Abstracts ASN Report 2019

ASNhas also checked the licensee’smanagement of numerous significant design, construction and operating anomalies detected in this plant. ASN has more specifically monitored (1) the sealing defects in the crystallizing containers used to cool down and heat the UF 6 ژ ǔȒȸ ǣɎɀ ȵɖȸǣǔǣƬƏɎǣȒȇ ƏȇƳ ɎȸƏȇɀǔƺȸ ɎȒ Ɏǝƺ transport tanks, (2) widespread corrosion of the fluorine pipes, and (3) the gaseous discharge limit values whichwere exceeded several times. ASN checked that in response to these anomalies the licensee had put in place appropriate operating instructions, technical modifications and tightened monitoring procedures for the equipment items concerned, pending their replacement or the implementation of lasting technical solutions. Alongside this, the inspections conducted in the Philippe Coste ȵǼƏȇɎ ǣȇ א ׎׏ ژח ƏǣȅƺƳ ǣȇ ȵƏȸɎǣƬɖǼƏȸ ƏɎ ƺȇɀɖȸǣȇǕ ɎǝƏɎ Ɏǝƺ ǼǣƬƺȇɀƺƺ had remedied the shortcomings in rigour identified during the inspections in 2018. In 2020, ASN will be attentive firstly to the commissioning of new and replaced equipment and of the new fluorine production unit of the Philippe Coste plant, and secondly to the repackaging and processing of the uranium- ƫƺƏȸǣȇǕ ȅƏɎƺȸǣƏǼɀ ȵȸƺɀƺȇɎ ǣȇ Ɏǝƺ zX ژ ǣȇ ȵȸƺȵƏȸƏɎǣȒȇ ǔȒȸ Ɏǝƺ ƳƺƬȒȅȅǣɀɀǣȒȇǣȇǕ Ȓǔ zX ژ ׏׎ ד ِ JƺȒȸǕƺɀ ƺɀɀƺ X ƺȇȸǣƬǝȅƺȇɎ ȵǼƏȇɎ The Georges Besse I (Eurodif) uranium enrichment facility ٢ zX בחژ ٣ ƬȒȇɀǣɀɎƺƳ ƺɀɀƺȇɎǣƏǼǼɵ Ȓǔ Ə ȵǼƏȇɎ ǔȒȸ ɀƺȵƏȸƏɎǣȇǕ ɖȸƏȇǣɖȅ isotopes by the gaseous diffusion process. After stopping production at this plant in May 2012, the licensee ƬƏȸȸǣƺƳ ȒɖɎً ǔȸȒȅ א ׎׏ ژב ɎȒ א ׎׏ ה ً Ɏǝƺ 0ɖȸȒƳǣǔ ٹ ¨ȸǣɀȅƺ ٺ ȵȸȒƬƺɀɀ of “intensive rinsing followed by venting”, which consisted in performing repeated rinsing of the gaseous diffusion circuits with chlorine trifluoride (ClF 3 ), a toxic and dangerous substance, which allowed the extraction of virtually all the residual uranium deposited in the diffusion barriers. These operations are now finished. The licensee submitted its application for final shutdown and decommissioning of the facility in March 2015. Examination Ȓǔ Ɏǝƺ ǔǣǼƺ ƬȒȇɎǣȇɖƺƳ ǣȇ א ׎׏ ژח ƏȇƳ Ɏǝƺ ƳƺƬȸƺƺ ǣȇɀɎȸɖƬɎǣȇǕ Orano Cycle to proceed with the decommissioning of the JƺȒȸǕƺɀ ƺɀɀƺ ׏ ژ ȵǼƏȇɎ ɯƏɀ ȵɖƫǼǣɀǝƺƳ Ȓȇ ژד IƺƫȸɖƏȸɵ א ׎ א ׎ِ The decommissioning challenges concern the volume of very ǼȒɯ ٮ ǼƺɮƺǼ ٢ànn٣ ɯƏɀɎƺ ȵȸȒƳɖƬƺƳً ɯǝǣƬǝ ǣȇƬǼɖƳƺɀ ׏ ה ׎ً׎׎׎ ژ ɎȒȇȇƺɀ of metal waste, and the decommissioning time frame, which ȅɖɀɎ ƫƺ Əɀ ɀǝȒȸɎ Əɀ ȵȒɀɀǣƫǼƺ ٢ƬɖȸȸƺȇɎǼɵ ƺɀɎǣȅƏɎƺƳ ƏɎ ב ׎ ژ ɵƺƏȸɀ٣ً considering the best scientific and technical knowledge available, and under economically acceptable conditions. ASN has checked the operation of the facility for hydraulic containment and treatment of the alluvial water table ɀǣɎɖƏɎƺƳ ƫƺȇƺƏɎǝ zX ژבחژ ɯǝǣƬǝ ǝƏɀ ƫƺƺȇ ȵȒǼǼɖɎƺƳ ɯǣɎǝ perchloroethylene and trichloroethylene. This facility enables the water to be pumped out of the water table at one point, treated and then reinjected into the water table upstream of the pumping point, thereby containing and depolluting the water table. ASN has observed that since its commissioning in March 2014, the water table treatment facility has functioned very little due to several failures and substantial technical problems, including in particular a scaling phenomenon leading to the clogging of the facility’s components. ASN has therefore asked Orano to propose technical solutions to allow sustained operation of the facility and treatment of the pollution. In 2020, ASN shall endeavour to check the effective operation of the hydraulic containment and alluvial water table treatment facility. The main residual risk in the facility now is associated with the UF 6 ژ ƬȒȇɎƏǣȇƺȸɀ ǣȇ Ɏǝƺ ɀɎȒȸƏǕƺ ɵƏȸƳɀً ɯǝǣƬǝ Əȸƺ ɀɎǣǼǼ within the facility perimeter. These yards should ultimately ƫƺ ƏɎɎƏƬǝƺƳ ɎȒ Ɏǝƺ ÁȸǣƬƏɀɎǣȇ ɖȸƏȇǣɖȅ ɀɎȒȸƏǕƺ ɵƏȸƳɀ ٢ zX ژ ׏ זו ٣ِ JƺȒȸǕƺɀ ƺɀɀƺ XX ƺȇȸǣƬǝȅƺȇɎ ȵǼƏȇɎ Áǝƺ JƺȒȸǕƺɀ ƺɀɀƺ XX ȵǼƏȇɎ ٢ zX ژ ׏ זה ٣ً ɯǝǣƬǝ ɯƏɀ ȒȵƺȸƏɎƺƳ ƫɵ Société d’enrichissement du Tricastin ٢³0Á٣ ɖȇɎǣǼ א ׎׏ ژז ƏȇƳ ǣɀ now operated by Orano Cycle which has become the sole licensee on the Tricastin site, constitutes the site’s new enrichment facility since the shutdown of Eurodif. It uses the centrifuge process to separate uranium isotopes. Áǝƺ ɀɎƏȇƳƏȸƳ Ȓǔ ɀƏǔƺɎɵ Ȓǔ Ɏǝƺ ȵǼƏȇɎ ټ ɀ ǔƏƬǣǼǣɎǣƺɀ ǣȇ א ׎׏ ژח ɯƏɀ satisfactory. The technologies utilised in the facility enable high standards of safety, radiation protection and environmental protection to be reached. ASN considers that the licensee is proactive in the detection of deviations from its baseline requirements and duly meets the commitments made to ASN. In 2020, ASN will be attentive to the frequency of the patrol inspections and the completeness of the modification authorisation application files submitted by the licensee. xƏǣȇɎƺȇƏȇƬƺً ƺǔˢɖƺȇɎ ɎȸƺƏɎȅƺȇɎ ƏȇƳ ɯƏɀɎƺ ȵƏƬǸƏǕǣȇǕ ǔƏƬǣǼǣɎǣƺɀ The effluent treatment and uranium recovery facility, ƬȒȇɀɎǣɎɖɎǣȇǕ zX ژ ׏ ژזב ٢ǔȒȸȅƺȸǼɵ ³ȒƬƏɎȸǣ٣ً ƺȇɀɖȸƺɀ Ɏǝƺ ɎȸƺƏɎȅƺȇɎ of liquid effluents and waste, as well as maintenance operations ǔȒȸ ɮƏȸǣȒɖɀ zXɀِ ³z ƬȒȇɀǣƳƺȸɀ ɎǝƏɎ ǣȇ א ׎׏ ژח Ɏǝƺ ǼǣƬƺȇɀƺƺ ȅƏƳƺ efforts to improve the level of operational safety and the rigour of operation of this facility and that these efforts must be continued. (ƺƬȸƺƺ א ׎׏ ٮח ׏׏ ژב Ȓǔ ׏ ژח IƺƫȸɖƏȸɵ א ׎׏ ژח ƏɖɎǝȒȸǣɀƺƳ ɀɖƫɀɎƏȇɎǣƏǼ modifications to the BNI, in particular to create “Trident”, a facility for treating the site’s waste. ASN has inspected the fitting-out work for this facility. It is currently examining the commissioning authorisation. In 2020, ASN will be attentive firstly to the Trident facility startup tests and secondly to the continuation of the licensee’s actions to increase operating rigour. ÁȸǣƬƏɀɎǣȇ ɖȸƏȇǣɖȅ ٮ ƫƺƏȸǣȇǕ ȅƏɎƺȸǣƏǼ ɀɎȒȸƏǕƺ ɵƏȸƳɀ Following the delicensing of part of the Pierrelatte Defence zX ژ ƫɵ (ƺƬǣɀǣȒȇ Ȓǔ Ɏǝƺ ¨ȸǣȅƺ xǣȇǣɀɎƺȸً zX ژ ׏ ٫ژזו ÁȸǣƬƏɀɎǣȇ uranium-bearing materials storage yards, has been created. This facility groups the uranium storage areas and the new emergency management premises of the Tricastin ȵǼƏɎǔȒȸȅِ ³z ȸƺǕǣɀɎƺȸƺƳ Ɏǝǣɀ ǔƏƬǣǼǣɎɵ ǣȇ (ƺƬƺȅƫƺȸ א ׎׏ ژה ƏȇƳ ƏɀƬƺȸɎƏǣȇƺƳً ɯǣɎǝ Ɏǝƺ (ƺǔƺȇƬƺ zɖƬǼƺƏȸ ³ƏǔƺɎɵ ɖɎǝȒȸǣɎɵ ژ ٢ ³z(٣ً 38 ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2019 REGIONAL OVERVIEWOF NUCLEAR SAFETY AND RADIATION PROTECTION Èà0«Jz0 «ٳ Rˆz0 ٳ n¨0³