News releases

All the news about nuclear safety and radiation protection

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Published on 29/05/2012 at 12:30

General technical regulations applicable to nuclear facilities

Further to the publication of Act No. 2006-686 of 13 June 2006 relative to transparency and security in the nuclear field (the "TSN Act"), now integrated in the Environmental Code, and Decree No. 2007-1557 of 2 November 2007 relative to basic nuclear installations (BNI), ASN - in association with the ministries responsible for nuclear safety - has begun revising the general technical regulations applicable to basic nuclear installations.

Published on 04/05/2012 at 10:20

Report on the results of stress tests

The European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group (ENSREG) and the European Commission have adopted, on April 26 2012, the report on the results of the stress tests on European nuclear power plants.
This report responds to the request from the European Council on 25 march 2011 asking for the launch of stress tests on the European nuclear power plants to take account of the first lessons learned from the Fukushima accident.

Published on 03/05/2012 at 14:39

Memorandum of understanding on radiation protection

The Association of the Heads of the European Radiological protection Competent Authorities (HERCA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) through its Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) as part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in the field of radiation protection.

Published on 16/04/2012 at 09:30

I&C architecture of the Flamanville 3 EPR

ASN considers that the changes EDF has made to the instrumentation and control (I&C) architecture of the Flamanville 3 EPR are satisfactory and enable it to lift the reservations it expressed in October 2009. This position is based on the analysis by its technical support organisation, IRSN, and the opinion of the Advisory Committee for nuclear reactors.

Published on 06/04/2012 at 13:50

Press release #4 Information on Penly NPP event

On 6th April 2012, around 07 :00 (French time), ASN got confirmation by EDF that the leak in the primary pump n°1 of the reactor n°2 at the Penly NPP had stopped.

Published on 06/04/2012 at 01:00

Press release #3 Information on Penly NPP event

On 5th April 2012, at around 12 :00, ASN was informed by EDF that a fire had started in the reactor n°2 building of the Penly NPP (North-West of France). The reactor automatically shut down.

Published on 06/04/2012 at 00:15

Press release #2 Information on Penly NPP event

On 5th April 2012, at around 12.00, ASN was informed by EDF that a fire had started in the reactor n°2 building of the Penly NPP (North-West of France). The reactor automatically shut down.

Published on 06/04/2012 at 00:00

Information on Penly NPP event

On 5th April 2012, at around 12.00, ASN was informed by EDF that a fire had started in the reactor n°2 building of the Penly NPP (North-West of France).

Published on 04/04/2012 at 18:02

Indian nuclear regulatory body joins MDEP

The Chairman of the French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) Mr. André-Claude Lacoste, as MDEP (Multinational Design Evaluation Program) Policy Group Chair confirmed that India’s nuclear regulatory meets the criteria for full membership in the MDEP.
MDEP aims to leverage the resources and knowledge of national regulatory authorities reviewing new reactor designs. ASN is a founding and active member of MDEP since its creation in 2006.

Published on 21/03/2012 at 14:00

EPR Reactor: Information Letter n°12

ASN oversight of the Flamanville 3 EPR construction site continued during the second half of 2011. Details of recent findings are provided below:
- Inspection of prestressing tendon duct installation work
- Manufacture of polar crane support brackets
- Oversight of complex concreting operations
- Quality control of tank, pool and liner welding operations
- ASN report on the complementary safety assessments conducted by EDF after the Fukushima accident
- Repair of reactor vessel head
- Non-conformances detected during the pipe manufacturing process

Published on 12/03/2012 at 15:00

ASN and Greenpeace hold meeting

Jean-Christophe Niel, Director General of ASN, received a delegation from Greenpeace France, which presented him with the IEER-WISE-Greenpeace France report, Post-Fukushima Nuclear Safety in France. The report’s authors, Yves Marignac, director of the Paris office of the World Information Service on Energy (WISE) and Arjun Makhijani, President of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (IEER), were also present.

Published on 12/03/2012 at 11:14

Traces of iodine-131 detected again in several European countries

ASN has been informed by its European counterparts of new cases of iodine-131 being detected in several countries in northern and eastern Europe. IRSN, the French Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety, responded to the presence of this isotope in atmospheric aerosols by stepping up the frequency of its environmental radioactivity measurements to detect whether the phenomenon also affected France.

Published on 07/02/2012 at 10:00

ATMEA1 reactor project

Following a review process lasting 18 months, ASN issues a positive opinion on the safety options for the ATMEA1 reactor project.

With the technical support of the Institute for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN), ASN reviewed the safety options for the ATMEA1 pressurised water reactor. This medium-power reactor (1100 MWe) is designed by the ATMEA company, an AREVA and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) joint venture.