The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will begin a three-month amnesty program on June 1 to help identify unregistered x-ray machines and bring operators into compliance.
"This initiative offers a limited-time opportunity for medical providers to come into regulatory compliance without suffering a penalty," said DEP secretary Mike Krancer.
The amnesty period will run from June 1 to Aug. 31. During that time, DEP's Bureau of Radiation Protection will contact medical, dental, podiatric, chiropractic, and veterinary associations to let them know about the amnesty program and reinforce details of the agency's regulations.
All healthcare providers with radiation-emitting equipment are required to register their machines with the DEP and pay equipment-registration and inspection fees, which go toward Bureau of Radiation Protection operations.
The amnesty period will give unregistered medical facilities the opportunity to comply with current regulations. While they will be required to pay all delinquent and current fees, they will be absolved of any potential civil penalties related to registration.
