With the aim of meeting the new deadlines of resolution CODEP-CLG-2020-062379 of 21 December 2020 concerning the removal of the radioactive substances present in the Pégase pool, the CEA submitted two authorisation application f iles to ASN in June 2021 concerning the setting up of the DECAP project for removal from storage of the araldite-encapsulated fuels of Pégase, for transfer to the Cascad facility. These applications are currently being examined by ASN. In the course of the document verif ications relative to the removal of the fuels stored in the Pégase BNI for transfer to the Cadarache DBNI, the CEA discovered a deviation concerning the physical-chemical nature of a fuel assembly transported between the two facilities in 2016. This gave rise to a significant event report in 2021 rated level 1 on the INES scale by ASN, for noncompliance with the conditions of use of the transport packaging. ASN considers that the transfers of fuel from the Cascad facility to La Hague continued in accordance with the objectives set by the CEA in its last letter applying for renewal of the storage authorisation. ASN considers that the nuclear safety and radiation protection of the Pégase and Cascad facilities for 2021 is on the whole satisfactory. ASN notes the continued satisfactory performance of the actions resulting from the last periodic safety review, particularly concerning the reinforcement and redundancy work on the two discharge outlets and the fire protection work. The inspections in 2021 have also revealed proficiency in the modification management procedures and proper application of ASN resolution 2017-DC-0592 of 30 November 2017 on the management of emergency situations within the BNI. Cabri research reactor – CEA centre The Cabri reactor (BNI 24), created on 27 May 1964, is intended for conducting experimental programmes aiming to achieve a better understanding of the behaviour of nuclear fuel in the event of a reactivity accident. The reactor has been equipped with a pressurised water loop since 2006, in order to study the behaviour of the fuel at high combustion rates in accident situations of increasing reactivity in a PWR. Since January 2018, the CEA has been conducting a programme of tests called “CIP” (Cabri International Program), which began in the early 2000’s and necessitated substantial modification and safety upgrading work on the facility. On 25 September 2020, the licensee reported a signif icant event concerning a leak detected and collected in the “core water” system containment, and a second event on 17 February 2021 relative to a leak concerning a hodoscope, which is one of the neutron measuring instruments. ASN examined the safety of the reactor taking into consideration the action plan and the compensatory measures proposed by the CEA to deal with these two leaks. Resuming of the tests will thus be subject to ASN authorisation. In this context, ASN is also examining a request, submitted in 2019, to modify the facility’s Creation Authorisation Decree (DAC) with the aim of performing irradiation tests on electronic equipment. ASN considers that emergency management and the management of internal authorisations are satisfactory on the whole. The level of safety of the reactor is relatively satisfactory, but the observed faults require appropriate action before it is restarted. Rapsodie research reactor – CEA centre The Rapsodie reactor (BNI 25) is the f irst sodium-cooled fast-neutron reactor built in France. It operated from 1967 to 1978. A sealing defect in the reactor pressure vessel led to its final shutdown in 1983. Decommissioning operations were subsequently undertaken, but have been partially stopped further to a fatal accident in 1994 during the washing of a sodium tank. At present, the core has been unloaded, the fuel evacuated f rom the installation, a large part of the fluids and radioactive components have been removed and the reactor vessel is contained. The reactor pool has been emptied, partially cleaned out and decommissioned, and the waste containing sodium has been removed. THE INSTALLATIONS AND ACTIVITIES TO REGULATE COMPRISE: ཛྷ Basic Nuclear Installations: • the CEA Cadarache research centre which counts 21 civil BNIs, including the Jules Horowitz Reactor currently under construction, • the ITER installation construction site, adjacent to the CEA Cadarache centre, • the Gammaster industrial ioniser; ཛྷ small-scale nuclear activities in the medical sector: • 13 external-beam radiotherapy departments, • 3 brachytherapy departments, • 16 nuclear medicine departments, • 112 centres performing fluoroscopy-guided interventional practices, • 118 computed tomography scanners, • some 8,200 medical and dental radiology devices; ཛྷ small-scale nuclear activities in the veterinary, industrial and research sectors: • about 400 industrial and research centres, including 3 cyclotron particle accelerators and 21 companies with an industrial radiography activity, • about 460 veterinary surgeries or clinics practising diagnostic radiology; ཛྷ activities associated with the transport of radioactive substances; ཛྷ ASN-approved laboratories and organisations: • 2 laboratories approved for taking environmental radioactivity measurements, • 1 organisation 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 91 REGIONAL OVERVIEW OF NUCLEAR SAFETY AND RADIATION PROTECTION PROVENCE-ALPES-CÔTE D’AZUR
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