Mississippi Code 1972 (2023) › Title 45 - PUBLIC SAFETY AND GOOD ORDER (§§ 45-NEW-NEW — 45-51-NEW-006) › Chapter 14 - RADIATION PROTECTION PROGRAM (§§ 45-14-1 — 45-14-69) › MISSISSIPPI RADIATION PROTECTION LAW OF 1976 (§§ 45-14-1 — 45-14-41) › Section 45-14-5 - Definitions

The following terms as used in this chapter shall have the meanings hereinafter ascribed to them, unless a different meaning is required by the context:
(a)
"Act" shall mean the Mississippi Radiation Protection Law of 1976;
(b)
"Agency" shall mean the Mississippi State Board of Health;
(c)
"Agreement materials" shall mean those materials licensed by the state under agreement with the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission and which include by-product, source or special nuclear materials in a quantity not sufficient to form a critical mass, as defined by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 as amended;
(d)
"Agreement state" shall mean any state which had consummated an agreement with the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission under the authority of Section 274(b) of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 as amended (73 Stat. 689), providing for acceptance by that state of licensing authority for agreement materials and the discontinuance of such activities by the commission;
(e)
"Atomic energy" shall mean all forms of energy released in the course of nuclear fission or nuclear fusion or other atomic transformations;
(f)
"Board" shall mean the state board of health;
(g)
"By-product material" shall mean any radioactive material, except special nuclear material, yielded in or made radioactive by exposure to the radiation incident to the process of producing or utilizing special nuclear material.
(h)
"Commission" shall mean the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, formerly known as the United States Atomic Energy Commission;
(i)
"Council" shall mean the Mississippi Radiation Advisory Council;
(j)
"Electronic product" shall mean any manufactured product or device or component part of such a product or device that has an electronic circuit, which during operation can generate or emit a physical field of radiation;
(k)
"Emergency" shall mean any condition existing outside the bounds of nuclear operating sites owned or licensed by a federal agency or any condition existing within or outside of the jurisdictional confines of a facility licensed by the agency and arising from by-product material, source material, special nuclear material or other radioactive materials, which is endangering or could reasonably be expected to endanger the health and safety of the public, or to contaminate the environment;
(l)
"Ionizing radiation" shall mean gamma rays and x-rays, alpha and beta particles, high speed electrons, neutrons, protons, and other nuclear particles; but not sound or radiowaves, or visible, infrared, or ultraviolet light;
(m)
"License" shall mean a license issued pursuant to regulations promulgated under the provisions of this chapter;
(n)
"Non-ionizing radiation" shall mean radiation not defined as ionizing radiation, including, but not limited to, such sources as lasers, masers or microwave devices; but does not include sonic, or infrasonic waves or thermally produced visible and infrared light;
(o)
"Nuclear energy" shall mean all forms of energy released in the course of nuclear fission or nuclear fusion or other atomic transformations;
(p)
"Person" shall mean any individual, corporation, partnership, firm, association, trust, estate, public or private institution, group, agency, political subdivision of this state, any other state or political subdivision or agency thereof, and any legal successor, representative, agent or agency of the foregoing, other than the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or any successor thereto, and other than federal government agencies licensed by the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or any successor thereto;
(q)
"Radiation" shall mean gamma rays and x-rays, alpha and beta particles, high speed electrons, protons, neutrons, and other nuclear particles, and electromagnetic radiation consisting of associated and interacting electric and magnetic waves and ultrasonic waves;
(r)
"Radiation machine" shall mean any device capable of producing radiation or nuclear particles when the associated control devices of the machine are operated;
(s)
"Radioactive material" shall mean any solid, liquid or gas which emits radiation spontaneously;
(t)
"Registration" shall mean a registration issued pursuant to regulations promulgated under the provisions of this chapter;
(u)
"Source of radiation" shall mean any radioactive material or any device or equipment emitting or capable of producing radiation;
(v)
"Source material" shall mean (1) uranium, thorium or any other material which the agency declares to be source material after the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or any successor thereto, has determined the material to be such; or (2) ores containing one (1) or more of the foregoing materials, in such concentration as the agency declares by order to be source material after the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or any successor thereto, has determined the material in such concentration to be source material, and
(w)
"Special nuclear material" shall mean (1) plutonium, uranium 233, uranium enriched in the isotope 233 or in the isotope 235, and any other material which the agency declares to be special nuclear material after the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or any successor thereto, has determined the material to be such, but does not include source material; or (2) any material artificially enriched by any of the foregoing, but does not include source material.
Laws, 1976, ch. 469, § 3, eff. 5/25/1976.