Abstracts ASN Report 2019

ڲ٫ת Radioactive waste Pursuant to the provisions of the Environment Code, the producers of spent fuel and radioactive waste are responsible for these substances, without prejudice to the liability of those who hold these substances in their role as persons or entities responsible for nuclear activities. Radioactive waste must be managed in accordance with specific procedures. Waste producers must pursue the objective of minimising the volume and harmfulness of their waste, both before production by appropriate design and operation of the facilities, and after production by appropriate sorting, treatment and packaging. The types of radioactive waste differ widely in their radioactivity (specific activity, nature of the radiation, half-life) and their form (scrap metal, rubble, oils, etc.). Two main parameters can be used to assess the radiological risk that radioactive waste represents: firstly the activity, which contributes to the toxicity of the waste, and secondly the half- life of the radionuclides present in the waste which determines the required waste containment time. A distinction is therefore made between very low, low, intermediate and high-level waste on the one hand and, on the other hand, very short-lived waste ҎŊĻłņĸ ĴĶŇļʼnļŇŌ ĿĸʼnĸĿ ļņ ĻĴĿʼnĸķ ļŁ Ŀĸņņ ŇĻĴŁ ӄӃӃׇķĴŌņҏ ŅĸņňĿŇļŁĺ mainly from medical activities, short-lived waste (chiefly containing radionuclides whose activity level is halved in less than ӆӄׇŌĸĴŅņҏ ĴŁķ ĿłŁĺіĿļʼnĸķ ŊĴņŇĸ ҎŊĻļĶĻ ĶłŁŇĴļŁņ Ĵ ĿĴŅĺĸ ńňĴŁŇļŇŌ łĹ ŅĴķļłŁňĶĿļķĸņ ŊĻłņĸ ĴĶŇļʼnļŇŌ ĿĸʼnĸĿ ļņ ĻĴĿʼnĸķ ļŁ ŀłŅĸ ŇĻĴŁ ӆӄׇŌĸĴŅņҏє CHAPTER 14 This chapter presents the role and actions Ȓǔ ژ ³zً Ɏǝƺ IȸƺȇƬǝ zɖƬǼƺƏȸ ³ƏǔƺɎɵ ɖɎǝȒȸǣɎɵً in the management of radioactive waste and the management of sites and soils contaminated by radioactive substances. XɎ ژ ƳƺɀƬȸǣƫƺɀ ǣȇ ȵƏȸɎǣƬɖǼƏȸ Ɏǝƺ ƏƬɎǣȒȇɀ ɎƏǸƺȇ to define and set the broad guidelines for radioactive waste management. ƬƬȒȸƳǣȇǕ ɎȒ ȸɎǣƬǼƺ nِ ٮאגדژ ׏ ٮ ׏ ژ Ȓǔ Ɏǝƺ Environment Code, radioactive waste consists of radioactive substances for which no subsequent use is planned or envisaged or which have been re-qualified as such by the administrative authority in application Ȓǔ ȸɎǣƬǼƺ nِ ٮאגדژ ׏ ژאٮב Ȓǔ Ɏǝǣɀ ɀƏȅƺ ƬȒƳƺِ The waste comes from nuclear activities involving artificial or natural radioactive substances, from the moment this radioactivity justifies the implementation of radiation protection controls. A site contaminated by radioactive substances ǣɀ Əȇɵ ɀǣɎƺً ƺǣɎǝƺȸ ƏƫƏȇƳȒȇƺƳ Ȓȸ ژ ǣȇ ȒȵƺȸƏɎǣȒȇً on which natural or artificial radioactive substances have been or are employed or stored in conditions such that the site can present risks for health and the environment. Contamination by radioactive substances can result from industrial, craft, medical or research activities. In 2018, the General Directorate for Energy and Climate (DGEC) of the Ministry for Ecological and Solidarity-based Transition and ASN petitioned the National Public Debate Commission (CNDP) prior to the drafting of the next edition of the French National Radioactive Material and Waste Management Plan (PNGMDR). The CNDP decided to appoint a special ƬȒȅȅǣɎɎƺƺ ɎȒ ژ ȒȸǕƏȇǣɀƺ Ə ȵɖƫǼǣƬ ƳƺƫƏɎƺِ The DGEC and ASN took part in all the meetings of this public debate, which was held from April to September 2019, and answered the questions from the civil society on the on-line platform provided by the special committee. In 2019, ASN and the Defence Nuclear Safety Authority (ASND), issued a joint position statement on the decommissioning and waste management strategy of the Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), submitted in 2016. The letter addressed to the CEA underlines that the CEA’s defined strategy results from an in-depth analysis and that the sequencing of the decommissioning operations seems acceptable given the means allocated by the State and the large number of facilities undergoing decommissioning. Both authorities nevertheless wonder about the robustness of the CEA’s action plan and the available resources, both human and financial, and observe several vulernabilities due in particular to the envisaged sharing of resources between centres, which means that for some operations which can only be carried out by one facility, there could problems due to capacity limitations. nƏɀɎǼɵً ǣȇ א ׎׏ ژח ³z ƬȒȇɎǣȇɖƺƳً ǣȇ ƬȒǼǼƏƫȒȸƏɎǣȒȇ with ASND, examining Orano’s decommissioning and waste management strategy file. In order to verify Orano’s ability to meet the deadlines set in its strategy, ASN initiated an innovative project management inspection procedure in 2019. ASN and ASND will give their opinion on the strategy file in 2020. Radioactive waste and contaminated sites and soils 348 ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2019