The working of the Emergency Centre is regularly tested during national emergency exercises and is activated for actual incidents or accidents. At the local level, ASN representatives visit the département and zone Prefects to help them with their decisions and their communication actions. ASN inspectors may also go to the site affected; others take part in emergency management at the headquarters of the regional division involved. In 2023, the ASN Emergency Centre was activated 15 times for 11 national exercises, 2 international exercises and 2 real situations. The ASN emergency organisation was called on several times in 2023, following triggering of the PUI on nuclear installations. On 3 March 2023 at 21h11, the Cattenom NPP in the Moselle département (57) activated its PUI following an outbreak of fire on a fan in the controlled zone. The discussions between ASN and EDF led to the alert rapidly being lifted as the fire had been extinguished by the fire brigade on the site. On 30 July 2023 at 16h52, the Bugey NPP in the Ain département (01) activated its PUI following an outbreak of fire in the reactor 4 turbine hall, outside the controlled zone. The on-call team was activated in order to monitor the development of the situation and prepare to activate the Emergency Centre if necessary. The fire was rapidly extinguished, with no consequences for the safety of the installation and ASN authorised lifting of the PUI a few hours after it was activated. On 17 October 2023 at 12h27, the Blayais NPP in the Gironde département (33) activated its PUI following the inflammation of an acetylene cylinder stored on a welding worksite in the reactor 1 turbine hall, outside the nuclear zone. ASN activated its Emergency Centre in order to monitor the situation. After the gas bottle was sprayed by the EDF response teams and then by the outside emergency services, it was removed from the turbine hall at about 15h30, immersed in a container of water to stop combustion and placed under surveillance. ASN then authorised lifting of the PUI. On 19 October 2023 at 8h59, the Institut Laue Langevin in the Isère département (38) activated its PUI following a bomb threat. ASN activated its Emergency Centre in order to monitor the situation and anticipate any consequences for the safety of the facility. After a detailed inspection of the facility, no explosive device was found. During exercises, or in the event of a real emergency, ASN is supported by a team of analysts working in IRSN’s Technical Emergency Centre. ASN’s alert system allows mobilisation of its Emergency Centre staff and those of the IRSN. This automatic system sends an alert signal to the staff equipped with appropriate reception devices, as soon as it is remotely triggered by the BNI licensee originating the alert. It also sends the alert to the staff of the SGDSN, the General Directorate for Civil Security and Emergency Management (DGSCGC), the Interministerial Emergency Management Operations Centre, Météo-France and the Ministerial operational monitoring and alert centre (CMVOA) of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Regional Cohesion. A radiological emergency toll-free number also enables ASN to receive calls reporting events involving sources of ionising radiation used outside BNIs or during the transport of radioactive substances. It is accessible 24/7. This number is reserved for companies holding a licence to possess radioactive sources issued by ASN in accordance with the Public Health Code and for companies transporting radioactive materials. Depending on the severity of the event, ASN may activate its Montrouge Emergency Centre by triggering the alert system. If not, only the ASN local level (regional division concerned) intervenes to perform its Prefect support and communication duties, if necessary calling on the expertise of the national departments. In order to enhance the graded nature of the ASN response and organisation in the event of an emergency, for situations not warranting activation of the Emergency Centre, the on-call team provides assistance to support the regional division concerned. TABLE Positions of the various stakeholders in a radiological emergency situation DECISION EXPERT APPRAISAL INTERVENTION COMMUNICATION Public authorities Government (CIC) Prefecture (COD, COZ) – Prefecture Civil protection Government (CIC) Prefecture (COD) ASN (CU) IRSN (CTC) Météo‑France IRSN (mobile units) ASN IRSN Licensees National and local levels National and local levels Local level National and local levels CIC: Interministerial Crisis Committee – COD: Departmental Operations Centre – COZ: Zone Operations Centre – CTC: Emergency Technical Centre – CU: Emergency centre 1 In December 2023, ASN carried out an inspection in the Blayais NPP on the topic of emergency organisation and resources, focusing more specifically on the services of the Nuclear Rapid Response Force (FARN(*)). This inspection was part of a wide-ranging exercise involving a FARN intervention on the NPP site, during which numerous mobile resources were deployed (helicopter, emergency generating sets, independent telecommunication resources, etc.). The inspection continued with interviews with the various FARN parties involved in the exercise, in order to compare the observations made in the field by the inspectors, with feedback from the various players. This inspection enabled the ASN inspectors, in direct contact with the FARN teams, to observe the operational nature of the FARN’s resources and how it works. * The FARN is a national emergency system set up by EDF, involving specialised crews and equipment for intervening on a site affected by an accident within less than 24 hours. INSPECTION OF THE EMERGENCY ORGANISATION AND RESOURCES AT THE BLAYAIS NPP 176 ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2023 • 04 • Radiological emergency and post-accident situations
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