Chapter 4163 | Atomic Energy

Section 4163.01 | Atomic energy definitions.

• Effective: July 1, 2009
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 2 - 128th General Assembly

As used in Chapter 4163. of the Revised Code:

(A) "Atomic energy" means all forms of energy released in the course of nuclear fission or nuclear transformation.

(B) "By-product material" has the same meaning as in section 3748.01 of the Revised Code.

(C) "Production facility" means any equipment or device capable of the production of special nuclear material in such quantity as to be of significance to the common defense and security, or in such manner as to affect the health and safety of the public; or any important component part especially designed for such equipment or device.

(D) "Special nuclear material" has the same meaning as in section 3748.01 of the Revised Code.

(E) "Utilization facility" means any equipment or device, except an atomic weapon, capable of making use of special nuclear materials in such quantity as to be of significance to the common defense and security, or in such manner as to affect the health and safety of the public, or peculiarly adapted for making use of atomic energy in such quantity as to be of significance to the common defense and security, or in such manner as to affect the health and safety of the public; or any important component part especially designed for such equipment or device.

(F) "Radiation" has the same meaning as in section 3748.01 of the Revised Code.

(G) "Highway route controlled quantity" has the same meaning as in 49 C.F.R. 173.403.

(H) "High-level radioactive waste" means any of the following:

(1) Irradiated reactor fuel;

(2) Liquid wastes resulting from the operation of the first cycle solvent extraction system, or equivalent, and the concentrated wastes from subsequent extraction cycles, or equivalent, in a facility for reprocessing irradiated reactor fuel;

(3) Solids into which such liquid wastes have been converted.

(I) "Spent nuclear fuel" means fuel that has been withdrawn from a nuclear reactor following irradiation, the constituent elements of which have not been separated by reprocessing.

(J) "Transuranic waste" means material contaminated with elements that have an atomic number greater than ninety-two, including neptunium, plutonium, americium, and curium, and that are in concentrations greater than ten nanocuries per gram or in other concentrations that the United States nuclear regulatory commission may prescribe.

Section 4163.02 | Prohibiting production or possession of nuclear material without license.

• Effective: September 9, 1957
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 339 - 102nd General Assembly

No person shall manufacture, construct, produce, transfer, acquire, or possess any special nuclear material, by-product material, production facility, or utilization facility or act as an operator of a production or utilization facility wholly within this state unless he has obtained whatever license or permit, if any, is required for engaging in the same type of activity by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 of the United States or by any regulations issued thereunder. This section shall not prohibit or limit or require an additional license for the use of by-product materials for medical purposes by physicians licensed to practice medicine in this state.

Section 4163.03 | State departments and agencies to conduct studies and recommend laws and rules.

• Effective: September 26, 1996
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 293 - 121st General Assembly

Each of the following departments and agencies of the state government shall initiate and pursue continuing studies as to the need, if any, for changes in the laws and rules administered by it that would arise from the presence within the state of special nuclear materials and by-product materials and from the operation herein of production or utilization facilities, and, on the basis of such studies, to make such recommendations for the enactment of laws or amendments to laws administered by it, and such proposals for amendments to the rules issued by it, as may appear necessary and appropriate:

The department of health; the bureau of workers' compensation; the department of transportation; the public utilities commission; the department of insurance; the department of natural resources; the department of commerce; and such other departments and agencies as the governor may direct and for the purposes specified by the governor.

The heads of the appropriate state department or agency may cooperate with any federal department or agency in the administration of this section.

Section 4163.06 | Injunctions against production or possession of nuclear material without license.

• Effective: September 9, 1957
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 339 - 102nd General Assembly

Whenever, in the opinion of the attorney general, any person is violating or is about to violate section 4163.02 of the Revised Code, the attorney general may apply to the appropriate court for an order enjoining the person from engaging or continuing to engage in the activity violative of said section and upon a showing that such person has engaged, or is about to engage, in any such activity, a permanent or temporary injunction, restraining order, or other order may be granted.

Section 4163.07 | Notice to executive director of the emergency management agency prior to shipment of nuclear materials into or through the state.

• Effective: June 11, 2012
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 487 - 129th General Assembly

(A)(1) Prior to transporting any high-level radioactive waste, spent nuclear fuel, transuranic waste, or any quantity of special nuclear material or by-product material that meets or exceeds the highway route controlled quantity, within, into, or through the state, the shipper of the material shall notify the executive director of the emergency management agency established under section 5502.22 of the Revised Code of the shipment. The notice shall be in writing and be sent by certified mail and shall include the name of the shipper; the name of the carrier; the type and quantity of the material; the transportation mode of the shipment; the proposed date and time of shipment of the material within, into, or through the state; and the starting point, termination or exit point, scheduled route, and each alternate route, if any, of the shipment. In order to constitute effective notification under division (A)(1) of this section, notification shall be received by the executive director at least four days prior to shipment within, into, or through the state.

(2) The carrier or shipper of any shipment subject to division (A)(1) of this section shall immediately notify the executive director of any change in the date and time of the shipment or in the route of the shipment within, into, or through the state.

(B) Upon receipt of a notice of any shipment of material that is subject to division (A)(1) of this section within, into, or through the state, the executive director of the emergency management agency shall immediately notify the director of public safety, the director of environmental protection, the director of health, the chairperson of the public utilities commission, and the county emergency management agency and sheriff of each county along the proposed route, or any alternate route, of the shipment.

(C) The executive director of the emergency management agency shall not disclose to any person other than those persons enumerated in division (B) of this section any information pertaining to any shipment of special nuclear material or by-product material prior to the time that the shipment is completed.

(D) This section does not apply to radioactive materials, other than by-products, shipped by or for the United States department of defense and United States department of energy for military or national defense purposes. Nothing in this section requires the disclosure of any defense information or restricted data as defined in the "Atomic Energy Act of 1954," 68 Stat. 919, 42 U.S.C. 2011, as amended.

(E) No person shall transport or cause to be transported within, into, or through the state any material that is subject to division (A)(1) of this section without first providing the notice required in that division.

(F) Whoever violates division (E) of this section, in addition to any penalty imposed under section 4163.99 of the Revised Code, is liable for a civil penalty in an amount not to exceed the following, as applicable:

(1) Twenty-five thousand dollars for a motor carrier, as defined in section 4923.01 of the Revised Code;

(2) Forty-five thousand dollars for the first cask designated for transport by rail and thirty thousand dollars for each additional cask designated for transport by rail that is shipped by the same person or entity in the same shipment.

The attorney general, upon the request of the executive director of the emergency management agency, shall bring a civil action to collect the penalty. Fines collected pursuant to this section shall be deposited into the state treasury to the credit of the public utilities transportation safety fund created in section 4921.21 of the Revised Code.

Section 4163.99 | Penalty.

• Effective: July 1, 1996
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 2 - 121st General Assembly

Whoever violates division (E) of section 4163.07 of the Revised Code is guilty of a felony of the fourth degree. Each shipment made in violation of that division is a separate offense.