Abstracts ASN Report 2019

ב ِ ג ِ א Áǝƺ ȸƏƳǣƏɎǣȒȇ ȵȸȒɎƺƬɎǣȒȇ ɀǣɎɖƏɎǣȒȇ Ł ӅӃӄӌё ĶĴŅŅļĸķ łňŇ ӇӈׇļŁņŃĸĶŇļłŁņ ļŁ ŇĻļņ ņĸĶŇłŅ ҎӇӊׇļŁņŃĸĶŇļłŁņ ŃĸŅ ŌĸĴŅ łŁ ĴŉĸŅĴĺĸ łŉĸŅ ŇĻĸ ӅӃӄӊіӅӃӄӌׇŃĸŅļłķҏє Generally speaking, the steps taken in the last few years have brought improvements in the implementation of radiation protection measures in research laboratories, thanks to enhanced overall awareness of radiation protection issues. Among the observed areas of progress, ASN underlines the strong involvement of the Radiation Protection Advisors (RPA) with the research teams, resulting in better integration of radiation protection, particularly in operations involving ionising radiation sources. The other notable improvements concern the conditions of waste and effluent storage and removal, particularly the setting up of pre-disposal checking procedures. The way this subject is addressed nevertheless remains highly variable from one licensee to another and remains a point requiring particular attention in universities which have historically stored their disused sources and their radioactive waste, sometimes over very long periods of time, rather than disposing them regularly, which today poses two main problems: Ҋ in view of their diversity, the waste and sources cannot be retrieved without first being precisely identified and characterised; Ҋ the retrieval represents a significant financial cost which has not been budgeted for. The technical, economic and regulatory difficulties concerning the disposal of legacy sealed sources therefore persist, despite ĸŁŇŅŌ ļŁŇł ĸĹĹĸĶŇ łŁ ӄׇ ňĿŌ ӅӃӄӈׇłĹ ĸĶŅĸĸ ӅӃӄӈіӅӆӄׇłĹ Ӆӊׇ ĸĵŅňĴŅŌ ӅӃӄӈׇŅĸĿĴŇļŉĸ Ňł ŇĻĸ ŀĴŁĴĺĸŀĸŁŇ łĹ ķļņňņĸķ ņĸĴĿĸķ ŅĴķļłĴĶŇļŉĸ sources. In effect, this text, which aims to facilitate the disposal of sealed sources, gives source holders the possibility of seeking alternative disposal routes with source suppliers or Andra without making it obligatory to return the source to its original supplier. GRAPH 12 Trends in the number of events reported to ASN in the research sector 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2019 Number rated level 0 Number rated level 1 Number rated level 2 250 ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2019 ׎ ٲ ז SOURCES OF IONISING RADIATION AND THEIR INDUSTRIAL, VETERINARY AND RESEARCH APPLICATIONS ¨ƏɖǼ ³ƏƫƏɎǣƺȸ ÈȇǣɮƺȸɀǣɎɵ ǣȇ ÁȒɖǼȒɖɀƺ ɀƺȸɮƺƳ ǔȒȸȅƏǼ ȇȒɎǣƬƺ ɎȒ ȸƺȅȒɮƺ ǣɎɀ ȸƏƳǣȒƏƬɎǣɮƺ ɯƏɀɎƺ In 2014, the ASN inspectors had observed the presence of ȅȒȸƺ ɎǝƏȇ ה ׎׎ ژ ƺɴȵǣȸƺƳ ɀƺƏǼƺƳ ɀȒɖȸƬƺɀ ƏȇƳ ƬȒȇɎƏȅǣȇƏɎƺƳ waste stored in two premises. These storage areas presented a very real radiation protection risk given the volume and nature of the accumulated waste, the associated risk of contamination and the difficulty in ensuring their security in the event of malicious acts. At the time ASN had requested the removal of the waste before the end of 2017, and the transmission of a quarterly progress report. Despite the successive chase-ups and inspections, ASN ȒƫɀƺȸɮƺƳ ǣȇ א ׎׏ ژז ɎǝƏɎ ȅȒȸƺ ɎǝƏȇ וב ׎ ژ ɀȒɖȸƬƺɀ ƏȇƳ ɯƏɀɎƺ were still stored at the university. Furthermore, the premises displayed a confirmed risk of contamination making it necessary to wear coveralls to enter them. !ȒȇɀƺȷɖƺȇɎǼɵً ǣȇ ȵȸǣǼ א ׎׏ ژח ³z ǕƏɮƺ Ɏǝƺ ¨ƏɖǼ ³ƏƫƏɎǣƺȸ University formal notice to remove, within one year, Ɏǝƺ ژז ƺɴȵǣȸƺƳ ɀȒɖȸƬƺɀ ƏȇƳ ژג ƬȒȇɎƏȅǣȇƏɎƺƳ ɯƏɀɎƺɀ that present the most significant radiological risks. Further to receiving formal notice from ASN, the university sped up its source and waste removal procedures with its various suppliers and with Andra and the CEA. In א ׎׏ ژח ǣɎ ȒȸǕƏȇǣɀƺƳ Ɏǝƺ ȸƺȅȒɮƏǼ Ȓǔ ژז ɀȒɖȸƬƺɀ ƏȇƳ ɯƏɀɎƺɀ ȒɖɎ Ȓǔ Ɏǝƺ ׏ ژא ɀɎǣȵɖǼƏɎƺƳ ǣȇ Ɏǝƺ ǔȒȸȅƏǼ ȇȒɎǣƬƺ ɎȒ ƬȒȅȵǼɵِ ȇ ǣȇɀȵƺƬɎǣȒȇ ɀǝƏǼǼ ƫƺ ƬƏȸȸǣƺƳ ȒɖɎ ǣȇ א ׎ א ׎ ژ ɎȒ ɮƺȸǣǔɵ full compliance with this notice and take stock of the progress in the removal of the other sources and wastes not covered by the administrative procedure. In August 2019, ASN also placed a condition on the renewal of the license to hold sealed and unsealed sources by requiring the sources and wastes to be stored in non-contaminated premises provided with a surface coating that is easily decontaminated.