News releases

All the news about nuclear safety and radiation protection

476 news

Published on 20/08/2012 at 09:19

ASN reports on controls imposed on nuclear reactors’ vessels

In France, ASN controls manufactoring and in service inspection of key operating pressure equipments of nuclear reactors, including the reactor pressure vessel. A specific monitoring of these equipments’ construction has been applied since 1974. For all components of French reactors’ vessels, a number of controls aiming at detecting defects in forged pieces were carried out during production.

Published on 07/08/2012 at 09:37

Fuel storage pool siphon-breakers

On 18 January 2012, EDF notified ASN of the absence of a “siphon breaker” orifice on the fuel storage pool cooling pipes for reactors 2 and 3 at the Cattenom NPP. This significant safety event (ESS), detected during the course of an internal inspection, was rated level 2 on the INES scale, which comprises 8 levels from 0 to 7 (see press release of 6 February 2012).

Published on 17/07/2012 at 10:25

CENTRACO incineration 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.

Published on 28/06/2012 at 09:00

ASN's 2011 report : "there is a before and an after Fukushima"

ASN imposes large-scale safety reinforcement work on the licensees following the CSAs

Today, 28th June 2012, ASN presented its 2011 Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France and also reviewed the follow-up to the Complementary Safety Assessments (CSAs) conducted on the nuclear facilities in the wake of the Fukushima-Daiichi accident.

Published on 26/06/2012 at 19:29

Convention on Nuclear Safety: french report is published on ASN website

As decided during the review meeting of the Convention on Nuclear Safety (CNS) held in April 2011, an extraordinary meeting of the CSN will take place in Vienna from August 27 to 31, 2012. One major objective is to review and share the lessons learned and the steps taken by the CSN Contracting Parties in response to the events of the accident that struck the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (NPP).

Published on 11/06/2012 at 10:21

ASN contributes to international sharing of radiation protection experience

The 13th congress of the International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA) took place in Glasgow (Scotland) from 13 to 18 May 2012. The event brought together 700 specialists (including radiation protection professionals, radiation protection companies, health agencies and radiation safety authorities). The ASN was present and mobilized on the two major themes of the congress: stakeholder engagement and post-accident management.

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).