1.3 Decommissioning regulatory framework Once a BNI is definitively shut down, it must be decommissioned. Its purpose therefore has to change with respect to that for which its creation was authorised, as the Creation Authorisation Decree (DAC) specifies the operating conditions of the installation. Furthermore, the decommissioning operations imply a change in the risks presented by the installation. Consequently, these operations cannot be carried out within the framework set by the DAC. The decommissioning of a nuclear installation is prescribed by a new decree issued on the basis of an opinion from ASN. This decree sets out, among other things, the main decommissioning steps, the planned decommissioning end date and the final state to be achieved. As part of its oversight duties, ASN monitors the implementation of the decommissioning operations as directed by the decommissioning decree. In order to avoid fragmentation of the decommissioning projects and improve their overall consistency, the decommissioning file must explicitly describe all the planned operations, from final shutdown to attainment of the targeted final state and, for each step, describe the nature and scale of the risks presented by the facility as well as the means of managing them. The licensee must demonstrate in its decommissioning file that the decommissioning operations will be carried out in as short a time frame as possible. This file undergoes a public inquiry, during which the local residents, local authorities and Local Information Committees (CLIs) are called upon to respond. Furthermore, the decommissioning files representing the most significant risks are examined by the Advisory Committee for Decommissioning (GPDEM), set up in 2018. Given that installation decommissioning operations are often very long, the decommissioning decree can stipulate that some steps will be subject to prior approval by ASN on the basis of specific safety analysis files. The Diagram above describes the corresponding regulatory procedure. The decommissioning phase may be preceded by a preparatory stage, provided for in the initial operating licence. This At least two years before the planned shutdown date, the licensee must inform the Minister responsible for nuclear safety and ASN of its intention to definitively shut down its facility. This notification is made available to the public. The licensee must submit the decommissioning file to the Minister 2 years at the most after the shutdown notification. This file sets out the decommissioning operations projected by the licensee and the measures it will take to limit the impacts on people and the environment. 2 years maximum END OF OPERATION Transmission of the decommissioning file Shutdown notification DECOMMISSIONING PREPARATION PHASE As from the final shutdown date, the licensee is no longer authorised to operate its facility. The licensee starts to prepare for the decommissioning of its facility. The decommissioning preparation operations often consist in removing the radioactive and chemical substances present in the facility (spent fuel), reorganising the premises (to create storage areas) or adapting the utility networks (ventilation, electrical power distribution). Final shutdown PHASES IN THE LIFE OF A BASIC NUCLEAR INSTALLATION 330 ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2021 13 – DECOMMISSIONING OF BASIC NUCLEAR INSTALLATIONS
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