Abstracts ASN Report 2019

The Cires includes a VLL waste disposal facility. This facility, which has ICPE status, has been operational since August 2003. ņ ĴŇ ŇĻĸ ĸŁķ łĹ ӅӃӄӌё ļŅĸņ ĻĸĿķ ӆӌӉёӆӈӇׇŀ 3 ׇłĹ ŊĴņŇĸё ŊĻļĶĻ represents 61% of its authorised regulatory capacity. According to the national inventory produced by Andra, the quantity of VLL waste resulting from decommissioning of the existing ŁňĶĿĸĴŅ ĹĴĶļĿļŇļĸņ ŊļĿĿ ĵĸ ĴĵłňŇ ӅёӅӃӃёӃӃӃׇŀ 3 . According to current forecasts, the centre could be filled to maximum capacity between ӅӃӅӈׇĴŁķ ӅӃӆӃє ASN considers that Andra and the waste producers must continue their efforts to reduce the quantity of VLL waste, particularly by optimising its production and densification. ASN also considers that consolidation of the VLL waste production projections is a vital step in guiding future choices in the overall optimisation of the management route. As authorised disposal capacities are expected to have been reached by 2025-2030, ASN considers that Andra must examine the possibility and conditions of increasing the volume capacity of Cires without changing its ground coverage area and, subject to these conditions being favourable, file the corresponding modification authorisation application as soon as possible. ASN considers that a second VLL waste disposal facility will ultimately be necessary to maintain the availability of disposal capacities for this waste. ASN also considers that VLL waste producers must engage in an approach that allows an in-depth examination of the feasibility of creating disposal facilities appropriate for certain types of VLL waste on their sites. Ļĸ ŀĴŁĴĺĸŀĸŁŇ łĹ ŊĴņŇĸ ļŁ ŅĴŁĶĸ ļņ ĵĴņĸķ łŁ ŇĻĸ ŃĿĴĶĸ łĹ łŅļĺļŁ łĹ ŇĻĸ ŊĴņŇĸ ҎōłŁĸņ ļŁ ŊĻļĶĻ ŇĻĸ ŊĴņŇĸ ŃŅłķňĶĸķ ļņ or could be contaminated or activated), in order to ensure its traceability and management in specific disposal routes. The ӅӃӄӌׇķĸĵĴŇĸ łŁ ŇĻĸ ӈŇĻ ĸķļŇļłŁ łĹ ŇĻĸ ņĻłŊĸķ ŇĻĸ great sensitivity of the public to any regulatory changes in the management principle for this waste and the need for any such changes to be accompanied by the implementation of appropriate traceability processes, effective inspections by independent organisations, and a civil society association. The PNGMDR will provide for the continuation of work to find additional VLL waste disposal capacities and will put forward recommendations regarding the implementation of the changes in the regulatory framework that will be envisaged with regard to ņĴĹĸŇŌ ĴŁķ ŅĴķļĴŇļłŁ ŃŅłŇĸĶŇļłŁё ĶļŇļōĸŁ ĴņņłĶļĴŇļłŁņё ŇŅĴŁņŃĴŅĸŁĶŌё inspection and traceability, taking into consideration the work of ŇĻĸ ŅĸŁĶĻ ļĺĻ łŀŀļŇŇĸĸ ĹłŅ ŅĴŁņŃĴŅĸŁĶŌ ĴŁķ ŁĹłŅŀĴŇļłŁ on Nuclear Safety (HCTISN) on the subject. ׏ِ ב ِ א nȒɯ ƏȇƳ ǣȇɎƺȸȅƺƳǣƏɎƺ ٮ ǼƺɮƺǼً ɀǝȒȸɎ ٮ ǼǣɮƺƳ ɯƏɀɎƺ Low-level and intermediate-level short-lived waste (LL/ILW-SL) (in which the radioactivity comes primarily from radionuclides ŊļŇĻ Ĵ ĻĴĿĹіĿļĹĸ łĹ Ŀĸņņ ŇĻĴŁ ӆӄׇŌĸĴŅņҏ Ķłŀĸņ ĸņņĸŁŇļĴĿĿŌ ĹŅłŀ ŇĻĸ operation of nuclear facilities and more specifically as a result of maintenance work (clothing, tools, filters, etc.). It can also come from the post-operational clean-out and decommissioning of these facilities. The majority of LL/ILW-SL waste is placed in surface disposal facilities operated by Andra. Once these facilities are closed, they are monitored for a period set by convention at ӆӃӃׇŌĸĴŅņє Ļĸ ĹĴĶļĿļŇŌ ņĴĹĸŇŌ ĴŁĴĿŌņļņ ŅĸŃłŅŇņ ҂ŊĻļĶĻ ĴŅĸ ňŃķĴŇĸķ periodically, including during the monitoring phase– must show that at the end of this phase, the residual activity contained in the waste will have reached a residual level such that human and environmental exposure levels are acceptable, even in the event of a significant loss of the containment properties of the ĹĴĶļĿļŇŌє ĻĸŅĸ ĴŅĸ ŇŊł ĹĴĶļĿļŇļĸņ łĹ ŇĻļņ ŇŌŃĸ ļŁ ŅĴŁĶĸё ŇĻĸ ĴŁĶĻĸ ŅĸŃłņļŇłŅŌ Ҏ і ӉӉҏё ĶłŀŀļņņļłŁĸķ ļŁ ӄӌӉӌׇĴŁķ ĶĿłņĸķ ņļŁĶĸ ӄӌӌӇё ĴŁķ ŇĻĸ ňĵĸ ŅĸŃłņļŇłŅŌ Ҏ і ӄӇӌҏ ļŁ łŃĸŅĴŇļłŁ Ҏņĸĸ Regional overview in the introduction to this report). The quantity of LL/ILW-SL waste emplaced in the CSA repository ŇłŇĴĿĿĸķ ӆӇӇёӌӄӌׇŀ 3 ׇĴŇ ŇĻĸ ĸŁķ łĹ ӅӃӄӌё ŊĻļĶĻ ŅĸŃŅĸņĸŁŇņ ӆӇєӈՌ łĹ the facility’s maximum authorised capacity. Added to this quantity is the waste emplaced in the Manche repository, which represents ӈӅӊёӅӄӇׇŀ 3 . The total quantity of LL/ILW-SL waste emplaced in ŇĻĸ ŁķŅĴ ĹĴĶļĿļŇļĸņ ļņ ŇĻĸŅĸĹłŅĸ ӋӊӅёӄӆӆׇŀ 3 , to be compared with ŇĻĸ ńňĴŁŇļŇŌ łĹ ӌӄӊёӃӃӃׇŀ 3 ׇŃŅłķňĶĸķ ĴŇ ŇĻĸ ĸŁķ łĹ ӅӃӄӋє ĶĶłŅķļŁĺ to the data of the national inventory drawn up by Andra, this waste ŊļĿĿ ŅĸŃŅĸņĸŁŇ Ĵ ŀĴŋļŀňŀ ʼnłĿňŀĸ łĹ ӅёӃӃӃёӃӃӃׇŀ 3 , on completion of decommissioning of the existing facilities. According to the ĸņŇļŀĴŇĸņ ŀĴķĸ ĵŌ ŁķŅĴ ļŁ ӅӃӄӉׇĴŇ ŇĻĸ Ňļŀĸ łĹ ŇĻĸ ŃĸŅļłķļĶ ņĴĹĸŇŌ review of the CSA, this centre could reach its maximum filling ĶĴŃĴĶļŇŌ ĵŌ ӅӃӉӃׇļŁņŇĸĴķ łĹ ӅӃӇӅׇĴņ ļŁļŇļĴĿĿŌ ĹłŅĸĶĴņŇё ŇĻļņ ŁĸŊ estimate being based on better knowledge of the future waste and the waste delivery schedules. ׏ِ ב ِ ב xƏȇƏǕƺȅƺȇɎ Ȓǔ ǼȒɯ ٮ ǼƺɮƺǼ ǼȒȇǕ ٮ ǼǣɮƺƳ ɯƏɀɎƺ Low-level long-lived waste (LLW-LL) initially comprised two main categories: graphite waste resulting from the operation of the Gas-Cooled Reactor (GCR) NPPs, and radium-bearing waste, from the radium industry and its offshoots. Other types of waste have been added to this category such as certain bituminised effluents, substances containing radium, uranium and thorium with low specific activity, as well as certain disused sealed radioactive sources. ňŅŇĻĸŅŀłŅĸё Ĵ ĹŅĴĶŇļłŁ łĹ ŇĻĸ ŊĴņŇĸ ĹŅłŀ ŇĻĸ ŅĴŁł ŌĶĿĸ ĴĿʼnĸņļ plant (Aude département ҏ ŃŅłķňĶĸķ Ĵņ ĹŅłŀ ӄׇ ĴŁňĴŅŌ ӅӃӄӌׇļņ ŁłŊ included in this waste category. The solid waste produced until ӆӄׇ ĸĶĸŀĵĸŅ ӅӃӄӋё łŁ ĴĶĶłňŁŇ łĹ ŇĻĸ ĿĴŅĺĸ ʼnłĿňŀĸņ ļŇ ŅĸŃŅĸņĸŁŇņё is placed in a specific category of the national inventory called Ҏ ŅĸŁĶĻ ĴĶŅłŁŌŀ ņŇĴŁķļŁĺ ĹłŅ Ѣ ŅĴŁļňŀ ňĸĿ ĸŃŅłĶĸņņļŁĺ Residues”). Putting in place a definitive management solution for this type of ŊĴņŇĸ ļņ łŁĸ łĹ ŇĻĸ łĵĽĸĶŇļʼnĸņ ķĸĹļŁĸķ ĵŌ ŇĻĸ ĶŇ łĹ ӅӋׇ ňŁĸ ӅӃӃӉє ļŁķļŁĺ ņňĶĻ Ĵ ŀĴŁĴĺĸŀĸŁŇ ņłĿňŇļłŁ ŁĸĶĸņņļŇĴŇĸņ ĹļŅņŇĿŌ ĻĴʼnļŁĺ greater knowledge of LLW-LL waste and secondly conducting safety studies on the associated disposal solution. The successive editions of the PNGMDR have set out this objective. ASN also ķŅĴĹŇĸķ Ĵ ŁłŇļĶĸ ļŁ ӅӃӃӋׇĺļʼnļŁĺ ĺĸŁĸŅĴĿ ņĴĹĸŇŌ ĺňļķĸĿļŁĸņ ĶłŁĶĸŅŁļŁĺ the search for a site capable of accommodating LLW-LL. The PNGMDR 2010-2012 opened up the possibility of separate disposal of graphite waste and radium-containing waste, and asked Andra to work on the two design options: Ҋ reworked cover disposal in an outcropping geological layer by excavation followed by backfilling; Ҋ intact cover disposal dug in underground layer of clay at a greater depth. Ļĸ ӅӃӄӆіӅӃӄӈׇŅĸńňļŅĸķ ŇĻĸ ʼnĴŅļłňņ ĴĶŇłŅņ ļŁʼnłĿʼnĸķ to carry out studies (characterisation and waste treatment possibilities, geological investigations on a site identified by Andra, design studies and preliminary safety analyses) so that ļŁ ӅӃӄӉׇŇĻĸ ŇĴŇĸ ĶĴŁ ņŃĸĶļĹŌ ĺňļķĸĿļŁĸņ ĹłŅ ŇĻĸ ŀĴŁĴĺĸŀĸŁŇ of LLW-LL waste. Thus, the holders of LLW-LL waste have progressed in the characterisation of their waste and in the processing possibilities, particularly with regard to graphite waste and some bituminised waste packages. More specifically, ŇĻĸ ŅĴķļłĿłĺļĶĴĿ ļŁʼnĸŁŇłŅŌ ĹłŅ ĶĻĿłŅļŁĸіӆӉׇĴŁķ ļłķļŁĸіӄӅӌׇĻĴņ undergone a significant downward reassessment. ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2019 353 ׏ ٲ ג RADIOACTIVE WASTE AND CONTAMINATED SITES AND SOILS 14