50-79-201. State radiation control agency. (1) The department is the state radiation control agency.

Terms Used In Montana Code 50-79-201

  • Department: means the department of public health and human services. See Montana Code 50-79-103
  • Disposal: means burial in soil, release through the sanitary sewerage system, incineration, or permanent long-term storage with no intention of or provision for subsequent removal. See Montana Code 50-79-103
  • Ionizing radiation: means gamma rays and x-rays, alpha and beta particles, high-speed electrons, neutrons, protons, and other nuclear particles, but not sound or radio waves or visible, infrared, or ultraviolet light. See Montana Code 50-79-103
  • Registration: means the registering with the department by the legal owner, user, or authorized representative of sources of ionizing radiation in the manner prescribed by rule. See Montana Code 50-79-103
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See Montana Code 1-1-201

(2)Under the laws of this state, the department may employ, compensate, and prescribe the powers and duties of the individuals that are necessary to carry out this chapter.

(3)The department may, subject to the provisions of 50-79-410, for the protection of the occupational and public health and safety:

(a)develop and conduct programs for evaluation and control of hazards associated with the use of sources of ionizing radiation;

(b)develop programs and adopt rules with due regard for compatibility with federal programs for licensing and regulation of byproduct, source, radioactive waste, and special nuclear materials and other radioactive materials. These rules must cover equipment and facilities, methods for transporting, handling, and storage of radioactive materials, permissible levels of exposure, technical qualifications of personnel, required notification of accidents and other incidents involving radioactive materials, survey methods and results, methods of disposal of radioactive materials, posting and labeling of areas and sources, and methods and effectiveness of controlling individuals in posted and restricted areas.

(c)adopt rules relating to control of other sources of ionizing radiation. These rules must cover equipment and facilities, permissible levels of exposure to personnel, posting of areas, surveys, and records.

(d)advise, consult, and cooperate with other agencies of the state, the federal government, other states, interstate agencies, political subdivisions, and groups concerned with control of sources of ionizing radiation;

(e)accept and administer loans, grants, or other funds or gifts, conditional or otherwise, in furtherance of its functions, from the federal government and from other sources, public or private;

(f)encourage, participate in, or conduct studies, investigations, training, research, and demonstrations relating to control of sources of ionizing radiation;

(g)collect and disseminate information relating to control of sources of ionizing radiation, including:

(i)maintenance of a file of all license applications, issuances, denials, amendments, transfers, renewals, modifications, suspensions, and revocations;

(ii)maintenance of a file of registrants possessing sources of ionizing radiation requiring registration under this chapter and any administrative or judicial action pertaining to this chapter;

(iii)maintenance of a file of all rules relating to regulation of sources of ionizing radiation, pending or adopted, and proceedings.