ASN Report 2018

GRAND EST REGIONAL OVERVIEWOF NUCLEAR SAFETY AND RADIATION PROTECTION Nogent-sur-Seine nuclear power plant Operated by EDF and situated in the municipality of Nogent‑sur‑Seine in the Aube département , 70 km north- west of Troyes, the Nogent‑sur‑Seine NPP comprises two pressurised water reactors, each of 1,300MWe, commissioned in 1987 and 1988. Reactor 1 constitutes BNI 139 and reactor 2 BNI 140. ASN considers that the radiation protection performance of the Nogent-sur-Seine site is on the whole in line with the general assessment of EDF, while its performance in nuclear safety and radiation protection is below average. With regard to nuclear safety, ASN considers that operating rigour has regressed, particularly on account of deficiencies in the preparation of operating activities. As far as maintenance is concerned, ASN considers that the progress in the work monitoring is insufficient, particularly when implementing equipment modif ications. ASN also notes shortcomings in the analysis of the fitness of equipment to be returned to service following the maintenance operations. Progress is also expected in the integration of the regulatory requirements regarding prevention of the fire risk. With regard to radiation protection, ASN considers that the site has undertaken to correct the malfunctions observed in the preceding years. More specifically, significant improvements have been made in the preparation of maintenance worksites involving radiological risks and the organisation for dealing with contaminated personnel. Vigilance must moreover be maintained in the detection and processing of deviations in this area. Regarding environmental protection, ASN considers that the site must further improve its performance, particularly in the internal management of effluents, which reveals shortcomings in the environmental culture of the workers or in the implementation of the procedures. ASN has observed progress in themanagement of conventional waste but remains attentive to compliance with the regulatory provisions concerning themanagement of radioactive waste. Soulaines‑Dhuys waste disposal centre Commissioned in January 1992, the Aube radioactive waste repository (CSA) took over from the Manche disposal centre which ceased its activities in July 1994, and benefited from the experience acquired with the Manche centre. This disposal facility, which constitutes BNI 149, has a capacity of one million cubic metres of Low and Intermediate Level Short-Lived Waste (LL/ILW-SL). The operations authorised in the facility include waste packaging either by injection of mortar into metal chambers of 5 or 10 m 3 , or by compaction in 200L drums. At the end of 2018, the volume of waste in the repository totalled some 335,175 m 3 , that is to say about 33.5% of the authorised capacity. According to the estimates made by Andra in 2016 in the concluding report on the CSA periodic safety review, the CSA could be completely filled by 2062 rather than 2042 as initially forecast, this new estimate being based on better knowledge of the future waste and the waste delivery schedules. ASN considers, in line with the previous years, that the CSA is operated under satisfactory conditions of safety and radiation protection. Labour inspection in the nuclear power plants of the Grand Est region ASN performed 9 inspections and took part in 7 meetings or surveys on the four sites and continued its oversight actions in the area of occupational safety, particularly during reactor outages. The management of occupational safety remains broadly satisfactory on all the sites. ASN nevertheless observes, as in the preceding years, some shortcomings in the application of prevention measures and performance of risk analyses by the licensee and its service providers. On the subject more specifically of the electrical risk, ASN has again, in the course of specific inspections, observed shortcomings in the meeting of regulatory obligations. On the Cattenom site, strict occupational safety management has been observed, with only a few isolated deviations being noted. Reinforcement of prevention of the asbestos risk, the need for which was highlighted by a few minor events, is covered by a dedicated organisation to limit the risk of accidental exposure. On the Fessenheim site, some cases of exceeding maximum permitted daily working times, which can form the subject of a waiver for safety reasons, underline the need to adopt a suitable organisation to limit their occurrence and duration. 52  ASN report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2018