2014 New Mexico Statutes
Chapter 12 - Miscellaneous Public Affairs Matters
Section 12 Hazardous Materials Emergency Response
Section 12-12-19 Definitions.

A. "accident" means an event involving hazardous materials that may cause injury to persons or damage to property or release hazardous materials to the environment;

B. "administrator" means the hazardous materials emergency response administrator;

C. "board" means the hazardous materials safety board;

D. "chief" means the chief of the New Mexico state police;

E. "commission" means the state emergency response commission;

F. "department" means the homeland security and emergency management department;

G. "emergency management" means the ability to prepare for, respond to, mitigate, recover and restore the scene of an institutional, industrial, transportation or other accident;

H. "first responder" means the first law enforcement officer or other public service provider with a radio-equipped vehicle to arrive at the scene of an accident;

I. "hazardous materials" means hazardous substances, radioactive materials or a combination of hazardous substances and radioactive materials;

J. "hazardous substances" means flammable solids, semisolids, liquids or gases; poisons; corrosives; explosives; compressed gases; reactive or toxic chemicals; irritants; or biological agents, but does not include radioactive materials;

K. "orphan hazardous materials" means hazardous substances, radioactive materials, a combination of hazardous substances and radioactive materials or substances used in the manufacture of controlled substances in violation of the Controlled Substances Act [Chapter 30, Article 31 NMSA 1978] where an owner of the substances or materials cannot be identified;

L. "plan" means the statewide hazardous materials emergency response plan;

M. "radioactive materials" means any material or combination of materials that spontaneously emits ionizing radiation. Materials in which the estimated specific activity is not greater than 0.002 microcuries per gram of material are not considered to be radioactive materials unless determined to be so by the hazardous and radioactive materials bureau of the water and waste management division of the department of environment for purposes of emergency response pursuant to the Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Act;

N. "responsible state agency" means an agency designated in Subsection D of Section 12-12-21 NMSA 1978 with responsibility for managing a certain type of accident or performing certain functions at the scene of such accident; and

O. "secretary" or "state director" means the state director of homeland security and emergency management.