Particle Accelerators And Radiation Research | US EPA

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

The NRC regulates the operation of particle accelerators and nuclear material, including radioactive material created by particle accelerators. A license from the NRC or an agreement state is required to own or operate a particle accelerator.

Regulation of Radioactive Materials This webpage discusses the regulation of radioactive materials and lists the government organizations involved in licensing and regulating these materials.

The States

Each state has a radiation program that regulates the use of radioactive materials. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has agreements with more than half the states (Agreement States) that gives them the authority to regulate radioactive material produced from particle accelerators. Agreement States inspect facilities to make sure the staff is properly trained and that equipment is operating safely. In many cases, states have agreements with the NRC and the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to run particle accelerators, and to ensure the safety of operators and facility employees.

State Radiation Protection Programs The Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors (CRCPD) This webpage provides links and contact information for each state's Radiation Control Program office.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

OSHA sets rules and guidance to protect workers who operate particle accelerators and handle any radioactive materials produced by particle accelerators.

Special Purpose Particle Accelerators (pdf) This webpage provides an overview of particle accelerators and describes occupational safety and health hazards.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

The FDA regulates the manufacture and use of electronic products that emit radiation, including particle accelerators. Accelerators used for cancer treatment also must meet the FDA rules for medical equipment.

Radiation-emitting Products This webpage describes a variety of products that emit radiation.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

The IAEA deals with the application of research accelerators. Only a few hundred accelerators are dedicated purely for scientific research, although the knowledge and technological developments gained from research accelerators often drive the development of new applications.

Background on Accelerators This webpage discusses the history of particle accelerators and how they work.

European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN)

Physicists and engineers at CERN are probing the fundamental structure of the universe. They use the world's largest and most complex scientific instruments to study the basic constituents of matter – the fundamental particles.

About CERN This website provides information about the particle accelerators and research taking place at CERN.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Fermilab

Physicists from all over the globe come to Fermilab to conduct particle physics experiments Fermilab collects and analyzes the data from those experiments with powerful detectors and computers.

The Tevatron: 28 years of discovery and innovation This webpage describes how Fermilab's Tevatron particle accelerators operate.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Cancer Institute (NCI)

NCI is the federal government's principal agency for cancer research and training.

Radiation Therapy for Cancer: Questions and Answers This webpage provides answers to questions regarding the use of radiation to treat cancer.