1.2.4 The National Radioactive Materials and Waste Management Plan Article L. 542-1-2 of the Environment Code, amended by the above-mentioned Ordinance 2016-128 of 10 February 2016, defines the objectives of the PNGMDR: ∙ draw up the inventory of the existing radioactive material and waste management methods and the chosen technical solutions; ∙ identify the foreseeable needs for storage or disposal facilities and specify their required capacities and the storage durations; ∙ set the general targets, the main deadlines and the schedules enabling these deadlines to be met while taking into account the priorities it defines; ∙ determine the objectives to be met for radioactive waste for which there is as yet no final management solution; ∙ organise research and studies into the management of radioactive materials and wastes, by setting deadlines for the implementation of new management modes, the creation of facilities or the modification of existing facilities. In view of the conclusions of the public debate of 2019, ASN and the DGEC have decided to change the governance of the PNGMDR. The 5th edition was prepared by the MTE, based in particular on the work of a “Guidelines Commission”. Introduced by the resolution of 21 February 2020, this Commission is chaired by an independent qualified personality and brings together, in addition to the legacy members of the pluralistic working group mentioned in chapter 2, elected officials and representatives of the regional authorities. This Commission gave opinions on various major subjects relating to the management of radioactive waste (management of VLL/LLW-LL waste, management of radioactive materials, etc.). ASN participates actively in the Guidelines Commission – albeit without voting rights – to provide its guidance on the safety and radiation protection issues. Implementation of the plan is then followed up at periodic meetings of the PNGMDR working group jointly chaired by ASN and the DGEC. In 2020 and 2021, ASN also evaluated the studies submitted for the 2016-2018 PNGMDR. On the occasion of the production of the 5th PNGMDR, ASN has thus issued seven opinions on the radioactive material and waste management routes, which identify a number of recommendations. In addition, on 9 November 2021, ASN issued a favourable opinion for the 5th PNGMDR, on condition that it is supplemented with a study of worst-case operating scenarios for the “fuel cycle”, an assessment of the impact on the nuclear facilities of continuing the reprocessing of spent fuel beyond 2040 or not, the inclusion of measures relative to the safety of HL/ILW-LL waste management and the management of waste necessitating specific work, such as tritiated waste, and better assessing the recyclability of certain radioactive materials. Finally, on 23 June 2022 ASN issued a favourable opinion on the draft Decree and Order establishing the requirements of the 5th PNGMDR, subject to the integration of the modifications proposed in this opinion. These texts and the 5th PNGMDR covering the 2022‑2026 period were published on 9 December 2022. 1.3 LONG-TERM MANAGEMENT OF WASTE – EXISTING OR PROJECTED DISPOSAL FACILITIES 1.3.1 Very low-level waste Very low-level (VLL) waste comes essentially from the operation, maintenance and decommissioning of nuclear facilities. It consists mainly of inert waste (rubble, earth, sand) and metal waste. Its specific activity is usually less than 100 becquerels per gram (Bq/g) and can even be below the detection threshold of certain measuring devices. The Cires includes a VLL waste disposal facility. This facility, which has ICPE status, has been operational since August 2003. At end of 2022, Cires held 451,259 m3 of VLL waste, which represents 69% of its authorised capacity. According to the national inventory conducted by Andra, the amount of VLL waste resulting from decommissioning of the existing nuclear facilities will be about 2,200,000 m3. According to current forecasts, the centre could reach its capacity around 2029. In April 2023, Andra submitted an application to increase the authorised capacity of this repository to more than 900,000 m3 (Acaci project), for the same surface area (compared to the currently authorised 650,000 m3). In its opinion 2020-AV-0356 of 30 June 2020 on the management of VLL waste, ASN calls for the continuation and extension of the work undertaken in the 2016-2018 edition of the PNGMDR with the aim of improving current management methods and developing complementary management solutions which remain to be devised and implemented. ASN reaffirms that VLL waste management must be based on the place of origin of the waste and guarantee its traceability; via specific routes, from production through to disposal, with the exception of metallic VLL waste that is to be recycled, as stated in the resolution of 21 February 2020. The recycling of certain types of waste which will be produced in large volumes is encouraged, consistently with the waste management hierarchy defined in the Environment Code. ASN more specifically recommends continuation of the project for a metal materials recycling facility, with the setting up of a specific regulatory framework for this facility. In 2021, the Government worked on setting up this regulatory framework. In its opinion 2021-AV-0380 of 11 May 2021, ASN expressed its views on these draft regulations. In February 2022, the Government published the regulatory framework for issuing waivers to authorise the recycling of weakly radioactive metal substances after melting and decontamination. This type of waiver will be granted by Ministerial Order. In addition, ASN considers it necessary for all the stakeholders, especially the representatives of the localities actually or likely to be concerned, to be more actively involved in defining LLW waste management solutions. It recommends that the studies for putting in place additional disposal facilities, whether centralised or decentralised, be continued and that the government should clarify Andra’s responsibility in this respect. Consistently with the abovementioned ASN opinion, the 5th PNGMDR contains the following objectives concerning the management of VLL waste: ∙ continue the studies aiming to deploy new centralised and decentralised storage capacities for VLL waste; ∙ continue looking into the recycling of VLL waste, particularly defining the conditions of implementation of metallic waste recycling; ∙ define VLL waste management scenarios, cast light upon their environmental, regional, health and safety issues, and use this to establish an overall management strategy; ∙ refine the perspectives for the production of VLL waste from the decommissioning of the nuclear installations, by explicitly identifying the waste associated with the clean-out of structures and contaminated soils. 372 ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2023 • 15 • Radioactive waste and contaminated sites and soils
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