ASN Report 2020

Experience feedback from the Fukushima Daiichi NPP accident also leads ASN to envisage sending one of its representatives, if necessary, to the French embassy of a country in which a nuclear accident occurred. In 2020, the national Emergency Centre was activated on three occasions, once for a national exercise and twice for real situations. Owing to the health crisis, the exercises scheduled for 2020 could not be held, except for the exercise in the Chinon NPP in December, for which the emergency centres of the various stakeholders were activated on a minimum scale, with some work being carried out remotely and in compliance with the barrier measures (mandatory mask-wearing, sanitiser, shift changeovers outside the emergency centre, etc.). The schedule of exercises for 2021 and 2022 was revised so that some which had been cancelled in 2020 could be carried out. On 21 February 2020 at 8h30, as a result of several intruders penetrating the protected area of the Tricastin NPP in the Drôme département (26), the on-call team was activated in the Montrouge Emergency Centre, to check with the licensee there were no safety consequences for the installations. On 30 June 2020, ASN was informed of an outbreak of fire in the reactor building undergoing decommissioning at the Creys- Malville NPP in the Isère département (38). ASN activated its Emergency Centre in order to monitor the development of the situation and the steps taken by the licensee. The ASN emergency response organisation was also partially activated on several occasions in 2020. In the night of Thursday 4 to Friday 5 June 2020, the Belleville- sur-Loire NPP in the Cher département (18) triggered the ASN general alert system owing to a fire in reactor 2 (outside the controlled area) which led to the site’s PUI being activated. On 10 December 2020, ASN was alerted by the European Community Urgent Radiological Information Exchange (ECURIE) following detection of a high level of radioactivity in the Finnish Olkiluoto 2 reactor. For these events, and even without actually activating the Emergency Centre, the ASN on-call team was mobilised remotely in order to collect the information needed to monitor the situation and be ready to intervene if necessary. During exercises, or in the event of a real emergency, ASN is supported by a team of analysts working in the IRSN's Technical Emergency Centre. ASN’s alert system allows mobilisation of its Emergency Centre staff and those of the IRSN. This automatic system sends an alert signal to the staff equipped with appropriate reception devices, as soon as it is remotely triggered by the BNI licensee originating the alert. It also sends the alert to the staff of the SGDSN, the General Directorate for Civil Security and Emergency Management, the Interministerial Emergency Management Operations Centre, Météo-France and the ministerial operational monitoring and alert centre of the Ministry for Ecological Transition. A radiological emergency toll-free number ( 0 800 804 135 ) enables ASN to receive calls reporting events involving sources of ionising radiation used outside BNIs or during the transport of radioactive substances. It is accessible 24/7. The information provided during the call is transmitted to the on-call team. Depending on the severity of the event, ASN may activate its Montrouge Emergency Centre by triggering the alert system. If not, only the ASN local level (regional division concerned) intervenes to perform its Prefect support and communication duties, if necessary calling on the expertise of the national departments. In order to enhance the graduated nature of the ASN response and organisation in the event of an emergency, for situations not warranting activation of the Emergency Centre, the system has been adapted for the creation of a national level support unit to assist the regional division concerned. The format and duties of this unit are tailored to each situation. Since 2018, an on-call duty system reinforces the robustness and the mobilisation and intervention reactivity of the ASN staff. This system remained operational throughout 2020, including during the lockdown periods. Diagram 2 summarises the role of ASN in a nuclear emergency situation. This functional diagram illustrates the importance of the ASN representative to the Prefect, who relays and explains the recommendations coming from the ASN Emergency Centre. Table 1 shows the positions of the public authorities (Government, ASN and technical experts) and the licensees in a radiological emergency situation. These players each operate in their DIAGRAM 2 The role of ASN in a nuclear emergency situation Licensee Information of the public Information International assistance An ASN inspector Media Stakeholders (CLI, HCTISN, etc.) Structured and organised process Government CIC Prefect COD COZ One ASN representative Embassy ASN (Head office) Commission + Technical PC + Communication PC IRSN (Head office) Emergency technical centre Oversight Inspections Requirements Recommendations protection of the population Two ASN representatives One ASN representative COD: Departmental Operations Centre – COZ: Zone Operations Centre – CIC: Interministerial Crisis Committee – CICNR: Interministerial Committee for Nuclear or Radiological Emergencies – CLI: Local Information Committee – HCTISN: High Committee for Transparency and Information on Nuclear Safety – PC: Command Post IAEA – EU Other countries 180 ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2020 04 – RADIOLOGICAL EMERGENCY AND POST-ACCIDENT SITUATIONS