Approval of the report on the results of stress tests on European nuclear power plants

The European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group (ENSREG) and the European Commission have adopted, on April 26 2012, the report on the results of the stress tests on European nuclear power plants.
This report responds to the request from the European Council on 25 march 2011 asking for the launch of stress tests on the European nuclear power plants to take account of the first lessons learned from the Fukushima accident.

HERCA the USA Food and Drug Administration sign a memorandum of understanding on radiation protection

The Association of the Heads of the European Radiological protection Competent Authorities (HERCA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) through its Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) as part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in the field of radiation protection.

ASN lifts its reservations regarding the I&C architecture of the Flamanville 3 EPR

ASN considers that the changes EDF has made to the instrumentation and control (I&C) architecture of the Flamanville 3 EPR are satisfactory and enable it to lift the reservations it expressed in October 2009. This position is based on the analysis by its technical support organisation, IRSN, and the opinion of the Advisory Committee for nuclear reactors.

ASN performed an inspection. The restarting of the reactor will be submitted to the ASN authorization

On 6 April 2012, at around 07:00 (French time), ASN received confirmation from EDF that the leak had stopped on the Penly NPP reactor n°2 primary pump.

The water leak has stopped. ASN is performing an inspection on site and has requested EDF to analyse the pump

On 6th April 2012, around 07 :00 (French time), ASN got confirmation by EDF that the leak in the primary pump n°1 of the reactor n°2 at the Penly NPP had stopped.

ASN has decided to lift its emergency crisis organisation and has temporarily classified the event at the level 1

On 5th April 2012, at around 12 :00, ASN was informed by EDF that a fire had started in the reactor n°2 building of the Penly NPP (North-West of France). The reactor automatically shut down.

ASN, the French Nuclear Safety Authority, activated its emergency centre

On 5th April 2012, at around 12.00, ASN was informed by EDF that a fire had started in the reactor n°2 building of the Penly NPP (North-West of France). The reactor automatically shut down.

Fire extinguished at Penly NPP. ASN will perform an inspection this morning

On 5th April 2012, at around 12.00, ASN was informed by EDF that a fire had started in the reactor n°2 building of the Penly NPP (North-West of France).

Indian regulatory body (AERB) joins the multinational design evaluation program (MDEP)

The Chairman of the French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) Mr. André-Claude Lacoste, as MDEP (Multinational Design Evaluation Program) Policy Group Chair confirmed that India’s nuclear regulatory meets the criteria for full membership in the MDEP.
MDEP aims to leverage the resources and knowledge of national regulatory authorities reviewing new reactor designs. ASN is a founding and active member of MDEP since its creation in 2006.

Information notice No. 12 - ASN’s supervision of the Flamanville-3 reactor construction (EPR)

ASN oversight of the Flamanville 3 EPR construction site continued during the second half of 2011. Details of recent findings are provided below:
- Inspection of prestressing tendon duct installation work
- Manufacture of polar crane support brackets
- Oversight of complex concreting operations
- Quality control of tank, pool and liner welding operations
- ASN report on the complementary safety assessments conducted by EDF after the Fukushima accident
- Repair of reactor vessel head
- Non-conformances detected during the pipe manufacturing process

IEER-WISE-Greenpeace France Report on Post-Fukushima Nuclear Safety in France : ASN and Greenpeace hold meeting

Jean-Christophe Niel, Director General of ASN, received a delegation from Greenpeace France, which presented him with the IEER-WISE-Greenpeace France report, Post-Fukushima Nuclear Safety in France. The report’s authors, Yves Marignac, director of the Paris office of the World Information Service on Energy (WISE) and Arjun Makhijani, President of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (IEER), were also present.

ASN and the DGT support the HERCA initiative to harmonise monitoring procedures for workers exposed to ionising radiation

ASN, the French Nuclear Safety Authority, and the DGT, France’s Directorate-General for Labour, support the HERCA initiative to promote implementation of an EC-wide system for monitoring exposure to ionising radiation given the context of the free movement of workers across Europe

Traces of iodine-131 detected again in several European countries

ASN has been informed by its European counterparts of new cases of iodine-131 being detected in several countries in northern and eastern Europe. IRSN, the French Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety, responded to the presence of this isotope in atmospheric aerosols by stepping up the frequency of its environmental radioactivity measurements to detect whether the phenomenon also affected France.

ASN issues a positive opinion on the safety options for the ATMEA1 reactor project

Following a review process lasting 18 months, ASN issues a positive opinion on the safety options for the ATMEA1 reactor project.

With the technical support of the Institute for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN), ASN reviewed the safety options for the ATMEA1 pressurised water reactor. This medium-power reactor (1100 MWe) is designed by the ATMEA company, an AREVA and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) joint venture.

ASN rates on INES level 2 a pipe nonconformity in two Cattenom NPP fuel storage pools

On 18th January 2012, EDF notified ASN that the absence of a "siphon breaker" orifice on the fuel storage pools of reactors 2 and 3 had been detected during an internal inspection.

In every reactor, a pool is provided for the storage of fuel assemblies pending their use in the reactor core or pending disposal. The fuel assemblies are kept under water and permanently cooled. A significant drop in the water level would lead to an exposure of the fuel assemblies and to their damage. Alarms indicate any drop in this level, with the necessary action being triggered.