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RAUK 2009

Publication of ASN 2009 report in English

07/30/2010 5:50

For the fifth consecutive year, the English version of the ASN annual report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection is available on its dedicated website, at the following address : http://annual-report2009.asn.fr/.

Various tabs allow the web user to identify very promptly 2009 highlights, ASN actions and regulated activities in the nuclear safety and radiation protection fields. The 16 chapters of the report may be downloaded in PDF format as well as the previous reports or the information brochures relating to INES and ASN/SFRO scales.

Together with the report, the Nuclear Security and Transparency Act and the Waste Act, ASN commissioners' biographies are also available.

A tab called "Opinion" collects web users’ opinions and will help ASN to improve this reference report.

  • Contrôle review No. 188: the environmental radioactivity monitoring 07/08/2010 3:11

    Contrôle review No. 188: the environmental radioactivity monitoring

    The protection of people and the environment from radiation is primarily based on monitoring radioactivity in the environment.

    The growing attention of society to environmental issues increases interest in such monitoring and gives rise to questions regarding its implementation.

    Accidental pollution of the Gaffière river with natural uranium around the nuclear sites of Pierrelatte and Tricastin in July 2008 focused the attention of the media, the government and the public on the way radioactivity around nuclear sites is monitored, including groundwater tables, and questions about the adequacy of the monitoring carried out have been raised.

    In fact, the monitoring of radioactivity in the environment is a longstanding procedure, which is extended to include all aspects of the environment (air, water, soil, fauna and flora) and the entire country. It also involves a large number of different players, who contribute to the consistency and reliability of the entire process (...)

  • New nuclear reactors built around the world 07/07/2010 5:22

    Statement of ASN Commission: "Which level of safety for new nuclear reactors built around the world? "

    Taking into account renewed plans to build nuclear reactors worldwide, the Western European Nuclear Regulators' Association (WENRA), bringing together the 17 Heads of the nuclear safety Authorities of Western Europe, is working on harmonization of safety objectives for new nuclear reactors . This association has just proposed safety objectives for new nuclear power reactors built in Europe. Objectives...

  • Supervision of the EPR reactor: Information notice No. 8 06/11/2010 12:38

    Information Notice No. 8: ASN continues inspections on the EPR Flamanville reactor construction site

    The French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) continued its inspections on the EPR Flamanville reactor construction site during the first quarter of 2010, and found work to be progressing in good order. Several issues are noteworthy.Reactor Building prestressing sheaths positioning anomalyThe EPR Reactor Building containment is formed of two containment walls with a space between them. There is an inner...

  • Full report on the assessment audit coordinated by the IAEA 05/25/2010 5:30

    Full report on the assessment audit coordinated by the IAEA published by ASN at www.asn.fr

    The full report on the international IRRS (Integrated Regulatory Review Service) audit, carried out at the request of the French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) from 29 March to 3 April 2009, has just been submitted to the ASN. The hundred-page text provides supplementary details beyond the initial findings presented by the international experts at the end of the audit.The IRRS audit focused firstly...

  • Third ten-year inspection at the Fessenheim and Tricastin plants 05/20/2010 5:16

    Continued operation of 900 MWe nuclear power plants: ASN has issued its first review following the third ten-year inspection at the Fessenheim and Tricastin plants

    In May 2009, Reactor 1 at the Tricastin nuclear power plant in the Drôme département was shut down for four months for the “third ten-year inspection”. Reactor 1 at the Fessenheim nuclear power plant in the Haut-Rhin département also underwent a similar outage in October 2009. These outages are a statutory requirement and are important in the decision-making process with regard to continued...

  • Quarterly assessment of radiotherapy events 05/04/2010 4:23

    Quarterly assessment of radiotherapy events, classified as level 1 on the ASN-SFRO scale, reported between 1 January and 31 March 2010

    Twenty events, classified as level 1 on the ASN-SFRO scale, were reported between 1 January and 31 March 2010. Although these events are not expected to have any impact on patients' health, they are analysed to see if any lessons can be learnt from them (particularly in terms of organisation) and to avoid any recurrence. Each event reported concerned only one patient. Thirteen of the events concerned...

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