∙ waste resulting from final shutdown and decommissioning of the facilities (graphite waste, rubble, contaminated soils, etc.). The contamination spectrum of this waste is also wide with, in particular, the presence of alpha emitters in activities relating to fuel cycle research and beta-gamma emitters in operational waste from the experimental reactors. The CEA has specific facilities for managing this waste (processing, packaging and storage). Some of them are shared between all the CEA centres, such as the liquid effluent treatment station in Marcoule or the solid waste treatment station in Cadarache. The issues and implications The main issues for the CEA with regard to radioactive waste management are: ∙ the renovation of existing facilities (BNI 37-A, for example) or commissioning of new facilities for the processing, packaging and storage of the effluents (Agate), spent fuel and waste under satisfactory conditions of safety and radiation protection and within time frames compatible with the commitments made for shutting down old facilities which do not meet current safety requirements; ∙ the management of legacy waste retrieval and packaging projects. ASN’s examination of the CEA’s waste management strategy ASN’s previous examination of the CEA’s strategy, which was concluded in 2012, had shown that waste management had improved since the examination carried out in 1999. ASN nevertheless observed that certain aspects of the strategy could be consolidated, particularly with regard to the management of intermediate-level long-lived solid waste and low or intermediate-level liquid waste. Significant increases in the planned duration of the decommissioning operations declared by the CEA after the review conducted in 2012, as well as the quantity and the non-standard, poorly characterisable nature of certain substances or waste that will have to be removed or will be produced during the decommissioning operations, have led ASN, jointly with ASND, to ask the CEA to perform an overall review of its decommissioning and radioactive waste management strategy for the next 15 years. The CEA submitted the results of this work in December 2016. After examining this report, the two Authorities gave a joint opinion on this strategy in May 2019. ASN and ASND consider that the CEA’s facility decommissioning strategy and its updating of the waste and material management strategy are the result of an in-depth review and analysis. It appears acceptable for the CEA to envisage staggering the decommissioning operations in view of the resources allocated by the State and the large number of facilities undergoing decommissioning, for which waste retrieval and storage capacities will have to be built. With regard to the material and waste management strategy, the two Authorities observe several vulnerabilities due in particular to the envisaged sharing of resources between centres, for the management of liquid radioactive effluents or solid radioactive waste for example, which means that for some operations, only a single facility will be available. The two Authorities also note uncertain-ties concerning the management of spent fuels or irradiated materials, which will have to be clarified. ASN and ASND have therefore addressed several demands to the CEA with the aim of limiting these vulnerabilities, consolidating its strategy and detailing the operations schedule. They demanded that the CEA make regular progress reports on the decommissioning and waste management projects, and ensure regular communication with the public, applying procedures appropriate to the nature of the facilities, civil or defence. ASN, ASND and the CEA have agreed to set up regular monitoring of these operations, through progress indicators in particular. Monitoring implementation of the CEA waste management strategy ASN has engaged regular interchanges with the DGEC, ASND and the CEA to reinforce progress monitoring on the priority projects. ASN has observed the difficulty the CEA has fully controlling the challenges associated with these projects, which must be carried out simultaneously and concern as much the management of the decommissioning operations as the operation of the waste management support facilities. ASN notes that the deadlines for a large number of priority projects have changed significantly since the file was submitted in 2016. It will therefore continue to be particularly attentive to the management and monitoring of these projects in 2022. 2.4 Orano’s waste management strategy and its assessment by ASN The spent fuel reprocessing plant at the La Hague site presents the main radioactive waste management issues for Orano. The waste on the La Hague site comprises on the one hand waste resulting from reprocessing of the spent fuel, which generally comes from nuclear power plants but also from research reactors, and on the other, waste resulting from operation of the various facilities on the site. Most of this waste remains the property of the licensees –whether French or foreign– who have their spent fuel reprocessed. French waste is directed to the management routes described earlier, whereas foreign waste is sent back to its country of origin. On the Tricastin site, Orano also produces waste associated with the front-end activities of the “cycle” (production of nuclear fuel), essentially contaminated by alpha emitters. In mid-2016, Orano (formerly Areva) submitted to ASN and ASND a file presenting the decommissioning and waste management strategy for the group’s installations in France and its practical application on the La Hague and Tricastin sites. This file was supplemented in 2017. Moreover, Orano submitted general and particular commitments for the La Hague and Tricastin sites in 2018. ASN has issued a position statement on this strategy (see “Notable events” in the introduction to this report). Furthermore, in order to verify Orano’s ability to meet the deadlines indicated in its strategy, ASN has initiated an innovative procedure for inspecting the management of complex projects. In this context, in 2021 Orano proposed aids to facilitate ASN’s monitoring of the progress of the major WRP projects on the La Hague site. The results are encouraging and ASN is going to continue this approach. The issues and implications The main issues relating to the management of waste produced by Orano concern in particular: ∙ The safety of the legacy waste storage facilities. On the La Hague site, the facilities dedicated to legacy waste retrieval, conditioning and storage have to be designed, built and then commissioned. These complex projects meet with technical difficulties which can make it necessary to adjust deadlines set by ASN (see chapter 13). In addition, the on-site storage capacities must be planned for with conservative margins in order to prevent them reaching saturation. The legacy waste stored on the Tricastin site necessitates a large amount of work to characterise it and find management solutions. The storage conditions in some of the Tricastin site facilities do not meet current safety requirements and must be improved. ∙ The defining of solutions for waste packaging, in particular the legacy waste. These solutions require the prior approval of ASN in accordance with Article 6.7 of the Order of 7 February 2012 ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2021 359 14 – RADIOACTIVE WASTE AND CONTAMINATED SITES AND SOILS 08 07 13 04 10 06 12 14 03 09 05 11 02 AP 01
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