ASN issues an opinion on the documents produced by ANDRA since 2009 concerning the project of deep geological disposal facility of radioactive waste

Published on 03/06/2013 at 14:15

Information notice

ASN is issuing an opinion on three dossiers submitted by ANDRA (French National Agency for Radioactive Waste Management) between 2010 and 2012:

  • the Waste Management Industrial Programme (PIGD);
  • the results of the "seismic 3D"1reconnaissance campaign carried out in 2010;
  • the studies on the long-term behaviour of spent fuel from EDF reactors under disposal conditions (report issued as part of the PNGMDR (French National Radioactive Material and Waste Management Plan) for 2010-2012;

along with an opinion on ANDRA's responses further to an independent study carried out at the request of the Bure CLIS (local information and monitoring committee) by an American institute, the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (IEER).

General layout of the deep geological disposal facility "Cigéo" - © ANDRA
General layout of the deep geological disposal facility "Cigéo" - © ANDRA
 

ASN developed its opinion with the support of the Institute for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) and the Advisory Committee of Experts for waste.

In this opinion, ASN firstly reiterates the general principles that ANDRA must comply with in the conception of the project for which it is responsible, and then presents the requirements applicable to the waste inventory to be considered in the application file for authorisation to create a deep geological disposal facility, if it is decided to continue this process.

ASN particularly emphasises the importance of presenting the stakeholders with the potential changes in the inventory if upper bound hypotheses are considered, depending on the possible choices in terms of energy policy, particularly with regard to the spent fuel disposal issue.

It must be borne in mind that ASN has issued opinions on the ANDRA's studies and work relating to the deep geological disposal of radioactive waste since 19912.

In these various opinions ASN has, in particular, specified the information required for a potential authorisation.

Also see:


1. Three-dimensional technique of subsurface investigation using the emission of waves from the surface

2. Act 91-1381 of 30th December 1991 relative to research into the management of radioactive waste tasked ANDRA with conducting studies into the possibilities of reversible or irreversible deep geological disposal, notably through the creation of underground laboratories. The act of 28th June 2006 assigned ANDRA the task of designing a project for a deep geological disposal, considered to be a basic nuclear installation and therefore subject to ASN oversight.

 

Date of last update : 25/03/2024