On completion of the analysis of the periodic safety review concluding reports for all the GCRs, ASN indicated in December 2021 that it has no objection to the continued operation of BNI 46 (Saint‑Laurent reactors A1 and A2). It will verify during the examination of the new decommissioning files for these reactors, which were submitted by EDF in late 2022 to set out the new “in air” decommissioning strategy, that the decommissioning operations will be carried out under suitable conditions of safety and radiation protection, within controlled time frames. ASN has finalised the examination of the management plan for the soils polluted with hydrocarbons in the zone of the old transformers of the Saint-Laurent A2 reactor and has authorised EDF to proceed with the soil clean-up operations by a resolution of 10 February 2023. EDF continued the decommissioning work sites in 2023, particularly the decommissioning work outside the reactor pressure vessel (Saint‑Laurent A2). ASN considers that the level of safety of the Saint‑Laurent‑des‑Eaux A reactors is satisfactory. During its inspections, ASN noted that the overall upkeep of the premises and worksites was good. In addition, the organisation put in place to meet the commitments made further to the inspections and significant events is satisfactory. Waste management, however, must be more rigorous, even if no significant deviations were discovered. The decommissioning work was suspended in July 2023 following the discovery of lead in the dust on the worksites concerned. ASN conducted specific actions on this subject as part of its labour inspection duty. Nevertheless, even though the worksite demobilisation operations were carried out satisfactorily, ASN considers that the monitoring of outside contractors must be improved and that the traceability of decisions concerning certain modifications in the scheduling of the decommissioning operations and the associated impact studies must be reviewed. SAINT‑LAURENT‑DES‑EAUX SILOS The facility, authorised by the Decree of 14 June 1971, consists of two silos whose purpose is the storage of irradiated graphite sleeves originating from the operation of Saint‑Laurent‑des‑Eaux A GCRs. Static containment of this waste is ensured by the concrete bunker structures of the silos, which are sealed by a steel lining. In 2010, EDF installed a geotechnical containment around the silos, reinforcing the control of the risk of dissemination of radioactive substances, which is the main risk presented by the installation. Operation of this installation is limited to surveillance and upkeep measures: radiological monitoring inspections and measurements in the silos, checking there is no water ingress, checking the relative humidity, the dose rates around the silos, the activity of the water table, monitoring the condition of the civil engineering structures. In the context of the change of decommissioning strategy for the GCRs, EDF announced in 2016 its decision to start removing the graphite sleeves from the silos without waiting for a definitive graphite waste disposal route to become available. To this end, EDF envisages creating a new graphite sleeve storage facility on the Saint‑Laurent‑des‑Eaux site. The final shutdown notification for the facility was sent by EDF in March 2022. At the end of 2022, EDF submitted the silo decommissioning file, integrating the silo emptying operations for the recovery and repackaging of the graphite waste and creation of the future graphite waste package storage facility. Based on current assumptions, silo emptying should begin in the early 2030’s. ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2023 53 Regional overview of nuclear safety and radiation protection • CENTRE-VAL DE LOIRE •
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