meaningful voice in decisions that could affect their health, environment, livelihoods, and future generations.

 

Resources:

Call To Action

Tell the NRC that public health, environmental protection, emergency preparedness, and meaningful public protections must remain at the center of nuclear regulation.

 

Ask the NRC to:

  • Maintain strong, science-based radiation protection standards for workers and the public, including preserving the Linear No-Threshold (LNT) model and the ALARA (“As Low As Reasonably Achievable”) principle unless compelling independent scientific evidence demonstrates that alternative approaches provide equal or greater protection.

 

  • Maintain strong radiation protection standards for workers and the public founded on sound science, evidence, and lived experiences.

 

  • Protect workers from unnecessary occupational radiation exposure by maintaining robust health and safety standards across every stage of the nuclear fuel cycle.

 

  • Require comprehensive environmental reviews that fully evaluate cumulative radiation impacts on workers, nearby communities, Tribal Nations, water resources, wildlife, and future generations.

 

  • Maintain strong emergency preparedness and independent safety oversight for all nuclear facilities and radioactive waste projects.

 

  • Ensure that public health, worker safety, and environmental protection remain the NRC’s primary mission and are not weakened in the name of faster licensing or reduced regulatory requirements.

How to Take Action

Submit a Public Comment: 

  • Beginning July 15, 2026 through August 31, 2026, review the proposed rules and submit a public comment through the federal rulemaking process. Public comment opportunities can be found through the NRC’s Documents for Comment page and Regulations.gov.
  • Please feel free to edit your comments using the draft below. Individual comments with specific stories make a much stronger case than seeing multiples of the exact same comments. Share why YOU as a Utahn, a family member, a community member, a person, are concerned about decreasing radiation protections.

 

  • How to submit comments: 
  1. Type in your comments or you can create a document and upload the file.
  2. Fill out the other information
  3. Select “Submit Comment”
  • Contact Decision Makers
  • Contact your members of Congress and ask them to support strong nuclear safety standards, transparency, and public participation.
  • Find your federal representatives: https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member

 

  1. Spread the Word!
    1. Share this action alert with your friends, family, coworkers, and community networks. The more voices that participate, the stronger the message that public health, environmental protection, and community safety must come before industry expediency.
Submit Your Comment Here!

Example language Directed to NRC

 

To the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission,

 

I am writing to urge the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to maintain strong radiation protection standards and reject any changes that would weaken protections for the public. The NRC’s primary responsibility is to protect people and the environment from the harmful effects of radiation, not to make it easier for the nuclear industry to expand at the expense of public health and safety. Any revisions to radiation exposure standards should be based on independent science and a precautionary approach that prioritizes protecting communities.

 

As a (your profession) who faces regular exposure to radiation within the parameters of my work, I am especially troubled by proposals to do away with the “As Low As Reasonably Achievable” (ALARA) principle. Radiation exposure has been linked to increased risks of cancer and other health impacts, particularly for children, pregnant women, workers, and communities living near nuclear facilities. Lowering protections or allowing greater public exposure could increase cumulative health risks for current and future generations. 

 

I work in a field that has increased radiation exposure potential that could harm me or my family. I expect our federal government to uphold the strongest protective standards for those of us on the ground in these critical roles working to ensure that the work gets done.  I urge the NRC to maintain robust radiation protections, preserve meaningful public participation opportunities, require thorough environmental reviews, and ensure that public health remains the highest priority in all future rulemaking decisions.

 

Thank you for your time and consideration in protecting our families today and in the future,

 

Sincerely,

(Your Name)

(Your Occupation)

(Your State/Country)

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