News releases

ASN believes that it is essential to learn from the recent accident in Japan, in the same way as after the Three Mile Island and Chernobyl accidents. The acquisition of in-depth feedback will involve a long process stretching over several years. Some lessons, however, can already be learned.

ASN oversees occupational health and safety inspection at French nuclear power plants [1]. It provides coordinated oversight of the health, safety, working conditions and quality of employment of EDF employees, as well as those of EDF service providers and subcontractors, just as it does for nuclear safety at facilities. This activity covers the construction, operation and decommissioning of nuclear power plants [2].

ASN believes that it is essential to learn from the recent accident in Japan, in the same way as after the Three Mile Island and Chernobyl accidents. The acquisition of in-depth feedback will involve a long process stretching over several years.

As requested by the Minister of Energy, ASN issued its opinion on the reports submitted by nuclear operators mid 2010, in accordance with Article 20 of Programme Act No. 2006-739 of 28 June 2006 on the sustainable management of radioactive materials and waste [1].

ASN presented its report on nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2010 at a hearing of OPECST, the French Parliamentary Office for the Evaluation of Scientific and Technical Choices, on Wednesday 30 March 2011. The hearing provided an opportunity to pass on information to members of parliament and the press.

On 30 March 2011, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, accompanied by Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, France's Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development, Transport and Housing, went to Japan to meet Prime Minister, Naoto Kan, and convey a message of solidarity from the French people following the dramatic events of 11 March.

The ASN Commission received a Japan Nuclear Technology Institute delegation on 29 March 2011.

On 23 March 2011, French Prime Minister, François Fillon, asked ASN, under Article 8 of the Nuclear Security and Transparency Act, to conduct an additional safety audit at every nuclear facility in France, in light of current events at Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant.

A week after its deliberation issued on March 14, 2011, the Commission of the French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) has devoted its meeting on Monday, March 21, 2011 to the accident that occurred at Fukushima- and to initiate thinking about actions to be launched.

The ASN Commission renews its expression of sympathy to the Japanese people on the occasion of the national drama it undergoes. In particular, the ASN Commission praises the courageous efforts of people intervening on Fukushima nuclear power plants.

The nuclear crisis in Japan is still far from finished. The whole ASN staff remains mobilized. Its emergency centre is activated 24h/24h since Friday, March 11, 2011. The media and the public are regularly informed. ASN remains in direct contact with the Institute for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) and in permanent relationship with the Government, the Embassy of France in Japan, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). ASN also regularly consults its foreign counterparts.

On 15 March 2011, French Prime Minister, François Fillon, announced to the National Assembly that an audit was to be performed on the country's nuclear facilities.

Following a meeting of WENRA, the Western European Nuclear Regulators' Association, on 22 and 23 March 2011, the heads of nuclear regulatory authorities decided to set up a task force to provide an independent technical definition of a “stress test” and how it could be applied to European nuclear facilities. The purpose of this work is to see what improvements to nuclear safety can be made in light of the Fukushima accident. The findings will be passed on to ENSREG, the European Nuclear Safety Regulators' Group (ENSREG), which could draw on them to help it meet requests from the Council of the European Union and European Commission.

Seventy-nine significant radiation protection events, including four in brachytherapy, classified as level 1 on the ASN-SFRO scale, were reported between 1 July and 31 December 2010.

The French-Belgian Nuclear Safety Steering Committee held its annual meeting on 27 January 2011 in Brussels.

ASN rated at level 2 on INES scale an incident reported by EDF on February 16, 2011 concerning back-up diesel generators at Tricastin NPP.
The back-up diesel generators are used to supply safety systems of reactors in the event of loss of power by the national network. Each nuclear reactor is equipped with two back-up diesel generators. An additional back-up generator is available for all reactors on the same site. Each of these groups is sufficient to supply the systems necessary to ensure the safety of the reactor shutdown.

During the second half of 2010, ASN continued its inspection activities at the Flamanville 3 EPR construction site.