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the worksites. Despite due consideration of the radiation
protection rules in the preparation and performance of
work in controlled areas, ASN nevertheless observed a
number of deviations, often linked to an insufficiently
questioning attitude on the part of the workers.
Chinon’s performancewith regard to the environment has
significantly improved. In particular, ASNnotes that the
plant’s delays in assessing the conformity of the equipment
necessary to meet the environmental regulations and
in setting up an organisation to guarantee long term
monitoring thereof have been eliminated. Apart from a
fewpoints highlighted during the tightened inspection on
the theme of the environment and focusing on rigorous
application of the prescriptions applicable to discharges
from facilities, the organisation for the prevention of
nuisance and pollution is considered satisfactory.
ASN considers that the level of safety of the nuclear
facilities of the former Chinon NPP is satisfactory. The
decommissioning of the heat exchangers of Chinon A3
continued in 2015. The licensee’s monitoring of outside
contractors on the worksite remains a major issue in the
decommissioning of these installations.
The fire risk is well managed by the licensee, who has
put in place a continuous improvement process. Under
the new regulations, the requirements associated with
equipment important for protection which must be
protected against fire nevertheless remain to be defined.
ASNwill also continue to keep track of the various actions
carried out by the licensee concerning the monitoring
and implementation of a plan for managing legacy
contamination of soils.
Operation of the Irradiated Materials Facility (AMI)
is marred by malfunctions in work management and
performance and in the implementation of tests. This
situation is unsatisfactorywith respect to the rectification
request made by ASN in 2013. The fire-fighting provisions
must bemore robust. In a context inwhich the organisation
of the facility is due to change significantly in 2016, ASN
will be particularly attentive to the licensee’s compliance
with the facility’s baseline requirements and to operating
rigour.
The year 2015 saw the gradual transfer of the expert
appraisal activities to a new facility on the site – the Lidec
(integrated Laboratory of the CEIDRE) – which is not
classified as a BNI. ASN is devoting particular attention
to the management of this transfer, particularly for the
operations that were subject to its agreement.
The final shutdown and decommissioning authorisation
application file submittedby the licensee in June 2013must
be supplemented to indicate the state of the installation
when the decommissioning decree is published, which
should be towards the end of 2017. Specific provisions
must be made for the packaging and storage of certain
types of legacy waste, pending appropriatemanagement
routes. ASNwill be attentive to the legacy waste recovery
and packaging operations, given the lateness accumulated
over the last few years.
The Inter-regional store at Chinon is a storage facility
for fresh fuel assemblies pending their use in the EDF
power plant reactors.
ASN considers that the tracking of the commitments
made further to inspections and significant events has
improved. Several physical improvements are thus in
progress, notably in the area of fire protection.
ASN’s examination of the periodic safety review file
for the facility submitted by EDF in 2015 revealed too
many shortcomings and inconsistencies for it to be
examined as is. ASN has therefore asked EDF to rectify
this situation.
Dampierre-en-Burly nuclear power plant
ASN considers that the nuclear safety and radiation
protection performance of the Dampierre-en-Burly site
is on the whole in line with the general assessment of
EDF. The environmental performance is judged to be
above the average for the EDF fleet.
ASN finds that the organisational set-ups for ensuring the
safety of the installations are satisfactory. It nevertheless
notes that several significant events notified in 2015
resulted fromEDF’s failure to carry out regular verifications
which are necessary to guarantee correct operation of
its equipment. Although the retrospective verifications
revealed nomalfunctions, these events necessitate a high
level of vigilance to prevent their recurrence, whether they
resultedprimarily frompoor integration of the verifications
within the NPP’s organisation or insufficiently rigorous
application of the instructions.
Occupational radiation protection issues are covered
by an appropriate organisational set-up. ASN observes
satisfactory management of the installations during the
reactor outages. However, certain practices observed by
the inspectors and certain significant events still reveal
a lack of rigour. ASN underlines the need to maintain a
high level of worker awareness of the radiation protection
measures to implement.
ASN inspection at the Dampierre-en-Burly NPP, July 2015.
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CHAPTER 08 :
REGIONAL OVERVIEW OF NUCLEAR SAFETY AND RADIATION PROTECTION
ASN report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2015