Abstracts ASN Report 2019

THE NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE FACILITIES The Tricastin fuel cycle facilities mainly cover the upstream ƏƬɎǣɮǣɎǣƺɀ Ȓǔ Ɏǝƺ ǔɖƺǼ ƬɵƬǼƺ ƏȇƳ ɀǣȇƬƺ Ɏǝƺ ƺȇƳ Ȓǔ א ׎׏ ژז Ɏǝƺɵ have been operated by a single licensee, Orano Cycle. The site comprises: • Ɏǝƺ ÁÈ ژד ǔƏƬǣǼǣɎɵ ٢ zX ژ ׏ דד ٣ ǔȒȸ ƬȒȇɮƺȸɎǣȇǕ ɖȸƏȇɵǼ ȇǣɎȸƏɎƺ UO 2 (NO 3 ) 2 ژ ȸƺɀɖǼɎǣȇǕ ǔȸȒȅ Ɏǝƺ ȸƺȵȸȒƬƺɀɀǣȇǕ Ȓǔ ɀȵƺȇɎ ǔɖƺǼɀ into triuranium octoxide (U 3 O 8 ); • the W plant ٢X!¨0 ɯǣɎǝǣȇ Ɏǝƺ ȵƺȸǣȅƺɎƺȸ Ȓǔ zX ژ ׏ דד ٣ ǔȒȸ converting depleted UF 6 ژ ǣȇɎȒ È 3 O 8 ; • the former Comurhex facility ٢ zX ژ ׏׎ ד ٣ and the Philippe Coste plant ٢X!¨0 ɯǣɎǝǣȇ Ɏǝƺ ȵƺȸǣȅƺɎƺȸ Ȓǔ zX ژ ׏׎ ד ٣ ǔȒȸ converting uranium tetrafluoride (UF 4 ) into uranium hexafluoride (UF 6 ); • the Georges Besse I plant ٢ zX בחژ ٣ ǔȒȸ Ɏǝƺ ƺȇȸǣƬǝȅƺȇɎ Ȓǔ UF 6 ژ ƫɵ ǕƏɀƺȒɖɀ ƳǣǔǔɖɀǣȒȇٕ • the Georges Besse II plant ٢ zX ژ ׏ זה ٣ ǔȒȸ ƬƺȇɎȸǣǔɖǕƺ enrichment of UF 6 ; • the uranium storage areas at Tricastin ٢ zX ژ ׏ ژזו ƏȇƳ ׏ חו ٣ for storing uranium in the form of oxides or UF 6 ; • the maintenance, effluent treatment and waste packaging facilities ٢ǔȒȸȅƺȸǼɵ ³ȒƬƏɎȸǣ٣ ٢ zX ژ ׏ זב ٣ٕ • the Atlas process samples analysis and environmental monitoring laboratory ٢ zX ژ ׏ הו ٣ٕ • a Defence Basic Nuclear Installation (DBNI) which accom- modates the nuclear materials storage areas in particular, virtually all of which are for civil uses. Following the inspections it conducted in 2019, ASN considers that the level of safety of the Orano Cycle facilities on the Tricastin site has remained stable. The industrial commissioning of new facilities with reassessed safety standards nevertheless encountered several difficulties and some components will have to be replaced. In 2019, ASN authorised the application of a new version of the on-site emergency plan, adapted to the new site organisation, under the responsibility of Orano Cycle as sole licensee. The unannounced inspections conducted by ASN simulta- ȇƺȒɖɀǼɵ Ȓȇ zXɀ בח ً ׏׎ ד ً ׏ זב ً ׏ ژדד ƏȇƳ ׏ ژזה ǣȇ א ׎׏ ژח ǔȒɖȇƳ Ɏǝƺ ȸǣǕȒɖȸ of the patrol inspections to be quite satisfactory. ASN also conducted an inspection focusing on the waste management organisation of the Orano platform on the Tricastin site in 2019. ASN noted that this organisation needs to be better formalised and that the licensee must increase the rigour of the ultimate inspections of conventional waste leaving the site. In 2020, ASN will ensure that Orano continues to deploy its action plans for monitoring outside contractors, the retention structures and the control of liquid discharges in order to improve and harmonise the practices of the platform’s BNIs. ASNwill also check that the internal inspection body is properly ȵɖɎ ǣȇ ȵǼƏƬƺً ǣȇ ƏƬƬȒȸƳƏȇƬƺ ɯǣɎǝ Ɏǝƺ ȸƺɀȒǼɖɎǣȒȇ Ȓǔ ב ׎ ژ zȒɮƺȅƫƺȸ א ׎׏ ژו ƬȒȇƬƺȸȇǣȇǕ ȇȒɎƺɯȒȸɎǝɵ ȅȒƳǣǔǣƬƏɎǣȒȇɀ Ȓǔ zXɀِ …ȸƏȇȒ !ɵƬǼƺ ɖȸƏȇǣɖȅ ƬǝƺȅǣɀɎȸɵ ȵǼƏȇɎɀ ÁÈ ژד ƏȇƳ á zX ژ ׏ דד ً ƬƏǼǼƺƳ ÁÈ ד ً ƬƏȇ ǝƏȇƳǼƺ ɖȵ ɎȒ א ً׎׎׎ ژ ɎȒȇȇƺɀ Ȓǔ ɖȸƏȇǣɖȅ per year, which enables all the uranyl nitrate (UO 2 (NO 3 ) 2 ) from the Orano Cycle plant in La Hague to be processed for conversion into U 3 O 8 (a stable solid compound that can guarantee storage of the uraniumunder safer conditions than in liquid or gaseous form). Once converted, the reprocessed uranium is stored on the Tricastin site. The W plant situated ɯǣɎǝǣȇ Ɏǝƺ ȵƺȸǣȅƺɎƺȸ Ȓǔ zX ژ ׏ ژדד ƬƏȇ ȵȸȒƬƺɀɀ Ɏǝƺ ƳƺȵǼƺɎƺƳ UF 6 ژ ǔȸȒȅ Ɏǝƺ JƺȒȸǕƺɀ ƺɀɀƺ XX ȵǼƏȇɎً ɎȒ ɀɎƏƫǣǼǣɀƺ ǣɎ Əɀ È 3 O 8 . ASN considers that the facilities situated within the perimeter Ȓǔ zX ژ ׏ ژדד Əȸƺ ȒȵƺȸƏɎƺƳ ɯǣɎǝ Ə ɀƏɎǣɀǔƏƬɎȒȸɵ ǼƺɮƺǼ Ȓǔ ɀƏǔƺɎɵِ IȒȸ Ɏǝƺ ÁÈ ژד ȵǼƏȇɎً ³z ƬȒȇɎǣȇɖƺƳ ɎȒ ȅȒȇǣɎȒȸ Ɏǝƺ ǣȅȵǼƺȅƺȇ ٮ tation of the commitments made further to the periodic safety review of the facility. The progress with these commitments and the organisational setup for tracking them are satisfactory. ÁȒ ǔȒǼǼȒɯ ɖȵ ³z ټ ɀ ɯƏɀɎƺ ȅƏȇƏǕƺȅƺȇɎ ǣȇɀȵƺƬɎǣȒȇɀ Ȓǔ א ׎׏ ژו ƏȇƳ א ׎׏ ژז ɯǝǣƬǝ ǝƏƳ ȸƺɮƺƏǼƺƳ ƏȇƳ Ɏǝƺȇ ƬȒȇǔǣȸȅƺƳ Əȇ ɖȇɀƏɎǣɀǔƏƬɎȒȸɵ situation, a two-day unannounced inspection was carried out on this theme in July 2019. This inspection revealed a significantly improved situation, particularly with regard to the identification of the waste and the storage areas, the traceability and the condition of the waste storage areas, which are now less congested. More generally, the licensee must continue its efforts to increase its operational rigour, particularly through the detection and management of deviations. …ȸƏȇȒ !ɵƬǼƺ ɖȸƏȇǣɖȅ ˢɖȒȸǣȇƏɎǣȒȇ ȵǼƏȇɎɀ Pursuant to the ASN requirement, the oldest fluorination facilities ɯƺȸƺ ɀǝɖɎ ƳȒɯȇ ƳƺǔǣȇǣɎǣɮƺǼɵ ƫƺǔȒȸƺ ב ׏ (ژ ƺƬƺȅƫƺȸ א ׎׏ ו ِ Áǝƺ ɀǝɖɎ down facilities have since been emptied of themajority of their hazardous substances and are now in the decommissioning preparation phase. In 2019, ASN completed its examination of the decommissioning ǔǣǼƺ ǔȒȸ zX ژ ׏׎ ژד ٢ǔȒȸȅƺȸǼɵ !Ȓȅɖȸǝƺɴ٣ ɀɖƫȅǣɎɎƺƳ ƫɵ…ȸƏȇȒ !ɵƬǼƺ ǣȇ IƺƫȸɖƏȸɵ א ׎׏ ژג ƏȇƳɯǝǣƬǝ ɖȇƳƺȸɯƺȇɎ Ə ȵɖƫǼǣƬ ǣȇȷɖǣȸɵ ǣȇ א ׎׏ ו ِ Áǝƺ ƳƺƬȒȅȅǣɀɀǣȒȇǣȇǕ Ȓǔ zX ژ ׏׎ ژד ǣɀ ȇȒɯ ƏɖɎǝȒȸǣɀƺƳ ƫɵ (ƺƬȸƺƺ א ׎׏ ٮח ׏ ژזהב Ȓǔ ׏ (ژה ƺƬƺȅƫƺȸ א ׎׏ ח ِ Áǝƺ ȅƏǣȇ ǣɀɀɖƺɀ ƏɀɀȒƬǣƏɎƺƳ with decommissioning concern the risks of dissemination of radioactive substances, of exposure to ionising radiation and of criticality, on account of the residual uranium-bearing substances present in some items of equipment. IɖȸɎǝƺȸȅȒȸƺً ǣȇ א ׎׏ ژח ³z ƏɖɎǝȒȸǣɀƺƳ ƏȇƳ ǣȇɀȵƺƬɎƺƳ ɯȒȸǸ conducted within this facility on a storage area for drums of uranium-bearingmaterials with the aimof providing static and dynamic containment and suitable climate control, in order to prevent a repeat of the loss-of-containment event resulting from the pressure increase in the drums caused by the hot summer temperatures in 2018. ASN also inspected the industrial commissioning of the majority of the units of the Philippe Coste plant, whose facilities are classified Seveso high threshold and replace those of zX ژ ׏׎ ژד ٢ǔȒȸȅƺȸǼɵ !Ȓȅɖȸǝƺɴ٣ِ…ȇǼɵ Ɏǝƺ ɀƺƬȒȇƳ ǔǼɖȒȸǣȇƺ ȵȸȒƳɖƬɎǣȒȇ unit is still at the tests stagewith a view to commissioning in 2020. ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2019 37 REGIONAL OVERVIEWOF NUCLEAR SAFETY AND RADIATION PROTECTION Èà0«Jz0 «ٳ Rˆz0 ٳ n¨0³