1. Anyone who, in contravention of the law or other general provisions, acquires, possesses, traffics, facilitates, processes, transforms, uses, stores, transports, or disposes of nuclear materials or other hazardous radioactive substances that cause or may cause death or serious injury to persons, or substantial damage to air, soil, or water quality, or to animals or plants, shall be punished with imprisonment for one to five years, a fine of six to eighteen months, and special disqualification from practicing a profession or trade for one to three years.
2. Anyone who, without due authorization, produces such materials or substances shall be punished with the next higher penalty.
3. If the acts referred to in the preceding paragraphs were committed through gross negligence, the penalty shall be one degree lower than that specified therein.