Louisiana Revised Statutes 30:2109 – Nuclear power facilities; emergency planning; findings
Terms Used In Louisiana Revised Statutes 30:2109
- Department: means the Department of Environmental Quality. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 30:2004
- Emergency: means any condition existing outside of the bounds of nuclear operating sites owned or licensed by a federal agency, and any condition existing within or outside of the jurisdictional confines of a facility licensed or registered by the department and arising from the presence of byproduct material, source material, special nuclear material, or any other radioactive material, or source of radiation, which is endangering or could reasonably be expected to endanger the health and safety of the public or to contaminate the environment. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 30:2103
- Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
- Radiation: means any electromagnetic or ionizing radiation including gamma rays and x-rays, alpha and beta particles, high-speed electrons, neutrons, protons, and other nuclear particles, but does not include sound waves. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 30:2103
- Secretary: means the secretary of the Department of Environmental Quality. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 30:2004
- Source of radiation: means any radioactive material or any device or equipment emitting or capable of producing radiation. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 30:2103
A. The legislature finds and declares that it is necessary that the secretary of environmental quality be empowered upon a declaration of a state of disaster emergency, as provided for in Subsection C of this Section, and which is related to a source of radiation, to enter into contracts and agreements necessary to perform duties assigned under any radiological response plan and to expend funds from the Environmental Trust Dedicated Fund Account for such purposes, according to the provisions of La. Rev. Stat. 30:2015.
B. The governor may call upon the attorney general as necessary to obtain an injunction to enforce an evacuation order issued pursuant to any declaration of a disaster emergency pursuant to and in accordance with La. Rev. Stat. 29:724 or 727 and which is related to a source of radiation. Should the attorney general decline to obtain an injunction to enforce an evacuation order as provided in this Section, or if the attorney general does not respond to the governor’s request within twenty-four hours of such request and agree to seek such an injunction, an attorney from the department may, with the concurrence of the attorney general, seek an injunction to enforce an evacuation order issued in accordance with this Section.
C. Upon a declaration of a state of disaster emergency pursuant to and in accordance with Chapter 6 of Title 29 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950 related to a source of radiation, the secretary of the Department of Environmental Quality is authorized to enter into any contracts or agreements necessary to perform any duty or function required of the secretary in any radiological response plan. The secretary is authorized to expend funds from the Environmental Trust Dedicated Fund Account in the performance of such duties in accordance with the provisions of La. Rev. Stat. 30:2015.
D. Nothing contained in this Section shall be construed to affect any area preempted by federal law or regulations.
Acts 1984, No. 825, §1, eff. July 13, 1984; Acts 1989, No. 392, §1, eff. June 30, 1989; Acts 1995, No. 1160, §1; Acts 1999, No. 303, §1, eff. June 14, 1999; Acts 1999, No. 348, §1, eff. June 16, 1999; Acts 2018, No. 612, §9, eff. July 1, 2020; Acts 2019, No. 404, §1, eff. July 1, 2020.