With regard to maintenance, the site’s two reactors were shut down in 2021 for scheduled maintenance and partial refuelling. ASN considers that EDF competently carried out the planned activities and complied with the corresponding safety requirements. With regard to worker radiation protection, ASN considers that the operational results were satisfactory. The availability of radiation protection equipment and monitoring of the entry areas of contamination-prone work sites have continued to improve. ASN has observed the improvement in the estimated dosimetry evaluations, particularly of the operational management service teams. Nevertheless, ASN is still waiting to see an improvement in the display of, and compliance with, work site access rules and strengthening of the radiation protection culture in work site preparation. ASN considers that the environmental protection performance of the Saint-Alban NPP is in line with its general assessment of the EDF plants. Although the simulated liquid pollution event organised on the site by ASN as part of a national inspection campaign confirmed that each responder had a sound knowledge of the applicable procedures, it nevertheless showed that the preparation and speed of the responses planned for such situations could be improved. With regard to labour inspection, ASN considers the site’s results to be relatively satisfactory. Although the site suffered no serious or critical risk-related accidents, accident levels, particularly during reactor outages, remain higher than on other comparable NPPs. Cruas-Meysse nuclear power plant Commissioned between 1984 and 1985 and operated by EDF, the Cruas-Meysse NPP is situated in the Ardèche département on the municipalities of Cruas and Meysse and comprises four PWRs of 900MWe each. Reactors 1 and 2 constitute BNI 111, and reactors 3 and 4 constitute BNI 112. ASN considers that the nuclear safety performance of the Cruas-Meysse NPP is in line with ASN’s general assessment of EDF plant performance. The environmental and radiation protection performance levels of this NPP, however, are slightly below average. With regard to nuclear safety, ASN notes a satisfactory position of the independent safety organisation and an improvement in operating rigour. ASN moreover considers that the performance in fire risk management is improving. With regard to maintenance of the facilities, ASN considers that the monitoring of outside contractors, application of the maintenance baseline requirements and the physical conformity of the facilities with respect to the applicable requirements must be improved. This is because several ASN inspections and significant events reported reveal anomalies further to maintenance operations. The site has also had difficulties in demonstrating to ASN at the end of the outage that these anomalies had been duly resolved. With regard to radiation protection, ASN observes that shortcomings persist in the radiological cleanliness of the facilities and control of the contamination risk during reactor outage periods. In 2021, one site employee received a skin dose exceeding the authorised annual limit, entailing the reporting of a significant radiation protection event rated level 2 on the INES scale. With regard to environmental protection, ASN considers that the performance of the Cruas‑Meysse NPP must also be improved, particularly concerning effluent containment and the actions taken in pollution situations. With regard to labour inspection, the site’s results are on the whole satisfactory. ASN’s inspections have conf irmed that the site has met its commitments regarding the electrical conformity of the facilities and the measures taken to guarantee conformity of the ventilation of premises subject to specif ic pollution. The vigilance and the efforts must nevertheless be maintained with regard to electrical risks and the risks associated with the use of machinery during handling operations. ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2021 43 REGIONAL OVERVIEW OF NUCLEAR SAFETY AND RADIATION PROTECTION AUVERGNE-RHÔNE-ALPES
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