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This standard is prepared with a view to implementing the Environmental Protection Law of the People's Republic of China, the People’s Republic of China Law of the Prevention and Control of Radioactive Pollution, and the Nuclear Safety Law of the People's Republic of China, protecting environment, guaranteeing human health and standardizing safety management of low and intermediate level solid radioactive wastes.
This standard specifies the basic safety requirements for low and intermediate level solid radioactive waste packages, including the basic safety requirements for low and intermediate level solid radioactive package container, over-package (radiation shielding) container and freight container.
This standard is a revision of GB 12711-1991 Standard of safety for low and intermediate-level solid radioactive wastes packages and the original standard was drafted by China Institute of Atomic Energy. The following main revisions have been made with respect to the previous edition:
——The requirements for surface dose rate of waste packages of general concern are modified;
——A few additions and deletions on "normative references" and "terms and definitions" are made;
——"Basic requirements for containments in waste packages" and "basic requirements for design and manufacturing of package container" are rewritten;
——Specified provisions are added in "emergency plan and preparation" and "quality assurance";
——The clause "test and inspection" is added;
——The provisions for adapting to waste minimization and waste package safety are added.
This standard was firstly issued in 1991, and this edition is the first revision.
GB 12711-1991 is abolished from the implementation date of this standard.
This standard was prepared by the Department of Radioactive Sources Safety Supervision and Management, Department of Nuclear Facilities Safety Supervision and Department of Science, Technology and Standards of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.
This standard shall be implemented from March 1, 2019.
The Ministry of Ecology and Environment is responsible for the explanation of this standard.
Standard of safety for low and intermediate level solid radioactive waste packages
1 Application scope
This standard specifies the basic safety requirements and the requirements for storage, disposal and transportation of low and intermediate level solid radioactive waste packages.
This standard is applicable to the waste packages reconditioned of low and intermediate level solid radioactive wastes produced by nuclear facilities and nuclear technology utilization organizations during operation and decommissioning.
This standard is not applicable to the waste packages reconditioned of radioactive tailing residues and spent radiation sources.
2 Normative references
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the normative document (including any amendments) applies.
GB 9132 Safety requirements for near surface disposal of low and medium level radioactive solid waste
GB 11806 Regulations for the safe transport of radioactive material
GB 11928 Regulations for interim storage of low-and intermediate-level radioactive solid wastes
GB/T 15219 Quality assurance for packaging used in transport of radioactive material
GB 18871 Basic standards for protection against ionizing radiation and for the safety of radiation sources
EJ 914 Concrete container for low-and intermediate-level radioactive solid wastes
EJ 1042 Containers for low and intermediate level radioactive solid waste - Steel drum
EJ 1076 Container for low and intermediate level radioactive solid waste - Steel box
EJ 1186 Characterization of Radioactive Waste Forms and Packages
Classification of radioactive wastes, notification of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence, PRC (No. 65, 2017)
3 Terms and definitions
3.1 waste package
sum of waste and package container. The waste package delivered for transportation is referred to as waste goods package
3.2 package container
containers used for storing radioactive wastes after solidification, fixation or other treatments
3.3 over-package container
additional package container on the external surface of waste package in order to reduce radiation level where the surface dose rate of waste package exceeds the management limit, or additional package container on the external surface of waste package due to damage of waste package. Some over-package containers are repeatedly used; some are disposed together and used only once
3.4 freight container
package container assembled with multiple encapsulated waste packages for the convenience of transportation, handling, storage and disposal. Most freight containers are used for transportation and repeatedly used; few are also disposed together and used only once
3.5 efficient loading factor
percentage of waste volume contained in the waste package to the total volume of waste package
3.6 dispersible waste
non-monolithic, dispersible wastes that are prone to pollution and spread, such as incineration ash, evaporation residue, waste ion exchange resin, waste activated carbon powder, etc.
3.7 high integrity container
container effectively containing the low and intermediate level solid radioactive wastes within the expected service life for more than 300 years. It may be made of different materials (e.g. concrete, ductile cast iron, high-density polyethylene material or composite materials)
3.8 load combination
combination of acting forces, such as combination of container dead weight, gravity load of contents under normal working conditions or in test state, temperature gradient or thermal expansion acting force, static load of the maximum load bearing of covering layer during stacking and disposal, and the dynamic load of acting force during transportation or lifting
4 General
4.1 The organizations producing low and intermediate level solid radioactive wastes shall have safe, reliable and economic measures for packaging radioactive wastes, preventing the radioactive materials from releasing to the environment in an unacceptable quantity, ensuring the exposure dose to the public and working personnel not exceeding the limit as specified in GB 18871, and reasonably reaching the level as low as possible.
4.2 The wastes shall be collected separately, preferably in appropriate package container, to avoid repeatedly replacing containers and handling wastes as possible.
4.3 The waste package shall meet the requirements for handling, storage, disposal and transportation, be convenient to operate, and ensure that it can be taken out from the storehouse and sent for disposal within the specified storage period; and it may be able to play a role of engineered barrier in multiple barrier systems within a certain period after disposal.
4.4 For the waste packages with surface dose rate exceeding the limit, over-package containers may be adopted for handling and/or transportation to reduce the exposure dose to working personnel. In order to facilitate the transportation of waste packages and improve the work efficiency, freight containers may be adopted for container handling and transportation.
4.5 The wastes shall be subjected to appropriate volume reduction in advance, and the containers with high efficient loading factor shall be selected to reduce the burden of waste storage, transportation and disposal.
4.6 In principle, standard series of containers shall be adopted for waste packaging. For the large wastes generated by decommissioning and overhaul, large non-standard containers may be adopted due to high cost of cutting and dismantling or inconvenience of cutting. However, the use of such containers shall meet safety requirements and comply with relevant requirements for transportation, storage and disposal.
5 Basic requirements for contents in low and intermediate level solid radioactive waste packages
5.1 The specific activity of wastes in the package container shall reach the radiation level of low and intermediate level solid radioactive wastes.
5.2 The waste in the container shall be as dense as possible to fill with the container. Except for the case of adopting high integrity containers, the dispersible wastes such as evaporation residue, mud, incineration ash and waste ion exchange resin shall be solidified or otherwise treated before disposal. After placed in containers, small incompressible solids, cut solid components and super-compacted waste cakes shall be fixed by pouring cement mortar before disposal.
5.3 In case that the waste contained is likely to generate gas (such as radiolysis gas), consideration shall be given to reserve appropriate space in the package container or take other measures to avoid overpressure.
5.4 The following materials are forbidden to be packed into waste package container:
a) explosive substances or substances which may result in violent reaction after exposed to water;
b) spontaneously combustible, and inflammable substances;
c) strongly corrosive substances;
d) untreated animal carcasses and pathogen-containing substances;
e) non-radioactive highly toxic substances.
5.5 The volume of free liquid in waste package shall be less than 1% the volume of solid waste.
5.6 The amount of fissile material in the waste package shall be less than 15g.
Foreword i
1 Application scope
2 Normative references
3 Terms and definitions
4 General
5 Basic requirements for contents in low and intermediate level solid radioactive waste packages
6 Basic requirements for package containers of low and intermediate level solid radioactive wastes
7 Surface dose rate limits of low and intermediate level solid radioactive waste packages
8 Surface pollution limits of low and intermediate level solid radioactive waste packages
9 Test and inspection
10 Stacking/storage, transportation and disposal of waste packages
11 Emergency plan and preparation
12 Quality assurance
