Abstracts ASN Report 2019

Application of this principle results, for example, in the adoption of a linear, no-threshold dose-effect relationship where the biological effects of exposure to low doses of ionising radiation ĴŅĸ ĶłŁĶĸŅŁĸķє Ļļņ ŃłļŁŇ ļņ ĶĿĴŅļĹļĸķ ļŁ ĶĻĴŃŇĸŅ ӄׇłĹ ŇĻļņ ŅĸŃłŅŇє ׏ِ׏ِ ג ¨ɖƫǼǣƬ ȵƏȸɎǣƬǣȵƏɎǣȒȇ ȵȸǣȇƬǣȵǼƺ This principle allows public participation in the taking of decisions by public authorities. In line with the Aarhus łŁʼnĸŁŇļłŁё ļŇ ļņ ķĸĹļŁĸķ ļŁ ŅŇļĶĿĸ ӊׇłĹ ŇĻĸ ŁʼnļŅłŁŀĸŁŇ ĻĴŅŇĸŅ as follows: “ Within the conditions and limits defined by law, all individuals are entitled to access environmental information in the possession of the public authorities and to participate in the taking of public decisions affecting the environment ”. In the nuclear field, this principle notably leads to the organisation of national public debates, which are mandatory prior to the construction of a nuclear power plant for example, or now before certain plans and programmes subject to strategic environmental assessments, such as the National Radioactive Material and Waste Management Plan (PNGMDR). One should also mention the public inquiries, notably during examination of the files concerning the creation or decommissioning of nuclear installations, consultation of the public on draft resolutions with an impact on the environment, or the submission by a Basic Nuclear Installation (BNI) licensee of its file concerning a modification to its installation liable to lead to a significant increase in water intake or discharges into the environment of the installation. ׏ِ׏ِ ד hɖɀɎǣǔǣƬƏɎǣȒȇ ȵȸǣȇƬǣȵǼƺ Ļĸ ĽňņŇļĹļĶĴŇļłŁ ŃŅļŁĶļŃĿĸё ķĸĹļŁĸķ ļŁ ŅŇļĶĿĸ єׇӄӆӆӆіӅׇłĹ ŇĻĸ Public Health Code, states that: “ A nuclear activity or an intervention may only be undertaken or carried out if its individual or collective benefits, more specifically its health, social, economic or scientific benefits, so justify, given the risks inherent in the human exposure to ionising radiation that it is likely to entail ”. ӄє Ļĸ Ҏ ņ łŊ ņ ĸĴņłŁĴĵĿŌ ĶĻļĸʼnĴĵĿĸҏ ŃŅļŁĶļŃĿĸ ĴŃŃĸĴŅĸķ ĹłŅ ŇĻĸ ĹļŅņŇ Ňļŀĸ ļŁ ňĵĿļĶĴŇļłŁ ӅӉׇĹŅłŀ ŇĻĸ ŁŇĸŅŁĴŇļłŁĴĿ łŀŀļņņļłŁ łŁ ĴķļłĿłĺļĶĴĿ ŅłŇĸĶŇļłŁ Ҏ ҏ ļŁ ӄӌӊӊє Ň ŊĴņ ŇĻĸ ŅĸņňĿŇ łĹ Ĵ ŃŅłĶĸņņ łĹ ŅĸĹĿĸĶŇļłŁ łŁ ŇĻĸ ŃŅļŁĶļŃĿĸ łĹ łŃŇļŀļņļŁĺ ŅĴķļłĿłĺļĶĴĿ ŃŅłŇĸĶŇļłŁє ʼnĸŅ ŇĻĸ ŃĴņŇ ӆӃׇŌĸĴŅņё ŇĻĸ acceptance and implementation of the ALARA principle has developed significantly in Europe, with strong backing from the European Commission, leading ļŁ ӄӌӌӄׇŇł ŇĻĸ ĶŅĸĴŇļłŁ łĹ Ĵ ňŅłŃĸĴŁ ŁĸŇŊłŅľє Assessment of the expected benefit of a nuclear activity and the corresponding drawbacks may lead to prohibition of an activity for which the benefit would not seem to outweigh the health Ņļņľє łŅ ĸŋļņŇļŁĺ ĴĶŇļʼnļŇļĸņё ĽňņŇļĹļĶĴŇļłŁ ŀĴŌ ĵĸ ŅĸĴņņĸņņĸķ ļĹ ŇĻĸ state of know-how and technology so warrants. ׏ِ׏ِ …ה ȵɎǣȅǣɀƏɎǣȒȇ ȵȸǣȇƬǣȵǼƺ Ļĸ łŃŇļŀļņĴŇļłŁ ŃŅļŁĶļŃĿĸё ķĸĹļŁĸķ ĵŌ ŅŇļĶĿĸ єׇӄӆӆӆіӅׇłĹ ŇĻĸ Public Health Code, states that: “ The level of exposure of individuals to ionising radiation […], the probability of occurrence of this exposure and the number of persons exposed must be kept as low as is reasonably achievable, given the current state of technical knowledge, economic and social factors and, as necessary, the medical goal in question ”. This principle, referred to as the ALARA (1) (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) principle, leads for example to reducing the quantities of radionuclides present in the radioactive effluents from nuclear installations allowed in the discharge licenses, to requiring monitoring of exposure in the working environment in order to reduce it to the strict minimum and to ensuring that medical exposure as a result of diagnostic procedures remains close to the pre-determined reference levels. ׏ِ׏ِ ו nǣȅǣɎƏɎǣȒȇ ȵȸǣȇƬǣȵǼƺ Ļĸ ĿļŀļŇĴŇļłŁ ŃŅļŁĶļŃĿĸё ķĸĹļŁĸķ ļŁ ŅŇļĶĿĸ єׇӄӆӆӆіӅׇłĹ ŇĻĸ ňĵĿļĶ Health Code, states that: “ […] Exposure of an individual to ionising radiation […] may not increase the sum of the doses received beyond the limits set by regulations, except when the individual is exposed for medical purposes or for the purposes of research as mentioned ļŁ ӄխׇłĹ ŅŇļĶĿĸ єׇӄӄӅӄіӄ ”. The exposure of the general public or of workers as a result of nuclear activities is subject to strict limits. These limits include significant safety margins to prevent deterministic effects from appearing, as well as aiming to reduce the appearance of probabilistic effects in the long term to the lowest level possible. The Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) The leading licensees (EDF, CEA, Andra, Orano-Framatome) and the other licensees or users of ionising radiation (ƺˡȇƺɀ ǕƺȇƺȸƏǼ ɀƏǔƺɎɵ ƏȇƳ ȸƏƳǣƏɎǣȒȇ ȵȸȒɎƺƬɎǣȒȇ ȒƫǴƺƬɎǣɮƺɀ ¨ȸȒȵȒɀƺ ȵȸȒƬƺƳɖȸƺɀ ǔȒȸ ƏƬǝǣƺɮǣȇǕ Ɏǝƺ ȒƫǴƺƬɎǣɮƺɀ XȅȵǼƺȅƺȇɎ Ɏǝƺ ƏȵȵȸȒɮƺƳ ȵȸȒɮǣɀǣȒȇɀ «ƺɮǣƺɯɀ ɯǝƺɎǝƺȸ Ɏǝƺɀƺ ȵȸȒƬƺƳɖȸƺɀ Əȸƺ ƬƏȵƏƫǼƺ Ȓǔ ƏƬǝǣƺɮǣȇǕ Ɏǝƺɀƺ ȒƫǴƺƬɎǣɮƺɀ ³ɖȵƺȸɮǣɀƺɀ Ɏǝƺ ǣȅȵǼƺȅƺȇɎƏɎǣȒȇ Ȓǔ Ɏǝƺɀƺ ȵȸȒɮǣɀǣȒȇɀ Responsibility of licensees and responsibility of ASN ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2019 117 ׎ ٲ א THE PRINCIPLES OF NUCLEAR SAFETY AND RADIATION PROTECTION AND THE REGULATION AND OVERSIGHT STAKEHOLDERS 02