ASN sets the rules for the legacy waste retrieval and packaging operations in the La Hague facility

In its resolution 2014-DC-0472 of 9^th December 2014, ASN issued prescriptions for AREVA concerning the legacy waste retrieval and packaging operations in the La Hague facility. This legacy radioactive waste¹, resulting from the activities of the UP2-400 reprocessing plant between 1966 and 1998, is currently stored in the La Hague facility in conditions that require retrieval and repackaging.

In the light of its physico-chemical and radiological nature and the current storage conditions, this waste has significant nuclear safety and radiation protection implications. The waste retrieval and packaging operations must thus be carried out proactively according to a precise calendar, for which the completion date is set at 2030 by the Environment Code².

At the time of the commissioning of the UP3-A and UP2-800 plants in the late 1980s, as the replacements for the UP2-400 plant, AREVA undertook to retrieve and package this legacy waste, with regard to which no processing channels had been provided for in the design of the UP2-400 plant. Since this undertaking was made, ASN notes successive delays in the progress of the operations, despite the nuclear safety and radiation protection implications of these operations and the organisational, human and financial means deployed by AREVA to tackle these issues. These delays in particular lead to the continued storage of legacy waste in unsatisfactory conditions of safety.

ASN already set waste retrieval deadlines for certain operations with the most serious nuclear safety and radiation protection implications in 2010 and 2012³. For the oxide high activity facility (HAO) silo, the final shutdown and decommissioning decree⁴ of 31^st July 2009 defines these deadlines.

ASN today still observes drift with respect to the deadlines defined in the industrial schedules for the legacy waste retrieval and packaging operations. It considers that the prescriptions already issued by ASN must be supplemented by a further resolution covering all of these operations. ASN resolution 2014-DC-0472 of 9^th December 2014 thus aims to determine the following main points:

• the prioritisation of the various projects according to their potential nuclear safety and radiation protection implications;
• short-term improvement of the safety of the current stores of legacy waste, pending its emptying;
• ASN requirements concerning waste retrieval and packaging;
• the legacy waste retrieval and packaging operations completion time-frame and the steps to be taken by the licensee to guarantee compliance;
• the procedures for periodic information of ASN, the competent Local Information Committee (CLI) and the public concerning the progress of the projects.

This resolution takes account of the remarks made by the public on the ASN website between 18^th August and 26^th September 2014.

05:33

AREVA La Hague : ASN regulates legacy waste retrieval and conditioning program