Section 31-13-3. Definitions

   As used in this chapter, the term:

   (1) "Accelerator produced radioactive material" means any material made radioactive by a particle accelerator.

   (1.1) "By-product material" means 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.

   (1.2) "Department" means the Department of Community Health.

   (2) "Director" means the director of the Environmental Protection Division of the Department of Natural Resources.

   (3) "General license" means a license effective pursuant to applicable rules and regulations promulgated by the Department of Community Health or the Department of Natural Resources, without the filing of an application, to transfer, acquire, own, possess, or use quantities of by-product, source, or special nuclear materials, or other radioactive material occurring naturally or produced artificially or devices, radiation generating equipment, or equipment utilizing such materials.

   (4) "Ionizing radiation" means gamma rays and X-rays, alpha and beta particles, high-speed electrons, protons, neutrons, and other nuclear particles; but not sound or radio waves or visible, infrared, or ultraviolet light.

   (4.1) "Naturally occurring radioactive material" means radioactive material occurring naturally in the environment.

   (4.2) "Nonionizing radiation" means:

      (A) Any electromagnetic radiation other than ionizing electromagnetic radiation; or

      (B) Any sonic, ultrasonic, or infrasonic wave.

   (5) "Permissible radiation exposure" means the maximum amount of radiation to which an individual may be exposed, as established in applicable standards adopted by the Department of Community Health or the Department of Natural Resources.

   (6) "Person" means any individual, corporation, partnership, association, trust, estate, public or private institution, agency or political subdivision of this state, or any other state or political subdivision or agency thereof.

   (7) "Radiation" means 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 with frequencies between 1x109 hertz and 1x1024 hertz and wavelengths between 3x10-1 meters and 3x10-16 meters.

   (8) "Radiation generating equipment" means any manufactured product or device, or component part of such a product or device, or any machine or system which during operation can generate or emit radiation, except those which emit radiation only from radioactive material.

   (9) "Radioactive material" means any solid, liquid, or gas for any use that emits ionizing radiation spontaneously. It includes accelerator produced, by-product, naturally occurring, source, and special nuclear material.

   (9.1) "Registration" means registration with either the Department of Community Health or the Department of Natural Resources in accordance with applicable rules and regulations adopted pursuant to this chapter.

   (10) "Source material" means (A) uranium, thorium, and any other material which the Department of Natural Resources declares to be source material after the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or any successor thereto, has determined the material to be such; or (B) ores containing one or more of the foregoing materials, in such concentration as the Department of Natural Resources declares to be source material after the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or any successor thereto, has determined the material in such concentration to be source material.

   (11) "Special nuclear material" means (A) plutonium, uranium 233, uranium enriched in the isotope 233 or in the isotope 235, and any other material which the Department of Natural Resources declares to be special nuclear material after the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or any successor thereto, has determined the material to be such, but does not include source material; or (B) any material artificially enriched by any of the foregoing, but does not include source material.

   (12) "Specific license" means a license, issued after application, to use, manufacture, produce, transfer, receive, acquire, own, or possess quantities of by-product, source, or special nuclear materials, or other radioactive material occurring naturally or produced artificially, or devices or equipment utilizing such materials.

Code 1933, § 88-1303, enacted by Ga. L. 1964, p. 499, § 1; Ga. L. 1973, p. 920, §§ 2, 3; Ga. L. 1976, p. 1567, § 2; Ga. L. 1988, p. 1670, § 1; Ga. L. 1990, p. 711, § 1; Ga. L. 2009, p. 453, § 1-4/HB 228; Ga. L. 2011, p. 705, § 4-15/HB 214.