THE INDUSTRIAL AND RESEARCH FACILITIES High-flux reactor of the Laue‑Langevin Institute The Laue-Langevin Institute (ILL), an international research organisation, accommodates a 58 Megawatts thermal (MWth) heavy-water High-Flux Neutron Reactor (RHF) which produces high-intensity thermal neutron beams for fundamental research, particularly in the areas of solid-state physics, neutron physics and molecular biology. The RHF constitutes BNI 67 which accommodates the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), an international research laboratory. Employing some 500 persons, this BNI occupies a surface area of 12 hectares situated between the rivers Isère and Drac, just upstream of their confluence, near the CEA Grenoble centre. ASN considers that safety management of the RHF in 2021 is satisfactory. The ILL confirmed the improvements noted since 2019 regarding compliance with the requirements concerning protection of people and the environment. In 2021, the ILL continued progressing with the action plan established for its third periodic safety review and enriched by the commitments made further to the examination of its conclusions. The year-end saw the beginning of the first works of a major outage forecast to last 14 months. They concern in particular the replacement of technological equipment constituting the reactor pressure vessel, reinforcement of the reactor building external air intake and the installation of anchors for the future renovation work on the main polar crane. ASN consulted the public in 2021 on a draft resolution governing the continued operation of this facility further to its periodic safety review. It will be particularly attentive in 2022 to the deployment of the ILL’s action plan resulting from the safety review, especially regarding the management of fire-related and handling-related risks. The continuation of preparation of the residual radioactive inventory pre-clean-up operations in the former detritiation facility shall also be verified. Ionisos irradiator The company Ionisos operates an industrial irradiator in Dagneux, situated in the Ain département. This irradiator, which constitutes BNI 68, uses the radiation f rom Cobalt-60 sources for purposes such as sterilising medical equipment (syringes, dressings, prostheses) and polymerising plastic materials. The level of safety of the facility was found to be satisfactory in 2021. ASN considers that the licensee must continue the foundation work aiming to better def ine the Components Important to Protection (PIC) of the interests of the facility and more rigorous application of their requirements def ined in the periodic inspection and test procedures. An authorisation for recovery of the sludge f rom pool D1 (operated until November 1996) was issued by ASN in the third quarter of 2021. CERN accelerators and research centre Following the signing of an international agreement between France, Switzerland and the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) on 15 November 2010, ASN and the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (OFSP) –the Swiss radiation protection oversight body– are contributing to the verif ication of the safety and radiation protection requirements applied by CERN. The joint actions concern transport, waste and radiation protection. Two joint visits by the Swiss and French nuclear Authorities took place in 2021 on the theme of emergency situation preparedness and putting back into service the beam line called “n-TOF” –Neutron Time of Flight– after its modernisation. These visits found the practices to be satisfactory. 48 ABSTRACTS – ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2021 REGIONAL OVERVIEWOF NUCLEAR SAFETY AND RADIATION PROTECTION
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