In particular, the licensee has requested pushing back of the deadlines for removal of the radioactive substances whose utilisation cannot be justified, and the implementation where necessary of measures to place and maintain the BNI in a safe condition in the event of fire in the areas adjacent to the nuclear areas. The decommissioning of Célimène (unit formerly intended for the examination of fuels from reactor EL3) is also concerned by this request. The examination of the provisions relating to fire led ASN to decide to issue a compliance resolution to regulate performance of the works initially expected for the end of 2019. In view of the risks and the work already undertaken by the licensee’s personnel, the corresponding technical requirement must be met before 31 December 2026. ASN will be particularly attentive to the monitoring and implementation of these actions, which are necessary to meet this deadline. Since the end of 2022, BNI 72 no longer accepts irradiating waste from the CEA Saclay site. Consequently, the CEA has started a new project baptised “GDILE”, a French acronym for “Management of irradiated waste from LECI”, in order to process, package and remove the irradiating waste (existing and future) without saturating the storage capacities of LECI. An exercise involving deployment of the Off-Site Emergency Plan (PPI) was carried out in 2023 on the site of the CEA Paris‑Saclay centre (see paragraph entitled “Assessment of the CEA Paris‑Saclay centre, Saclay site”). This exercise, which simulated an accident situation within the LECI facilities, served to test the deployment of the CEA’s means of response and of the departmental fire and rescue service within the BNI perimeter. The inspections conducted on LECI during 2023 were considered satisfactory, even if the manufacturers’ recommendations must be better taken into account in the qualification of new equipment. Moreover, ASN still observes an increase in the times taken to reply to the inspection follow-up letters and to send in significant event reports. The CEA must take the necessary measures to remedy this situation without delay. Poséidon irradiator Authorised in 1972, the Poséidon facility (BNI 77) is an irradiator comprising a storage pool for cobalt-60 sources, partially surmounted by an irradiation bunker. The BNI moreover includes another bunkered irradiator baptised Pagure, and the Vulcain accelerator. This facility is used for studies and qualification services for the equipment installed in the nuclear reactors, notably thanks to an immersible chamber, as well as for the radiosterilisation of medical products. The main risk in the facility is of personnel exposure to ionising radiation due to the presence of very high-activity sealed sources. ASN has regulated the continued operation of the facility following its periodic safety review through ASN Chairman’s resolution CODEP-CLG-2019-048416 of 22 November 2019. The major areas for improvement are in particular the resistance of the building to seismic and climatic hazards (snow and wind in particular), and the monitoring of ageing of the Poséidon storage pool. 1. Part of the inventory of the radionuclides of a nuclear facility that groups the radionuclides that could be dispersed in the facility in the event of an incident or accident, or even, for a fraction of them, be released into the environment. ASN considers that the facility is operated satisfactorily and with the aim of continuously improving its safety. ASN has effectively observed that the licensee provides adequate responses within the set deadlines to its commitments resulting from the preceding periodic safety review (commitments made by licensee, technical requirements or requests from ASN). The periodic inspections and tests are correctly monitored. Nevertheless, particular attention must be paid to the revision of the frequencies of some of these inspections relating to radiation protection, and to the management of deviations. With regard to the management of radioactive sources, the licensee has improved the current check of sources aged more than ten years, for which an extension of the Poséidon irradiator service life has been requested, with the setting up of a system for checking sealing by immersion. SOLID WASTE AND LIQUID EFFLUENT TREATMENT FACILITIES The CEA operates various types of facilities: laboratories associated with “fuel cycle” research as well research reactors. The CEA also carries out numerous decommissioning operations. Consequently, it produces diverse types of waste. The CEA has specific processing, packaging and storage facilities for the management of this waste. Solid radioactive waste management zone The Solid Radioactive Waste Management Zone (ZGDS – BNI 72) was authorized by the Decree of 14 June 1971. Operated by the CEA, this facility processes, packages and stores the high, intermediate and low-level waste from the Saclay centre facilities. It also stores legacy materials and waste (spent fuels, sealed sources, scintillating liquids, ion-exchange resins, technological waste, etc.) pending disposal. In view of the “dispersible inventory(1)” currently present in the facility, BNI 72 is one of the priorities of the CEA’s decommissioning strategy which has been examined by ASN, who stated its position on these priorities in May 2019 (see chapter 14 of the full ASN Report). In order to be able to continue using the BNI for managing the radioactive waste from the Saclay BNIs, the CEA in 2017 asked for a change in the date of final shutdown of the facility, postponing it until the first of the following two terms was reached: either the effective date of the decommissioning decree or the date of 31 December 2022. The CEA also asked for arrangements for the acceptance of certain types of waste until 2025. After analysing the periodic safety review report for BNI 72 submitted at the end of 2017 and examined jointly with the decommissioning file, ASN regulated the conditions of continued operation of the facility through ASN Chairman’s resolution CODEP‑CLG-2022‑005822 of 2 February 2022. Decree 2022-1107 of 2 August 2022 requiring the CEA to proceed with the decommissioning of BNI 72 was published in the Official Journal. This Decree came into effect on 26 July 2023, the date on which ASN approved the revision of the general operating rules. 64 ABSTRACTS – ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2023 Regional overview of nuclear safety and radiation protection • ÎLE-DE-FRANCE •
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