Fukushima: ASN asks operators to lift the environmental radioactivity monitoring adopted in France

To estimate radioactivity levels across French territory following releases from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, ASN asked operators[1] to demonstrate particular vigilance regarding the results of measurements made and to step up monitoring. Additional analyses were requested by ASN on 22 March 2011 relative to monitoring the air, entailing measuring the radioactivity levels of aerosols and gaseous iodines.

The summary report on these measurement results has been integrated in the information notes published on the IRSN website since 24 March 2011.

Everyone involved in monitoring the environment, especially university laboratories and associations, has also played a crucial role in assessing the very long-range impact of the releases from Fukushima thanks to their specific and independent measurements .

The latest results of measurements made by operators as part of the special monitoring requested by ASN and those made by IRSN, confirm the very low level concentrations of artificial radionuclides and the consistent decline as of the second week of April 2011 of traces detected in air masses that reached France at the end of March 2011[2].

ASN has therefore asked operators to lift the special monitoring implemented.

Operators in the nuclear industry will obviously continue to monitor the environment in compliance with the regulatory requirements that apply to them. The results of such measurements are sent each month to the French National Network for the Measurement of Environmental Radioactivity (RNM) and are published on the network’s website: www.mesure-radioactivite.fr.

[1] 30 sites were involved: CEA, EDF, AREVA LA HAGUE, AREVA TRICASTIN, FBFC and ANDRA sites

[2] IRSN Information Note No.14: www.irsn.fr/FR/Actualites_presse/Actualites/Documents/IRSN_Bulletin14_Bilan-surveillance-environnement-France_22042011.pdf