ASN authorises restart of the CENTRACO incineration furnace, subject to transmission of the complete report on the operations carried out to check the conformity of the equipment condition needed to ensure the safety of the furnace

The CENTRACO facility, operated by SOCODEI on the Marcoule (Gard) site, has been closed down since 12 September 2011, following the severe industrial accident which occurred in the melting unit, leading to the death of one member of staff and injuring four others, one of them seriously. In a resolution dated 27 September 2011, ASN stated that it would have to authorise any restart of the CENTRACO facility’s melting and incineration furnaces.

In accordance with the provisions of this resolution, the licensee sent ASN information to prove that restart of the incineration furnace would take place in satisfactory conditions of safety. SOCODEI in particular communicated the initial results of the verifications run on the facility prior to restart, for example concerning the condition of the equipment necessary for the safety of the incinerator furnace, as well as the conclusions of the review into the situations entailing a risk of explosion within the incineration unit. After the review conducted with the help of its technical support organisation, ASN considered that the evidence submitted was satisfactory.

An ASN inspection was also held on 28 June 2012, to check that the licensee had implemented the technical and organisational measures to prevent the occurrence of situations entailing a risk of explosion. The conclusions of the inspection showed that the operations prior to restart of the incinerator were carried out in compliance with the safety requirements. The follow-up letter for this inspection is accessible on the ASN website.

On 29 June 2012, ASN therefore authorised SOCODEI to proceed with restart of the incineration furnace, subject to transmission of the complete report on the verifications carried out on the conformity of the equipment condition needed to ensure the safety of the furnace, before any waste was introduced into the incinerator.

ASN also asked SOCODEI to clarify the order in which the waste awaiting treatment is to be introduced into the incinerator, in order to give preference to the treatment of waste considered to be a priority in the light of the associated issues.

The melting unit for its part remains shut down. The judicial inquiry opened following the accident, in which ASN is a participant in its capacity as an “expert witness”, is continuing under the authority of the investigating magistrates.