News releases

All the news about nuclear safety and radiation protection

470 news

Published on 16/01/2018 at 10:30

ASN considers that the Cigeo safety options constitute a significant step forwards

In April 2016, Andra sent ASN the safety options file (DOS) for the Cigeo radioactive waste deep disposal project. Submission of a DOS means that the project becomes part of a process governed by the regulations concerning basic nuclear installations (BNI), more specifically by article 6 of the decree of 2 November 2007.

Published on 22/12/2017 at 11:34

European Union: Thematic peer review - ageing management of power and research reactors

In 2014, the Council of the European Union adopted directive 2014/87/EURATOM on nuclear security. The main purpose of this directive, supplementing a directive of 2009, was to ensure that the licensees of nuclear facilities learned the lessons from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) accident which occurred in 2011.

Published on 05/12/2017 at 10:12

ASN allows restart of the reactors of the Tricastin nuclear power plant (NPP)

With the support of IRSN, ASN examined the data provided by EDF to demonstrate the seismic resistance of the Donzère-Mondragon canal embankment which protects the Tricastin NPP. ASN considers that, following the investigations and repairs carried out by EDF, the condition of the embankment allows the restart of the EDF reactors and gave its consent for the restart of reactors 2, 3 and 4.

Published on 09/11/2017 at 15:00

Ruthenium 106 in the ambient air in France: no risk identified for the population

As part of its duty of radioactivity monitoring nationwide, the French Institute for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) measured the presence of ruthenium 106 in south-eastern France, between the end of September and the beginning of October 2017, albeit at very low levels, representing a few microbecquerels per cubic metre (µBq/m3). This detection led to the distribution by IRSN of several information notices on its website.

Published on 31/10/2017 at 14:30

Level-2 incident involving the emergency diesel generator sets

L’ASN classe au niveau 2 de l’échelle INES un événement significatif pour la sûreté relatif à un défaut de résistance au séisme des systèmes auxiliaires des groupes électrogènes de secours à moteur diesel (diesels de secours) des réacteurs 2 et 5 de la centrale nucléaire du Bugey et des réacteurs 1 et 2 de la centrale nucléaire de Fessenheim. Un événement similaire a fait l’objet d’une première note d’information le 20 juin 2017 pour vingt réacteurs de 1300 MWe.

Published on 31/10/2017 at 12:00

Safety of Spent Fuel Management and of Radioactive Waste Management obligations

The sixth triennial review meeting of the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management (called the "Joint Convention") will take place from 21 May to 1 June 2018 at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters in Vienna.

Published on 16/10/2017 at 16:20

Risk of loss of heat sink for 29 nuclear reactors operated by EDF

ASN gives a level 2 rating on the INES scale to a significant safety event regarding a risk of the loss of heat sink for the reactors in the Belleville-sur-Loire, Cattenom, Chinon, Cruas, Dampierre-en-Burly, Golfech, Nogent-sur-Seine, Paluel, Saint-Alban and Saint-Laurent-des-Eaux NPPs. 29 900 MWe and 1300 MWe reactors are concerned by this event.

Published on 16/10/2017 at 12:08

Follow-up to the IRRS international audit mission

From 1st to 9th October 2017, ASN received an IAEA delegation responsible for follow-up to the Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) international audit mission carried out in 2014, concerning all of the activities regulated by ASN.

Published on 11/10/2017 at 16:05

Flamanville EPR reactor: ASN issues its opinion

On 10th October 2017, ASN issued its opinion on the anomaly in the steel used for the Flamanville EPR reactor pressure vessel lower head and closure head. ASN considers that this anomaly is not such as to compromise the commissioning of the reactor pressure vessel, provided that specific checks are carried out during operation of the installation. As the feasibility of these checks cannot at present be confirmed for the closure head, ASN considers that the current closure head cannot be used beyond 2024.

Published on 04/10/2017 at 14:16

4e conference of the MDEP

Created in 2006, the Multinational Design Evaluation Programme (MDEP) currently brings together the nuclear safety authorities of fifteen countries.

Published on 29/08/2017 at 12:28

Cigeo radioactive waste disposal facility

In April 2016, Andra sent ASN the safety options dossier (DOS) for the Cigeo radioactive waste deep geological disposal project. Submission of the DOS means that the project is now subject to a process covered by regulations concerning basic nuclear installations (BNI) and more specifically by article 6 of decree 2007.1557 of 2nd November 2007.

Published on 29/08/2017 at 12:08

2016-2018 PNGMDR

The 2016-2018 National Plan for Radioactive Materials and Waste Management (PNGMDR) was published on 25th February 2017 by the Ministry for the Environment, Energy and the Sea and ASN. For the first time it underwent a process to assess its effects on the environment, followed by a public consultation.