Transport of NORM falls under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission through the Packaging and Transport of Nuclear Substances Regulations (PTNSR). In addition, provincial and territorial governments may impose specific manifesting requirements. All shipments of NORM must be properly classified by determining the activity of the waste prior to transport. This is completed by obtaining a radiochemical analysis if a history of the waste is not known (prior radiochemical analysis from site).
NORM shipment with activities less than 70 Bq/g Lead 210 and 42 Bq/g Radium 226 as a mixture are exempt from the packaging and transport requirements and must be shipped in accordance with manifesting requirements of the provincial/territorial governments. NORM shipments greater than 70 Bq/g for Lead 210 and 42 Bq/g for radium mixtures must follow the requirements of the PTNSR as outlined in the Canadian NORM Guidelines Volume III Transport.
All Shipments must be surveyed for gamma radiation. Readings greater than background require a radiochemical analysis to verify the activity. Shipments under provincial/territory jurisdiction must be packaged so as to prevent the dispersal of the radioactive materials during transport and require a manifest with the descriptor “Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials – NORM”. NORM shipments under federal jurisdiction are further classified based off the amount of radioactivity in the shipment, specific activity and radionuclides contained in the materials being shipped and form of radioactive materials (Equipment, liquids, Solids). Typically federal shipments of NORM fall under the following classifications:
- Exempt Package
- Limited Quantity of Materials in Excepted Packages – UN2910
- Low Specific Activity Materials (LSA-I) UN2912
- Surface Contaminated Objects (SCO-1) UN2913
- Type A Package – UN2915
A history of the NORM materials can be used in place of a radiochemical analysis, providing, the site’s history is not close to applicable limits. Radium contaminated materials are considered mixtures from both the U-238 and Th-232 decay series and require following the Canadian NORM Transport Guidelines calculation for mixtures. Shipments made without first determining the activity of the waste are undeclared loads and required to be reported to the CNSC by the shipper, carrier and receiver.