The nation's top nuclear regulator is preparing to scrap a decades-old safety rule that has helped keep radiation exposure as low as possible, a move that is drawing praise from the nuclear industry and concern from some safety experts.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is proposing to eliminate the "as low as reasonably achievable" (ALARA) principle, which for more than 50 years has required nuclear plants, hospitals and other facilities to minimize radiation exposure even when it falls below legal limits.
