MARCOULE PLATFORM The Marcoule nuclear platform is situated to the west of Orange, in the Gard département. Its six civil installations are dedicated to research activities relating to the downstream part of the “fuel cycle” and the irradiation of materials, and to industrial activities concerning in particular the fabrication of Mixed Oxide (MOX) fuels, the processing of radioactive waste and the irradiation of materials. The majority of the site moreover consists of Defence Basic Nuclear Installations (DBNIs), under the oversight of the Ministry of Defence. CEA MARCOULE CENTRE Created in 1955, the CEA Marcoule centre accommodates three civil installations: the Atalante laboratories (BNI 148), the Phénix NPP (BNI 71) and the Diadem storage facility (BNI 177). Atalante facility – CEA centre The main purpose of the Alpha facilities and laboratories for transuranium elements analysis and reprocessing studies (Atalante –BNI 148), created in the 1980’s, is to conduct research and development in the recycling of nuclear fuels, the management of ultimate waste, and the exploration of new concepts for fourth generation nuclear systems. In order to expand the research activities, equipment and activities from the CEA Cadarache centre’s Laboratory for research and fabrication of advanced nuclear fuels (Lefca) were transferred there in 2017. On completion of the analysis of the facility’s periodic safety review report submitted in December 2016, ASN made available for public consultation a draft resolution intended to regulate the continued operation of the BNI. The CEA’s improvement action plan in this context notably includes reinforcement of control of the fire risk. In June 2021, laboratory L6 –which had been closed since an event of 19 December 2018, rated level 1 on the INES scale, involving the shattering of a flacon containing a radioactive liquid during handling in a glove box– was reopened by the licensee after having performed the periodic inspections and tests that were suspended following the accident. The licensee was thus able to carry out the operations to neutralise the reagents and retrieve the waste contained in the glove box in question. ASN considers that the follow-ups to this event were managed satisfactorily. In 2020, ASN had observed shortcomings in radiation protection, in the management of deviations and the operational management of accident situations, as well as in the emergency organisation and means. ASN considers that efforts were made during 2021 to comply with the regulations in these areas. ASN considers that the overall level of safety is satisfactory in the areas of deviation management, consideration of organisational and human factors and the meeting of commitments, which are followed up and have good traceability, with technical actions that are carried out and checked. ASN remains vigilant regarding occupational radiation protection and compliance with the regulations concerning the use of hazardous substances. THE INSTALLATIONS AND ACTIVITIES TO REGULATE COMPRISE: ཛྷ Basic Nuclear Installations: • the Golfech NPP (2 reactors of 1, 300 MWe), • the CEA Marcoule research centre, which includes the civil BNIs Atalante and Phénix, and the Diadem waste storage facility construction site, • the Melox plant producing MOX nuclear fuel, • the Centraco low-level radioactive waste processing facility, • the Gammatec industrial ioniser; • the facility for storing Écrin waste on the Malvési site; ཛྷ small-scale nuclear activities in the medical sector: • 14 external-beam radiotherapy departments, • 6 brachytherapy departments, • 21 nuclear medicine departments, • 99 centres performing fluoroscopy-guided interventional practices, • 126 computed tomography scanners, • some 5,000 medical and dental radiology devices; ཛྷ small-scale nuclear activities in the veterinary, industrial and research sectors: • about 800 industrial and research centres, including 4 cyclotron particle accelerators, 31 companies exercising an industrial radiography activity and 65 laboratories situated mainly in the universities of the region, • about 560 veterinary surgeries or clinics practising diagnostic radiology; ཛྷ activities associated with the transport of radioactive substances; ཛྷ ASN-approved laboratories and organisations: • 4 laboratories approved for taking environmental radioactivity measurements, • 6 organisations approved for measuring radon, • 7 organisations approved for radiation protection controls. ABSTRACTS – ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2021 85 REGIONAL OVERVIEW OF NUCLEAR SAFETY AND RADIATION PROTECTION OCCITANIE
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