A Brief History of CRCPD
The need to protect individuals from radiation exposure can be traced
back to the early 1900s. The earliest efforts began just after the
discovery of x-rays and radioactivity. Prior to World War II, radiation
protection guidance was provided by the radiation users and their
professional organizations. By the late 1940s, a few State and local
governments had established limited radiation protection programs. In
1959, Congress amended the Atomic Energy Act, authorizing States to
assume regulatory control for certain types of man-made radioactive
materials, provided the State had an adequate program to protect the
public health and safety. Currently there are 33 States that have
assumed this authority. Such States are called "Agreement States," as
they have a written agreement with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. By
the early 1960s many States had a comprehensive radiation control
program. Such programs included regulation of the use of diagnostic and
therapeutic x-ray, environmental monitoring, and regulation of the use
of certain radioactive materials, including naturally occurring,
accelerator-produced radioactive material (NARM).
While early State and local radiation control programs were developing,
similar activities were taking place at the Federal level. As a result
of these many and varied State, local, and Federal programs and
activities in radiation control, most of which were being developed
independently of each other, it became clear that unless some effort was
made for uniformity there would be inconsistencies and conflicts of
rules and regulations throughout the country.
As a result of this identified need for uniformity of regulations, CRCPD
was originally established in 1968 for two primary purposes:
• To serve as a forum for the many governmental radiation protection
agencies to communicate with each other; and
• To promote uniform radiation protection regulations and activities.