Abstracts ASN Report 2019

JȒǼǔƺƬǝ ȇɖƬǼƺƏȸ ȵȒɯƺȸ ȵǼƏȇɎ The Golfech NPP operated by EDF is located in the Tarn-et-Garonne département ً ג ׎ ژ Ǹȅ ɯƺɀɎ Ȓǔ xȒȇɎƏɖƫƏȇِ Áǝǣɀ z¨¨ ƬȒȅȵȸǣɀƺɀ ɎɯȒ ׏ً ב ׎׎ ژ xáƺ ȵȸƺɀɀɖȸǣɀƺƳ ɯƏɎƺȸ ȸƺƏƬɎȒȸɀِ «ƺƏƬɎȒȸ ׏ ژ ƬȒȇɀɎǣɎɖɎƺɀ zX ژ ׏ ژדב ƏȇƳ ȸƺƏƬɎȒȸ ژא zX ژ ׏ אג ِ ASN considers that the environmental protection performance of the Golfech NPP is in line with its general assessment of EDF performance, but that its radiation protection performance falls short of this general assessment. The nuclear safety performance, for its part, is significantly below ASN’s general assessment for the nuclear fleet. ASN considers that enhancing nuclear safety performance must be a priority for the licensee; it will monitor this closely in 2020. In the area of nuclear safety, the quality of operating actions continued to deteriorate in 2019. ASN conducted a week-long in-depth inspection which highlighted a systemic lack of rigour. ASN considers that improving performance in this area must be an absolute priority for the licensee. The lack of rigour was also observed in the area of maintenance. ASN also considers that the opinion of the independent safety organisation is not sufficiently taken into consideration by the NPP’s senior ȅƏȇƏǕƺȅƺȇɎِ Áǝƺ ɵƺƏȸ א ׎׏ ژח ɯƏɀ ȅƏȸǸƺƳ ƫɵ Ɏǝƺ ȸƺȵȒȸɎǣȇǕ Ȓǔ numerous significant safety events. Eight events occurred during Ɏǝƺ ɀƬǝƺƳɖǼƺƳ ȒɖɎƏǕƺ Ȓǔ ȸƺƏƬɎȒȸ א ً Ȓȇƺ Ȓǔ ɯǝǣƬǝ ɯƏɀ ȸƏɎƺƳ ǼƺɮƺǼ אژ on the INES scale. With regard to worker radiation protection, ASN considers that control of the radiological cleanliness of potentially contaminated premises must be improved rapidly. Deficiencies were again observed in the preparation and performance of activities presenting high radiation exposure risks. With regard to environmental protection ASN considers that the licenseemust make progress in the prevention of environmental releases, particularly in the detection of hazardous substance leaks and the control of equipment contributing to the containment of these substances on site. In the area of labour inspection, ASN conducted specific investigations further to workplace accidents or notable situations, which led, for example, to a request to verify the electrical installations. ASN kept tracks on the conformity files of the heavy cranes and the ventilation of premises with specific pollution characteristics. In collaboration with the Regional Directorate for Enterprises, Competition, Consumption, Labour and Employment (Direccte), ASN identified poor control of the asbestos risk. MARCOULE PLATFORM The Marcoule nuclear platform is situated to the west of Orange in the Gard département ِ XɎɀ ɀǣɴ ژה ƬǣɮǣǼ ǣȇɀɎƏǼǼƏɎǣȒȇɀ are dedicated to research activities relating to the down- stream part of the fuel cycle and the irradiation of materials, and to industrial activities concerning in particular the fabric- ation of mixed oxyde fuel (MOX), the processing of radioactive waste and the irradiation of materials. The majority of the site is occupied by defence nuclear installations. CEA Marcoule centre Created in 1955, the The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) Marcoule centre accommodates Ɏǝȸƺƺ ƬǣɮǣǼ ǣȇɀɎƏǼǼƏɎǣȒȇɀ ي Ɏǝƺ ɎƏǼƏȇɎƺ ǼƏƫȒȸƏɎȒȸǣƺɀ ٢ zX ژ ׏ זג ٣ً Ɏǝƺ ¨ǝƻȇǣɴ z¨¨ ٢ zX וژ ׏٣ ƏȇƳ Ɏǝƺ (ǣƏƳƺȅ ɀɎȒȸƏǕƺ ǔƏƬǣǼǣɎɵ ٢ zX ژ ׏ וו ٣ِ ɎƏǼƏȇɎƺ ǔƏƬǣǼǣɎɵ – CEA Centre The main purpose of the Atalante facility, created in the 1980s, is to conduct research and development concerning the recycling of nuclear fuels, the management of ultimate waste, the exploration of new concepts for fourth generation ȇɖƬǼƺƏȸ ɀɵɀɎƺȅɀِ (ƺɮƺǼȒȵȅƺȇɎɀ ɯƺȸƺ ȅƏƳƺ ǣȇ א ׎׏ ژו ɎȒ ƺɴɎƺȇƳ the research activities by accommodating the activities and equipment of the Lefca (Laboratory for Research and Fabrication of Advanced Nuclear Fuels), transferred from the CEA Cadarache centre. In December 2016, the CEA submitted the facility’s periodic safety review report to ASN. The conclusions of this report were examined by the Advisory Committee for Laboratories ƏȇƳ ¨ǼƏȇɎɀ ٢J¨È٣ Ȓȇ ׏ ژח hɖȇƺ א ׎׏ ח ِ ³z ƬȒȇɀǣƳƺȸɀ ɎǝƏɎ Ɏǝƺ performance of the periodic safety review of the facility and the resulting plan of action are relatively robust. The licensee must nevertheless improve its control of the fire risk. ASN considers that the level of safety of Atalante is relat- ively satisfactory. The licensee must nevertheless make improvements in the performance of the periodic checks and tests, the monitoring of outside contractors and waste management. ASNmoreover carried out an in-depth analysis Ȓǔ Əȇ ƺɮƺȇɎ ɎǝƏɎ ȒƬƬɖȸȸƺƳ Ȓȇ ׏ (ژח ƺƬƺȅƫƺȸ א ׎׏ ژז ɯǝǣƬǝ ǼƺƳ ɎȒ the shattering of a vial containing a radioactive liquid while being handled in a glove box. The event injured the person who was handling the vial. ASN asked the licensee to analyse Ɏǝƺ ȸȒȒɎ ƬƏɖɀƺɀ Ȓǔ Ɏǝǣɀ ǣȇƬǣƳƺȇɎً ȸƏɎƺƳ ǼƺɮƺǼ ׏ ژ Ȓȇ Ɏǝƺ Xz0³ ɀƬƏǼƺً focusing particular attention on the reagents that caused the explosion and the social, organisational and human factors behind the event. The premises concerned are padlocked pending the results of this analysis. ¨ǝƻȇǣɴ ȸƺƏƬɎȒȸ – CEA Centre The Phénix reactor is a demonstration fast breeder reactor cooled with liquid sodium. This reactor, with an electrical ȵȒɯƺȸ ȸƏɎǣȇǕ Ȓǔ דא ׎ ژ xáƺً ɯƏɀ ƳƺǔǣȇǣɎǣɮƺǼɵ ɀǝɖɎ ƳȒɯȇ ǣȇ אژ ׎׎ ח and is currently being decommissioned. 82 ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2019 REGIONAL OVERVIEWOF NUCLEAR SAFETY AND RADIATION PROTECTION OCCITANIE