Abstracts ASN Report 2019

Each type of waste requires the implementation of an appropriate and safe management solution in order to control the risks it represents, particularly the radiological risk. ׏ِ׏ xƏȇƏǕƺȅƺȇɎ Ȓǔ ȸƏƳǣȒƏƬɎǣɮƺ ɯƏɀɎƺ ٢ɯǣɎǝ Ɏǝƺ ƺɴƬƺȵɎǣȒȇ Ȓǔ ȅǣȇǣȇǕ ɎƏǣǼǣȇǕɀ ƏȇƳ ɯƏɀɎƺ ȸȒƬǸ٣ The management of radioactive waste is defined in Article єׇӈӇӅіӄіӄ łĹ ŇĻĸ ŁʼnļŅłŁŀĸŁŇ łķĸє Ň ĶłŀŃŅļņĸņ ĴĿĿ ŇĻĸ ĴĶŇļʼnļŇļĸņ associated with the handling, preliminary treatment, treatment, packaging, storage and disposal of radioactive waste, excluding off-site transportation. ASN oversees the activities associated with the management of radioactive waste from Basic Nuclear Installations (BNIs) or small-scale nuclear activities, other than those linked to national defence which are overseen by Defence Nuclear Safety Authority (ASND) and those relative to Installations Classified for Protection of the Environment (ICPEs), which are placed under the oversight of the Prefects. ׏ِ׏ِ׏ xƏȇƏǕƺȅƺȇɎ Ȓǔ ȸƏƳǣȒƏƬɎǣɮƺ ɯƏɀɎƺ ǣȇ ƏɀǣƬ zɖƬǼƺƏȸ XȇɀɎƏǼǼƏɎǣȒȇɀ Two economic sectors are the major contributors to the production of radioactive waste in BNIs. ļŅņŇё ŇĻĸ ŁňĶĿĸĴŅ ŃłŊĸŅ ņĸĶŇłŅё ŊļŇĻ ŇĻĸ ӄӌׇ ňĶĿĸĴŅ łŊĸŅ ĿĴŁŇņ Ҏ ņҏ łŃĸŅĴŇĸķ ĵŌ ё ĴŁķ ŇĻĸ ŃĿĴŁŇņ ķĸķļĶĴŇĸķ Ňł ŇĻĸ fabrication and reprocessing of nuclear fuel operated by Orano ĴŁķ ŅĴŀĴŇłŀĸє ŃĸŅĴŇļłŁ łĹ ŇĻĸ ņ ĺĸŁĸŅĴŇĸņ ņŃĸŁŇ ĹňĸĿё ŃĴŅŇ of which is reprocessed to separate the recyclable substances from the fission products or minor actinides which are waste. Radioactive waste is also produced during the operational and maintenance activities in the NPPs and the fuel reprocessing plants, like the structural waste, the hulls and end-pieces constituting the nuclear fuel cladding, and the technological waste, and the waste from the treatment of effluents such as ŇĻĸ ĵļŇňŀļŁļņĸķ ņĿňķĺĸє ňŅŇĻĸŅŀłŅĸё ķĸĶłŀŀļņņļłŁļŁĺ łĹ ŇĻĸ facilities produces radioactive waste. 1. Unsealed radioactive source: source for which the presentation and the normal conditions of use are unable to prevent all dispersion of the radioactive substance. 2. Sealed radioactive source: source whose structure or packaging, in normal use, prevents all dispersion of radioactive materials into the ambient environment. Second, the research sector, which includes civil nuclear research, in particular the CEA’s laboratory and reactor research activities, but also other research organisations. Radioactive waste is produced during the operation, maintenance and decommissioning of these facilities. This radioactive waste is managed in accordance with specific provisions which take into account its radiological nature and are proportionate to the potential danger it represents. ׏ِ׏ِ א xƏȇƏǕƺȅƺȇɎ Ȓǔ ɯƏɀɎƺ ǔȸȒȅ ɀȅƏǼǼ ٮ ɀƬƏǼƺ ȇɖƬǼƺƏȸ ƏƬɎǣɮǣɎǣƺɀ ƏɖɎǝȒȸǣɀƺƳ ɖȇƳƺȸ Ɏǝƺ ¨ɖƫǼǣƬ RƺƏǼɎǝ !ȒƳƺ • Áǝƺ ǣɀɀɖƺɀ ƏȇƳ ǣȅȵǼǣƬƏɎǣȒȇɀ The use of unsealed sources (1) in nuclear medicine, biomedical or industrial research creates solid and liquid waste: small laboratory items used to prepare sources, medical equipment used to administer injections for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes, etc. Radioactive liquid effluents also come from source preparation as well as from patients who eliminate the administered radioactivity by natural routes. The diversity of waste from small-scale nuclear activities, the large number of establishments producing it and the radiation protection issues involved, have led the public authorities to regulate the management of the waste produced by these activities. • xƏȇƏǕƺȅƺȇɎ Ȓǔ ɖɀƺƳ ɀƺƏǼƺƳ ɀȒɖȸƬƺɀ ƬȒȇɀǣƳƺȸƺƳ Əɀ ɯƏɀɎƺ Sealed sources (2) are used for medical, industrial, research and ʼnĸŇĸŅļŁĴŅŌ ĴŃŃĿļĶĴŇļłŁņ Ҏņĸĸ ĶĻĴŃŇĸŅņ ӊׇĴŁķ Ӌҏє ŁĶĸ ŇĻĸŌ ĻĴʼnĸ been used, and if their suppliers do not envisage their re-use in any way, they are considered to be radioactive waste and must be managed as such. The management of sealed sources considered as waste, and their disposal in particular, must take into consideration the dual constraint of concentrated activity and a potentially attractive TABLE 1 Classification of radioactive waste VERY SHORT LIVED WASTE CONTAINING RADIONUCLIDES WITH R nI ٳ nXI0…I ھ ׏׎׎ (ژ ç³ SHORT LIVEDWASTE IN WHICH THE RADIOACTIVITY COMES MAINLY FROM RADIONUCLIDES WITH R nI ٳ nXI0 ב ۀ ׏ ژ ç0 «³ LONG LIVEDWASTE CONTAINING MAINLY RADIONUCLIDES WITH R nI ٳ nXI0 ב ڽ ׏ ژ ç0 «³ HUNDREDS Bq/g Very low-level (VLL) Management by radioactive decay on production site then disposal via disposal routes dedicated to conventional waste Recycling or dedicated surface disposal (disposal facility of the industrial centre for collection, storage and disposal (Cires) in the Aube département ) MILLIONS Bq/g Low-level (LL) Surface disposal (Aube waste disposal repository) Near-surface disposal (being studied pursuant ɎȒ Ɏǝƺ ƬɎ Ȓǔ ژזא hɖȇƺ א ׎׎ ה ٣ Intermediate- level (IL) BILLIONS Bq/g High-level (HL) Not applicable (1) Deep geological disposal ٢ȵǼƏȇȇƺƳ ȵɖȸɀɖƏȇɎ ɎȒ Ɏǝƺ ƬɎ Ȓǔ ژזא hɖȇƺ א ׎׎ ה ٣ (1) There is no such thing as high level, very short-lived waste. ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2019 349 ׏ ٲ ג RADIOACTIVE WASTE AND CONTAMINATED SITES AND SOILS 14