Reversible deep geological disposal Deep geological disposal is stipulated in Article L. 542-1-2 of the Environment Code, which states that “after storage, ultimate radioactive waste which, for nuclear safety or radiation protection reasons, cannot be disposed of on the surface or at shallow depth, shall be disposed of in a deep geological repository”. The codified Act of 28 June 2006 assigns Andra the task of devising a project for a deep geological disposal facility which shall be a BNI and therefore, governed by this specific legal system. The principle of this type of disposal Deep geological disposal of radioactive waste consists in emplacing the radioactive waste in an underground facility specially designed for this purpose, complying with the principle of reversibility. The characteristics of the geological layer are intended to confine the radioactive substances contained in this waste. Such a disposal facility – unlike storage facilities – must be designed such that longterm safety is ensured passively, that is to say without depending on human actions (such as monitoring or maintenance activities) which require oversight, the durability of which cannot be guaranteed beyond a limited period of time. Lastly, the depth of the disposal structures must be such that they cannot be significantly affected by the expected external natural phenomena (erosion, climate change, earthquakes, etc.) or by human activities. In 2008, ASN published a safety guide on the final disposal of radioactive waste in a deep geological formation (ASN Guide No. 1) which was an update of the RFS III 2 f of 1991. The conditions for the creation of a reversible deep geological repository for HL and ILW-LL radioactive waste were specified by the codified Act of 25 July 2016, which defines the principle of reversibility, introduces the requirement for an industrial pilot phase before complete commissioning of Cigéo and brings schedule adaptations concerning the deployment of Cigéo. This Act defines reversibility as “the ability, for successive generations, to either continue the construction and then the operation of successive sections of a disposal facility, or to reassess previous choices and change the management solutions. Reversibility is materialised by the progressive nature of the construction, the adaptability of the design and the operational flexibility of placing radioactive waste in a deep geological repository which can 7. Article R. 593‑14 of the Environment Code stipulates that “any person planning to operate a BNI can, before initiating the creation authorisation procedure, ask ASN for an opinion on all or part of the options it has retained to ensure protection of the interests mentioned in Article L. 593‑1. ASN, in an opinion issued and published in the conditions and forms determined by itself, specifies to what extent the safety options presented by the applicant are such as to prevent or limit the risks for the interests mentioned in Article L. 593.1 in view of the technical and economic conditions prevailing at the time. ASN may define the additional studies and justifications that will be required for a prospective creation authorisation application. It can set a validity period for its opinion. This opinion is communicated to the applicant and to the Minister responsible for nuclear safety.” integrate technological progress and adapt to possible changes in waste inventory following a change in energy policy. It includes the possibility of retrieving waste packages from the repository under conditions and over a time frame that are consistent with the strategy for operation and closure of the repository”. In its opinion 2016-AV-0267 of 31 May 2016 relative to the reversibility of the deep geological disposal of radioactive waste, ASN had considered that the principle of reversibility implied a requirement for adaptability of the facility and retrievability of the packages during a period governed by law. The Decree of 9 December 2022 relative to the provisions of the PNGMDR 20222026 details certain principles applicable to Cigéo, and more particularly those set out in in Articles D. 542-91 and D. 542-92 of the Environment Code. These specify that the inventory to be adopted by Andra for the studies and research conducted for the design of the Cigéo disposal facility shall include a reference inventory and a reserve inventory. The reference inventory takes account of all HLW and ILW-LL waste already produced and to be produced by the existing nuclear facilities (nuclear power plants, research centres, etc.), as well as that to be produced by the authorised nuclear facilities (Flamanville EPR, ITER, Jules Horowitz experimental reactor), assuming an average reactor operating life of 50 years. The reserve inventory takes into account the uncertainties associated more specifically with energy policy changes. For waste from the future reactors which are planned for construction in France (in particular the first six EPR 2), Andra shall identify the waste liable to be included in the reserve inventory and ensure that the Cigéo adaptability studies are able to accommodate this waste, but without calling into question the fundamental hypotheses of the project as set out in the Creation Authorisation Decree (DAC) application currently being reviewed (see page 384). Underground laboratory of Meuse/Haute-Marne Studies on deep geological disposal necessitate research and experiments in an underground laboratory. Andra has been operating such an underground laboratory within the Bure municipality since 1999. In the context of the studies on the deep geological disposal, ASN issues recommendations concerning the research and experiments conducted in the laboratory, and by random sampling during follow-up inspections ascertains that they are carried out using processes that guarantee the quality of the results. Technical reviews ∙Pursuant to the Act of 30 December 1991, and then pursuant to the Act of 28 June 2006 and the PNGMDR, Andra has carried out studies and submitted reports on deep geological disposal. These reports have been examined by ASN – referring in particular to the Safety Guide of 2008 – and it has issued an opinion on them. ∙ASN has thus more specifically examined the reports submitted by Andra in 2005 and 2009. It issued opinions on these reports on 1 February 2006 and 26 July 2011. Andra subsequently submitted various files to ASN presenting the progress of the studies and work carried out. ASN thus issued a position statement: ∙in 2013, on the documents produced between 2009 and 2013 – the year of the public debate, and on the intermediate design milestone at the outline stage presented by Andra in 2012; ∙in 2014, on the safety components of the closure structures and the expected content of the DOS for the facility; ∙in 2015, on the control of operating risks and the cost of the project; ∙in 2016, on the components development plan; ∙in 2018, on the Cigéo DOS; ∙in 2022, on the seismic hazard to be considered in the design of the facility. The Cigéo Safety Options Dossier The filing of a DOS marks the start of a regulatory process(7). ASN received the DOS for Cigéo in April 2016. At the end of the technical review phase, the ASN draft opinion underwent public consultation and ASN issued its opinion on 11 January 2018. ASN also sent a follow-up letter giving recommendations on the safety options to prevent or limit the risks and asked Andra for additional studies and justifications (corrosion phenomena, low-pH concretes, representativeness of the hydrogeological model, surveillance strategy, etc.). The demands made in this letter took account of the suggestions and comments received through the public consultation. The examination of the Cigéo DOS highlighted several issues relating to specific aspects (architecture, definition of hazards, post-accident management, etc.). Among these issues, ASN pointed out that the management of bituminised waste required special attention. 382 ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2024 Radioactive waste and contaminated sites and soils
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