NORM means wastes containing, or contaminated, with naturally occurring materials at a concentration or radioactivity higher than the relevant regu­latory level and which is expected to have no further use. These wastes arise principally from the mining and milling of rare-earth minerals and the production of phosphates among others. The radioactivity in such kinds of wastes is mainly from radioactive materials associated with raw materials and of quite large volume.

Spent fuel (SF)

The amount of Chinese SF was about 1,000 t from light reactors in 2010. It will be 2,000 t in 2015 and then 1,000 t produced each year from 2015 to 2020. However, a single CANDU reactor which will be in operation in Qinshan III will give 200 t SF each year when it is in operation. Since 2010, SF from China’s LWRs is being reprocessed first in a small pilot plant, fol­lowed by vitrification and eventually geological disposal.