(1) Whenever in the judgment of the Director of the State Department of Energy from the results of monitoring or surveillance of operation of any nuclear-fueled thermal power plant or nuclear installation or based upon information from the Energy Facility Siting Council there is cause to believe that there is clear and immediate danger to the public health and safety from continued operation of the plant or installation, the director shall, in cooperation with appropriate state and federal agencies, without hearing or prior notice, order the operation of the plant halted by service of the order on the plant superintendent or other person charged with the operation thereof. Within 24 hours after such order, the director must appear in the appropriate circuit court to petition for the relief afforded under ORS § 469.563 and may commence proceedings for revocation of the site certificate if grounds therefor exist.

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(2) Whenever, in the judgment of the director based upon monitoring or surveillance by the director, or based upon information from the council, there is cause to believe that there is clear and immediate danger to the public health and safety from the accumulation or storage of radioactive material located at a nuclear-fueled thermal power plant or a nuclear installation, the director shall in cooperation with appropriate state and federal agencies, without hearing or prior notice, order such accumulation, storage, disposal or transportation halted or immediately impose safety precautions by service of the order on the officer responsible for the accumulation, storage, disposal or transportation. Within 24 hours after such an order, the director must appear in the appropriate circuit court to petition for the relief afforded under ORS § 469.563.

(3)(a) If the director believes there is a clear and immediate danger to public health or safety, the director shall halt the transportation or disposal of radioactive material or waste.

(b) The director shall serve an order to halt the transportation or disposal of radioactive material on the person responsible for the transport or disposal. The order may be served without prior hearing or notice.

(c) Within 24 hours after the director serves an order under paragraph (b) of this subsection, the director shall petition the appropriate circuit court for relief under ORS § 469.563.

(4) The Governor, in the absence of the director, may issue orders and petition for judicial relief as provided in this section. [Formerly 453.555; 1977 c.794 § 16; 1989 c.6 § 3; 2003 c.186 § 32]