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2.14 The environmental and health
impacts of NPPs
2.14.1 Revision of the prescriptions concerning
water intake and discharges
The Environment Code empowers ASN to define
prescriptions concerningBNIwater intake anddischarges
(see point 4.1.1 of chapter 4).
On the occasion of the renewals or modifications of these
prescriptions, ASNsets the limit values for emissions,water
intake and discharge of effluents on the basis of the best
available technologies in technically and economically
acceptable conditions, taking into consideration the
characteristics of the installation, its location and the local
environmental conditions.
ASN also sets the rules applicable to the management
and monitoring of effluent discharges, water intake,
environmental monitoring and information of the public
and the authorities (see point 4.1 of chapter 4).
Inorder to set these rules, ASNbases itsworkonoperating
experience from all the reactors, while taking account of
operational changes (change in conditioning of systems,
anti-scaling treatment, biocidal treatments, etc.) and the
higher-level regulations.
2.14.2 Oversight of waste management
Management of the radioactive waste produced by NPPs
is covered by the general framework for management of
waste fromall BNIs, presented in chapter 16. For all waste,
whether or not radioactive, ASN examines the licensee’s
baseline requirements as required by the regulations and
as described in point 3.5.1 of chapter 3). This document
inparticular comprises a summary of thewaste produced,
the quantities involved and the management methods,
the “waste zoning” and the status of the existing disposal
solutions.
Each site sends ASNannual details of thewaste it generates,
indicating the disposal routes, a comparisonwith previous
years, a report on any discrepancies observed and on the
organisation of the site, as well as any notable occurrences
and future prospects. In compliance with the regulations,
EDF carries out wastemanagement at source, in particular
differentiating between waste from nuclear zones and
other waste. EDF’s wastemanagement strategy is currently
being examined by ASN (see chapter 16). The licensee
and ASNhold regular meetings to discuss waste-related
matters andwastemanagement, notably through annual
reports.
These elements, aswell as the inspections duringwhich the
inspectors reviewthe site’swastemanagement organisation,
constitute the basis of ASN’smonitoringof themanagement
of waste produced by EDF’s NPPs and compliance with
the regulations.
2.14.3 Increased protection against other risks
and nuisances
Some cooling systems in NPPs are environments that
are favourable to the development of legionella and
other amoebas (see point 1.4). ASN therefore sets
maximum legionella concentration levels for cooling
systems equippedwith cooling towers and for Naegleria
fowleri amoeba concentration levels downstreamof the
environmental discharge, along with facilitymonitoring
requirements.
Through file reviews and its field checks, ASN closely
monitors the progress of the preventive or remedial
measures taken by EDF to reduce the risk of the
proliferation of thesemicro-organisms and the results of
these actions, including the chemical discharges resulting
from biocidal treatment.
A draft resolution concerning the prevention of
microbiological risks linked to the cooling installations
of nuclear power reactor secondary systems is currently
under preparation, in order to make changes to these
regulations that are consistent with those of Installations
Classified on Environmental Protection grounds (ICPE).
It was opened for public consultation on the ASNwebsite
from 2nd March to 4th May 2015. This draft resolution
Radiological impact of discharges
The calculated radiological impact of the maximum discharges
given in the EDF files on the most heavily exposed population
group, still remains well below the allowable public dosimetric
limit (1 mSv/year).
The annual effective dose delivered to the population
reference group (group subject to maximum radiological
impact) is thus estimated at between a few microsieverts
and several tens of microsieverts per year, depending
on the particular site. This exposure represents less than
0.1% of the total average dose to which the French
population is exposed (see chapter 1).
TO BE NOTED
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CHAPTER 12:
EDF NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS (NPPs)
ASN report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2015