(a)        There is hereby created the North Carolina Radiation Protection Commission of the Department of Health and Human Services with the power to promulgate rules and regulations to be followed in the administration of a radiation protection program. All rules and regulations for radiation protection that were adopted by the Commission for Public Health and are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Chapter shall remain in full force and effect unless and until repealed or superseded by action of the Radiation Protection Commission. The Radiation Protection Commission is authorized:

(1)        To advise the Department in the development of comprehensive policies and programs for the evaluation, determination, and reduction of hazards associated with the use of radiation;

(2)        To adopt, promulgate, amend and repeal such rules, regulations and standards relating to the manufacture, production, transportation, use, handling, servicing, installation, storage, sale, lease, or other disposition of radioactive material and radiation machines as may be necessary to carry out the policy, purpose and provisions of this Chapter. To this end, the Commission is authorized to require licensing or registration of all persons who manufacture, produce, transport, use, handle, service, install, store, sell, lease, or otherwise dispose of radioactive material and radiation machines, as the Commission deems necessary to provide an adequate protection and supervisory program: provided, that prior to adoption of any regulation or standard, or amendment or repeal thereof, the Commission shall afford interested parties the opportunity, at a public hearing, as provided in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 104E-13, to submit data or views orally or in writing. The recommendations of nationally recognized bodies in the field of radiation protection shall be taken into consideration in such standards relative to permissible dosage of radiation;

(3)        To require all sources of ionizing radiation to be shielded, transported, handled, used, stored, or disposed of in such a manner to provide compliance with the provisions of this Chapter and rules, regulations and standards adopted hereunder;

(4)        To require, on prescribed forms furnished by the Department, registration, periodic reregistration, licensing, or periodic relicensing of persons to use, manufacture, produce, transport, transfer, install, service, receive, acquire, own, or possess radiation machines and other sources of radiation;

(5)        To exempt certain sources of radiation or kinds of uses or users from the licensing or registration requirements set forth in this Chapter when the Commission determines that the exemption of such sources of radiation or kinds of uses or users will not constitute a significant risk to the health and safety of the public;

(6)        To promulgate rules and regulations pursuant to this Chapter which may provide for recognition of other state and federal licenses as the Commission shall deem desirable, subject to such registration requirements as it may prescribe; and exercise all incidental powers necessary to carry out the provisions of this Chapter;

(7)        To provide by rule and regulation for an electronic product safety program to protect the public health and safety, which program may authorize regulation and inspection of sources of nonionizing radiation throughout the State. The product safety program may include the establishment of minimum qualifications for the operators of these products or sources.

(8)        To adopt, amend, repeal or promulgate such rules, regulations, and standards relating to the nonradioactive, toxic and hazardous aspects of radioactive waste disposal, as may be necessary to protect the public health and safety.

(9)        To adopt regulations establishing financial responsibility requirements for maintenance, operation and long-term care of low-level radioactive waste facilities, including insurance during the operation of the facility and adequate assurance of availability of funds for facility closure and post-closure monitoring and corrective measures.

(10)      To adopt rules which exempt a generator of low-level radioactive waste who operates a low-level radioactive waste facility solely for the management of wastes he produces, from any requirement, made applicable by this Chapter or rules adopted pursuant to this Chapter to low-level radioactive waste facilities generally where, because of the low volume or activity of the wastes involved, such exemption would not endanger the public health or safety, or the environment.

(b)        No license for a low-level radioactive waste facility that would accept low-level radioactive waste from the public, or from another person for a fee, shall be issued other than for a facility authorized by the General Assembly. ?(1975, c. 718, s. 1; 1979, c. 694, s. 3; 1981, c. 704, s. 10; 1987, c. 850, s. 5; 1989, c. 727, s. 219(17); 1991, c. 735, s. 3; 1997-443, s. 11A.119(a); 2001-474, s. 2; 2007-182, s. 2; 2015-241, s. 14.30(u); 2015-264, s. 54(b).)