Gammatec ioniser The Gammatec ioniser (BNI 170) is an industrial irradiator operated by the company Stéris since 2013. Gammatec treats products by ionisation (emission of gamma radiation) with the aim of sterilising them or improving the performance of the materials. The installation consists of an industrial bunker and an experimental bunker. Both bunkers contain sealed sources of cobalt-60 which provide the radiation necessary for the facility’s activity. The level of safety and the control of source security are broadly satisfactory in 2022. Improvements must be made in formalising the documentation. Écrin facility The Écrin facility, BNI 175, is situated in the municipality of Narbonne in the Aude département, within the Malvési site operated by Orano, which represents the first step of the “fuel cycle” (excluding extraction of the ores). The transformation process produces liquid effluents containing nitrated sludge loaded with natural uranium. The entire plant is subject to the system governing Seveso high-threshold Installations Classified for Protection of the Environment (ICPEs). The Écrin BNI consist of two storage basins (B1 and B2) containing the legacy sludge from the plant. These two basins have BNI classification due to the presence of traces of artificial radioisotopes. This BNI was authorised by Decree of 20 July 2015 for the storage of radioactive waste for a period of 30 years. The works defined in the Decree of 20 July 2015, which began in 2019, continued in 2022 with the transfer of materials to the vault baptised “PERLE”, a French acronym standing for “Project for Reversible Lagoon Storage in the Écrin BNI”), excavated to the south of basin B2. An unannounced inspection held in July 2022 confirmed that the monitoring of the facility and the state of the worksite remain satisfactory. ASN considers that the level of safety and environmental protection remains satisfactory in view of the risks the facility presents. 88 ABSTRACTS – ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2022 Regional overview of nuclear safety and radiation protection • OCCITANIE •
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