France transmits its National Progress Report on European stress tests to the European Commission

France transmitted its National Progress Report on 15 September.

Protection against ionising radiation and the safety of CERN’s facilities: the tripartite agreement between France, Switzerland and the CERN comes into force on 16th September 2011

On 28th August 2011 the Official Journal published the decree of the agreement, signed in Geneva on 15 November 2010 [1], on the protection against ionising radiation and the safety of the facilities at CERN (European Organisation for Nuclear Research).

Complementary safety assessments – Press Release, 14th September 2011

The accident that occurred on 11th March 2011 at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station in Japan, following an earthquake and tsunami of exceptional magnitude, is a major event from which every possible lesson should be drawn.

The French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN), which in charge of monitoring French nuclear installations, has ensured that a process of extensive in-depth feedback regarding the accident at Fukushima has been swiftly undertaken. This will be a long process. It will take several years, as was the case after the accidents at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl.

Information notice No 11 - Highlights of ASN’s inspection efforts at the Flamanville EPR construction site

Since 2008, several inspections by ASN have examined the prestressing system[1] of the Reactor Building containment. During construction of the first concreting lifts of the inner containment wall, EDF notified ASN of noncompliance issues relating to the prestressing system (see Information Notice No. 8).

In May 2011, new noncompliance issues regarding positioning of portions of the prestressing sheaths were identified. In addition to occasional deviations, ASN found that recurring anomalies in the system indicated a lack of preparation, skills and training in safety culture on the part of workers and shortcomings in EDF’s monitoring of its subcontractors. As a result, ASN requested EDF to suspend concreting of the inner containment wall on 23 June 2011 and to present an action plan to avoid any further deviations in constructing the prestressing sheaths.

End of the event in Centraco (Gard) : press release #2

The event that occurred this morning in Centraco, nuclear installation located near Marcoule site (Gard) is considered as closed.

Information on the accident in Centraco (Gard) : press release #1

ASN, the French Nuclear Safety Authority, activated its emergency centre located in Paris XII at 12.30 following the accident that took place in Centraco (centre for treatment and conditioning of low level radioactive waste) located in Codolet near Marcoule (Gard, South-East of France).

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

Between 1 April and 30 June 2011, twenty-four significant radiation protection events occurring during radiotherapy were classified as level 1 on the ASN-SFRO scale. The events, which are not expected to have any impact on patients' health, were nevertheless analysed to see if any lessons can be learnt from them (particularly in terms of organisation) and to avoid any recurrence.

ASN takes a decision to temporarily set new conditions for liquid radioactive and chemical effluent discharge at the Cruas-Meysse nuclear site

On 28 July 2011, the ASN Commission adopted a temporary decision relating to effluent discharge from the Cruas-Meysse nuclear power plant.

The decision, which responds to a request submitted by EDF on 1 June 2011, was the subject of a technical and administrative investigation by ASN, a public consultation by the departmental councils on the environment and health and technological risks in Drome and Ardeche and a public consultation by the local information committee in Cruas.

ASN determines that the Osiris and Isis experimental reactors (INB no. 40) may continue to operate

In its assessment of 27 May 2011 (2011-AV-0121), ASN determined that the Osiris reactor can continue operation until 2015, at which time the reactor should be shut down in compliance with ASN Commission decision 2008-DC-0013 of 16 September 2008. For its part, the Isis reactor can continue to operate for an additional ten years from the date on which its most recent safety review file was submitted, i.e., until 2019. The two experimental reactors constitute basic nuclear installation 40 operated by the CEA in the municipality of Saclay (Essonne)[1].

ASN issues its opinion concerning the methodologies adopted by the operators in order to conduct complementary safety assessments in the light of the nuclear accident that occurred at the Fukushima NPP

By the resolutions taken on 5 May 2011, the French Nuclear Safety Authority (Autorité de sûreté nucléaire – ASN) has required all operators of relevant basic nuclear installations, including AREVA, the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (Commissariat à l’énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives – CEA), the French national power utility (Électricité de France – EDF) and the Laue-Langevin Institute (ILL[1]) to submit by 1 June 2011 at the latest, a memorandum describing the methodology they adopted in order to conduct the complementary safety assessment (évaluation complémentaire de la sûreté – ECS) for some of their installations with respect to the nuclear accident that occurred at the Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in Japan, on 11 March 2011.

ASN states its position on the continued operation of reactor No. 1 of the Fessenheim nuclear power plant

In its opinion No. 2011-AV-0120 of 4 July 2011, ASN considers that subject to the forthcoming conclusions of the complementary safety assessments initiated following the Fukushima accident and in view of the result of the third periodic safety review of reactor No. 1 of the Fessenheim nuclear power plant, that reactor is capable of being operated for a period of ten more years after the third review, provided that the requirements in ASN resolution No. 2011-DC-0231 dated 4 July 2011 are complied with, particularly the following two main requirements...

ASN and AFSSAPS make recommendations for increase of requirements on radiotherapy medical devices

Two serious incidents in 2006 and 2007 led the French authorities to implement a series of measures to strengthen the security of the practice of external radiotherapy.

In line with these measures, ASN and AFSSAPS have committed a specific reflection on the relationship between the radiation protection requirements of the Directive 97/43/Euratom and IAEA recommendations to the essential requirements of Directive 93/42/EEC applicable to devices including external radiotherapy linear accelerators of electrons.

Press release on Interim Statement about the regulatory status of small amount of radioactive substances added to lamps

HERCA, the association of the Heads of European Radiological protection Competent Authorities, approves an interim Statement promoting a consistent European approach to the processes of national assessment and regulatory decisions on the use of lamps containing small amounts of radioactive substances. With this aim, the results of national assessments and regulatory decisions on this issue will be shared in Europe through HERCA. As consumer goods are introduced in open markets in Europe, HERCA recognises more generally the need for harmonization of the radiation safety regulation of goods containing small quantities of radioactive material.

Nuclear regulatory authorities decide on follow-up to the Fukushima Daiichi accident

The nuclear regulatory authorities of the G8, OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) member countries and associated countries met today in Paris to discuss insights gained in relation to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident and to decide on appropriate follow-up actions at the international level.

ASN is very pleased with the agreement reached on European "stress test" specifications

On Wednesday, 25 May, the Chairman of ENSREG, Andrej Stritar, accompanied by EU Energy Commissioner Günter Oettinger, announced that an agreement had been reached between the Nuclear Safety Regulators of the 27 EU Member States and the Commission with regard to stress tests for European nuclear power plants. These audits can be officially launched as of 1 June 2011.