§ 53.530 Population-related considerations.
Every site must have an exclusion area, a low-population zone, and a population center distance as defined in § 53.020.
(a) The offsite radiological consequences estimated by the analyses required by § 53.450(f) must be used to confirm that—
(1) An individual located at any point on the boundary of the exclusion area for any 2-hour period following onset of the postulated fission product release would not receive a radiation dose in excess of 25 rem (250 millisieverts) total effective dose equivalent.
(2) An individual located at any point on the outer boundary of the low-population zone who is exposed to the radioactive cloud resulting from the postulated fission product release (during the entire period of its passage) would not receive a radiation dose in excess of 25 rem (250 millisieverts) total effective dose equivalent.
(b) The reactor site must either:
(1) Provide a population center distance of at least one and one-third times the distance from the reactor to the outer boundary of the low-population zone; or
(2) Be found acceptable to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) based on assessments of societal risks in comparison to societal benefits for the specific site. The boundary of the population center or the alternate area assessed considering societal risks and benefits must be determined upon consideration of population distribution. Political boundaries are not controlling in the calculation of population center distance or the alternate area assessed considering societal risks and benefits.
(c) Reactor sites should be located away from very densely populated centers or otherwise be shown to be acceptable by assessments of societal risks in comparison to societal benefits for the specific site. Areas of low-population density are, generally, preferred. However, in determining the acceptability of a particular site located away from a very densely populated center but not in an area of low-population density or when assessing a site considering societal risks and benefits, consideration will be given to safety, environmental, economic, or other factors, which may result in the site being found acceptable.