4.2.3 Content of monitoring All the nuclear sites in France that produce discharges are subject to systematic environmental monitoring. This monitoring uses a graded approach to the environmental risks or detrimental effects of the facility, as presented in the authorisation file, particularly the impact assessment. The regulation monitoring of the environment of BNIs is tailored to each type of facility, depending on whether it is a nuclear power reactor, a plant, a research facility, a waste disposal centre, and so on. The minimum contents of this monitoring are defined by the amended Order of 7 February 2012 setting the general rules for BNIs and by the above-mentioned modified resolution of 16 July 2013. This resolution obliges BNI licensees to have approved laboratories take the environmental radioactivity measurements required by the regulations. Depending on specific local features, monitoring may vary from one site to another. Table 7 (see previous page) gives examples of the monitoring performed by the licensee of an NPP and of a “fuel cycle” plant. When several facilities (whether or not BNIs) are present on the same site, joint monitoring of all these installations is possible, as has been the case, for example, on the Cadarache and Tricastin sites since 2006. These monitoring principles are supplemented in the individual requirements applicable to the facilities by monitoring measures specific to the risks inherent in the industrial processes they use. Each year, in addition to sending ASN the monitoring results required by the regulations, the licensees transmit nearly 120,000 measurements to the RNM. 4.2.4 Environmental monitoring nationwide by IRSN IRSN’s nationwide environmental monitoring is carried out by means of measurement and sampling networks dedicated to: ∙air monitoring (aerosols, rainwater, ambient gamma activity); ∙monitoring of surface water (watercourses) and groundwater (aquifers); ∙monitoring of the human food chain (milk, cereals, fish, etc.); ∙terrestrial continental monitoring (reference stations located far from all industrial facilities). This monitoring is based on: ∙continuous on-site monitoring using independent systems (remote-monitoring networks) providing real-time transmission of results. This includes: ‒the Téléray network (ambient gamma radioactivity in the air) which uses a system of continuous measurement monitors around the whole country. The density of this network is being increased around nuclear sites within a radius of 10 to 30 kilometres around BNIs; ‒the Hydrotéléray network (monitoring of the main watercourses downstream of all nuclear facilities and before they cross national boundaries); ∙continuous sampling networks with laboratory measurement, for example the atmospheric aerosols radioactivity monitoring network; ∙laboratory processing and measurement of samples taken from the various compartments of the environment, whether or not close to facilities liable to discharge radionuclides. Every year, IRSN takes more than 25,000 samples in all compartments of the environment (excluding the remote- measurement networks). The artificial radioactivity levels measured in France are stable and situated at very low levels, generally at the detection sensitivity threshold of the measuring instruments. The artificial radioactivity detected in the environment results essentially from fallout from the atmospheric tests of nuclear weapons carried out in the 1960s, and from the Chernobyl (Ukraine) accident. Traces of artificial radioactivity associated with discharges can sometimes be detected near installations. To this can be added very local contaminations resulting from incidents or past industrial activities, and which do not represent a health risk. On the basis of the nationwide radioactivity monitoring results published in the RNM and in accordance with the provisions of ASN resolution 2008-DC-0099 of 29 April 2008, as amended, IRSN regularly publishes a detailed Summary of the radiological state of the French environment. The fifth edition of this summary, for the period 2021-2023, was published in December 2024. 4.3 Laboratories approved by ASN to guarantee measurement quality Articles R.1333-25 and R.1333-26 of the Public Health Code require the creation of an RNM and a procedure to have the radioactivity measurement laboratories approved by ASN. The RNM working methods are defined by the above-mentioned amended ASN resolution 2008-DC-0099 of 29 April 2008. This network is being deployed for two main reasons: ∙to pursue the implementation of a quality assurance policy for environmental radioactivity measurements by setting up a system of laboratory approvals granted by ASN resolution; ∙to ensure transparency by making the results of this environmental monitoring and information about the radiological impact of nuclear activities in France available to the public on the RNM website (see point 4.2.1). The approvals cover all environmental matrices for which regulatory oversight is imposed on the licensees: water, soil or sediment, biological matrices (fauna, flora, milk), aerosols and atmospheric gases. The measurements concern the main artificial or natural gamma, beta or alpha emitting radionuclides, as well as the ambient gamma dosimetry. The list of the types of measurements covered by an approval is set by the above-mentioned amended ASN resolution 2008-DC-0099 of 29 April 2008. In total, the approvals cover about fifty measurements, for which there are as many Inter-laboratory Comparison Tests (ILTs). These tests are organised by IRSN in a 5-year cycle, which corresponds to the maximum approval validity period. 4.3.1 Laboratory approval procedure The above-mentioned amended ASN resolution 2008-DC-0099 of 29 April 2008 specifies the organisation of the national network and sets the approval arrangements for the environmental radio- activity measurement laboratories. The approval procedure notably includes: ∙presentation of an application file by the laboratory concerned, after participation in an ILT; ∙review of it by ASN; ∙examination of the application files – which are made anonymous – by a pluralistic approval commission which delivers an opinion on them. The laboratories are approved by ASN resolution published in its Official Bulletin. The list of approved laboratories is updated every six months and published on asn.fr. 4.3.2 The approval commission The approval commission is tasked with ensuring that the measurement laboratories have the organisational and technical competence to provide the RNM with high-quality measurement results. The commission is authorised to propose approval, rejection, revocation or suspension of approval to ASN. It issues a decision on the basis of an application file submitted by the candidate laboratory and its results in the ILTs organised by IRSN. It meets every six months. The commission, chaired by ASN, comprises qualified persons and representatives of the State services, laboratories, standardising authorities and IRSN. In 2023, ASN renewed the composition of the approval commission in ASN Chairman’s resolution CODEPDEU-2023-052098 of 13 October 2023, concerning nominations to the approvals commission for environmental radioactivity measurement laboratories. 164 ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2024 Regulation of nuclear activities and exposure to ionising radiation
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