Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 254 - Environmental health.
254.31 - Definitions.

254.31 Definitions. In this subchapter:
(1) “By-product material" means any of the following:
(a) 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.
(b) The tailings or waste produced by the extraction or concentration of uranium or thorium from any ore processed primarily for its source material content.
(2) “Decommissioning" means conducting final operational activities at a nuclear facility to dismantle site structures, to decontaminate site surfaces and remaining structures, to stabilize and contain residual radioactive material and to carry out any other activities necessary to prepare the site for postoperational care.
(2m) “General license" means a license, under requirements prescribed by the department by rule, to possess, use, transfer or acquire by-product material or devices or equipment utilizing by-product material without the filing of a license application by a person or issuance of licensing confirmation by the department.
(3g) “Ionizing radiation" means all radiations capable of producing ions directly or indirectly in their passage through matter, including all of the following:
(a) Electromagnetic radiations, including X-rays and gamma rays.
(b) Particulate radiations, including electrons, beta particles, protons, neutrons, alpha particles and other nuclear particles.
(3p) “Nonionizing radiation" means electromagnetic radiation, other than ionizing radiation, and any sonic, ultrasonic or infrasonic wave.
(4) “Nuclear facility" means any reactor plant, any equipment or device used for the separation of the isotopes of uranium or plutonium, the processing or utilizing of radioactive material or handling, processing or packaging waste; any premises, structure, excavation or place of storage or disposition of waste or by-product material; or any equipment used for or in connection with the transportation of such material.
(4p) “Radiation" means both ionizing and nonionizing radiation.
(5) “Radiation generating equipment" means a system, manufactured product or device or component part of such a product or device that, during operation, is capable of generating or emitting ionizing radiation without the use of radioactive material. “Radiation generating equipment" does not include a device that emits nonionizing radiation.
(6) “Radiation installation" is any location or facility where radiation generating equipment is used or where radioactive material is produced, transported, stored, disposed of or used for any purpose.
(9) “Radiation source" means radiation generating equipment or radioactive material.
(9m) “Radioactive material" includes any solid, liquid or gaseous substance which emits ionizing radiation spontaneously, including accelerator-produced material, by-product material, naturally occurring material, source material and special nuclear material.
(10) “Source material" means uranium, thorium, any combination thereof in any physical or chemical form, or ores that contain by weight 0.05 percent or more of uranium, thorium, or any combination thereof. “Source material" does not include special nuclear material.
(11) “Special nuclear material" means plutonium, uranium 233, uranium enriched in the isotope 233 or in the isotope 235, and any other material which the nuclear regulatory commission determines to be special nuclear material; or any material artificially enriched by any of the foregoing. Special nuclear material does not include source material.
(11g) “Specific license" means a license, under requirements prescribed by the department by rule, to possess, use, manufacture, produce, transfer or acquire radioactive material or devices or equipment utilizing radioactive material.
(11m) “Transuranic" means a radioactive material having an atomic number that is greater than 92.
(12) “X-ray tube" means any electron tube that is contained in a device and that is specifically designed for the conversion of electrical energy into X-ray energy.
History: 1977 c. 29; 1985 a. 29; 1993 a. 27 ss. 227, 477; Stats. 1993 s. 254.31; 1993 a. 491; 1999 a. 9; 2001 a. 16.

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