The French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) has presented its report on “the status of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2008” to the OPECST.

Paris, may 4, 2009

Nuclear safety: “quite satisfactory”
Medical nuclear safety: efforts must be sustained

The French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) intends to carry on raising the level of nuclear safety in France in 2009

The ASN board and its chairman André-Claude Lacoste today presented the ASN report on “the status of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2008” to the members of the Parliamentary Office for the Evaluation of Scientific and Technological Choices (OPECST) and other Members of Parliament.
 
This hearing, to which the press was invited, took place at the French National Assembly.  It falls in line with the ASN’s policy of reporting, particularly to Parliament, on the status of nuclear safety and radioprotection in France.
 
This hearing, the second held since the ASN change in status, was an opportunity to address the significant events of 2008, as well as the prospects and issues relating to nuclear safety and radiation protection in France and around the world.
 
With its 450 officers and handling 2000 annual on-site inspections, the ASN reports on the status of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2008.
 
As regards 2008, the ASN board and its executive director emphasised that:

• Concerning nuclear safety: 2008 was a fairly satisfactory year, but strong action was needed for operators to maintain the necessary degree of thoroughness.
• With regard to the EDF: the ASN deems the safety levels of its facilities satisfactory, but feels that the operator should not slacken in his efforts to make operating standards more rigorous and improve radiological cleanliness at its power stations.
• Regarding AREVA: the ASN considers that its facilities are satisfactorily operated, but feels that AREVA should ensure that safety levels are observed at its ancillary facilities, such as SOCATRI, and be more persistent in its efforts at reporting incidents. The ASN also feels that AREVA ought to redouble its efforts at repackaging old waste at the site located in La Hague.
• CEA : the ASN has quite a favourable view of how its nuclear facilities are operated and notes that the organisation is making progress in areas relating to the management of its civil engineering and criticality operations. However, the ASN is hoping that the CEA will strengthen its authority and independence in the general conducting of nuclear inspections.
• ANDRA : the ASN is satisfied with the manner in which ANDRA operates its waste centres and is working towards the dates set by the law passed on 28 June 2006. The ASN is observant in making sure that the proper procedure for finding a storage site for long-lived low-level waste is followed.

With regard to nuclear proximity: all radiotherapy centres were again inspected in 2008. Most of the medical establishments have made a genuine effort, but the situation is still very mixed. The ASN notes that health professionals are beginning to subscribe to the new system, introduced in July 2007, for reporting incidents likely to affect the health of patients or workers. This effort must be continued.
 
The ASN board and its chairman presented the perspectives and issues facing the ASN for 2009:

• Nuclear medicine: the ASN has two concerns: the radiotherapy centres that are still in a delicate position with an acute shortage of staff, especially radiation physicists (specialists in medical radiophysics). The ASN believes that the practical methods used in the training of new radiation physicists are not satisfactory and that the time required for making enough of them ready will be considerable. The second concern relates to the increasing use of scanning and interventional radiology for the diagnosis and treatment of disease, which presents the risk of uncontrolled dosing and which, the ASN feels, should be carried out in a manner that is safe for professionals in the field and patients.
• The question of the operating life of power plants is a major issue. The first 900 MW-level reactors, such as Tricastin 1 and Fessenheim 1, will be having their third 10-year visit. Based on the results of in-depth testing of the main equipment and on the changes to be made as a result of safety reassessment, the ASN will decide upon whether or not operations of these plants are to continue. Extending the operations of power plants beyond 40 years is an EDF aspiration.
• The ASN’s legitimacy and credibility are due primarily to its independence, established by its statutes and customised by its board of five commissioners: they are appointed for a six-year term, cannot be removed from office and are not answerable to the Government or any other institution. However, independence does not mean isolation and the ASN is making every effort to build its relations with stakeholders, particularly with the CLI  and ANCLI . It has a duty to report to Parliament.
• The ASN will continue to strengthen its operation with a view to transparency and to providing information to citizens. Following publication of the letters on inspections carried out on nuclear facilities, and of letters issued after checks of radiotherapy facilities in 2008, the ASN is aiming to publish all post-inspection letters on all activities employing ionising radiation. The ASN has since 2009 also disseminated the advice of Advisory Committees on which it has relied to reach its most important decisions. The ASN strongly encourages operators to implement transparency measures as required by the TSN Act.
   
      On the international front: faced with the increasing globalisation of nuclear safety issues, the ASN will become even more involved in the harmonisation of rules and practices relating to international safety and radiation protection. The year 2009 will be important for the development of the draft European directive on nuclear safety, proposed under French presidency, and for the convergence of various countries by 2010 towards the WENRA safety rules for existing power reactors. Finally, the ASN responds to requests for assistance from Authorities wishing to benefit from ASN expertise on power plants, particularly EPR reactors, which the ASN tests. These are either countries already using nuclear energy or non-users.
• The security of radioactive sources, particularly sealed sources which can lead to misuse – through release or radiation exposure – must be better ensured. The ASN has proposed to the Government, in the interest of efficiency, that it be designated the qualified authority for the security of radioactive sources, subject to receiving the necessary means, and on condition of being able to apply its transparency rules in informing the public.
   
  The challenges for 2009 are huge. The intention of the ASN strategy is to affirm the primacy of the values of independence, thoroughness, competence and transparency with two clear objectives: to constantly raise the level of nuclear safety and to provide stakeholders with the information they require to be able to form an opinion on the status of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France.