ASN Report 2020

1.2.2 Legal framework for the management of radioactive waste produced by activities authorised under the Public Health Code Article R. 1333-16 (6) of the Public Health Code states that the management of effluents and waste contaminated by radioactive substances originating from all nuclear activities involving a risk of exposure to ionising radiation must be examined and approved by the public authorities. This is the case in particular for activities using radioactive substances intended for medicine, human biology or biomedical research. ASN resolution 2008-DC-0095 of 29 January 2008 lays out the technical rules applicable for the disposal of effluents and waste contaminated or potentially contaminated by radionuclides owing to a nuclear activity. ASN published a guide (Guide No. 18) to the application of this resolution in January 2012. ASN will have this regulatory framework updated by integrating the feedback from its application and new medical practices using radionuclides. Management of disused sealed sources Under the PNGMDR 2016-2018, Andra submitted a report in mid‑2018 presenting a review of the situation regarding the acceptance of disused sealed sources considered as waste in the existing and planned disposal facilities. Furthermore, Decree 2015-231 of 27 February 2015 enables holders of disused sealed sources to call upon not only the initial source supplier but also any licensed supplier or – as a last resort – Andra, to manage these sources. The holders are moreover no longer obliged to provide proof that they have contacted all the suppliers before turning to Andra. These provisions aimed to bring a reduction in the costs of collecting disused sources and provide a recovery route in all situations. ASN issued a position statement in early 2021 on the management of disused sealed sources. It considers that disused sealed sources which cannot be accepted in above-ground disposal facilities must be included in the inventories of projected disposal facilities, and that a complete inventory of the existing management routes must be established, indicating the responsibilities of the various actors. Moreover, ASN recommends that the notion of “last resort” mentioned in Decree 2015-231 must be specified. Management by Andra of waste from small-scale nuclear activities Article L. 542-12 of the Environment Code entrusts Andra with a public service mission for the management of waste produced by small-scale nuclear activities. Since 2012, Andra operates Cires, a collection centre and storage facility situated in the municipalities of Morvilliers and La Chaise for waste from small producers other than NPPs. ASN considers that the approach adopted by Andra is appropriate to meet the duties entrusted to it under Article L. 542-12 of the Environment Code and that this must be continued. Nevertheless, the tritiated solid waste must be managed with the waste from ITER in a storage facility operated by the CEA (called the “Intermed project” at present). The delays in the ITER project schedule are impacting the Intermed project schedule and the management strategy for tritiated waste from small producers. In its report provided in response to Article 61 of the Order of 23 February 2017, Andra proposes storing this waste on the CEA Valduc site pending commissioning of the abovementioned storage facilities. 6. Formerly Article R. 1333‑12. 1.2.3 The national inventory of radioactive materials and waste Article L. 542-12 of the Environment Code assigns Andra the task of establishing, updating every three years and publishing the national inventory of radioactive materials and waste. The last update was published in 2018. The inventory presents information concerning the quantities, the nature and the location of radioactive material and waste by category and economic sector as at the end of 2016. A prospective exercise, more detailed than for the 2015 edition, was also conducted considering four contrasting scenarios for France’s long-term energy policy: ∙ the French NPP fleet renewal scenario SR1 hypothesises the continued production of nuclear generated electricity, with an operating time for the current reactors of between 50 and 60 years and gradual replacement of the current reactors by European Pressurised Water Reactors (EPR) and then fast- neutron reactors; ∙ the French NPP fleet renewal scenario SR2 takes up the hypothesis of scenario SR1, but with a uniform 50-year operating time for the current reactors; ∙ the French NPP fleet renewal scenario SR3 takes up the hypotheses of scenario SR1, but with fleet renewal only by EPRs, which implies reprocessing the spent Enriched Natural Uranium (ENU) fuels only and no reprocessing of spent mixed uranium and plutonium oxide (MOX) and Enriched Reprocessed Uranium (ERU) fuels; ∙ the French reactor fleet Non-Renewal Scenario (SNR) takes the hypothesis of not renewing the fleet after 40 years of operation (60 years for the EPR), with early stopping of spent ENU fuel reprocessing in order not to produce separate plutonium, and stopping the reprocessing of spent MOX and ERU fuels. This inventory constitutes an input database for preparing the PNGMDR. In its opinion of 8 October 2020, ASN considers it necessary to look ahead to the consequences of the possible change in energy policy on the management of material and waste, and points out that these forecasts must be based on various long-term hypotheses that are consistent with the multi-year energy programme forecasts adopted by a Decree of 21 April 2020. 1.2.4 The National Radioactive Materials and Waste Management Plan Article L. 542-1-2 of the Environment Code, amended by the abovementioned Ordinance 2016-128 of 10 February 2016, defines the objectives of the PNGMDR: ∙ draw up the inventory of the existing radioactive material and waste management methods and the chosen technical solutions; ∙ identify the foreseeable needs for storage or disposal facilities and specify their required capacities and the storage durations; ∙ set the general targets, the main deadlines and the schedules enabling these deadlines to be met while taking into account the priorities it defines; ∙ determine the objectives to be met for radioactive waste for which there is as yet no final management solution; ∙ organises research and studies into the management of radio­ active materials and wastes, by setting deadlines for the imple­ mentation of new management modes, the creation of facilities or the modification of existing facilities. In view of the conclusions of the public debate of 2019, ASN and the DGEC have decided to change the governance of the PNGMDR. The 5th edition will be prepared by the Ministry of Ecological Transition, based in particular on the work of a “guidelines commission”. Introduced by the resolution of 21 February 2020, this commission is chaired by an independent ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2020 359 14 – RADIOACTIVE WASTE AND CONTAMINATED SITES AND SOILS 14