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ASN considers that the safety of decommissioning of
the Bugey reactor 1 is satisfactory on the whole, despite
occasional shortcomings in operating rigour.
ASN, which ensures labour inspectionon this installation,
has also noted deviations or near-accidents with regard
to occupational safety which must give rise to corrective
actions.
EDF’s decommissioning strategy for the gas-cooled
reactors (see point 2.1.1) will take into account the issue
of decommissioning the Bugey 1 reactor pressure vessel
in order to meet the deadline date for filling the Bugey 1
reactor with water is met (see point 2.1.1).
Chinon A1, A2 and A3 reactors
The former Chinon A1, A2 and A3 reactors were shut
down in 1973, 1985 and 1990 respectively.
Reactors A1 and A2 were partially decommissioned and
transformed into storage facilities for their own equipment
(ChinonA1D andChinonA2D). These operations were
authorised by the Decrees of 11th October 1982 and
7thFebruary 1991 respectively. ChinonA1D is currently
partiallydecommissionedandhas been set upas amuseum
since 1986. ChinonA2D is alsopartially decommissioned
and accommodates the Intra group (robots andmachines
for intervening on accident-strickennuclear installations).
The complete decommissioning of theChinonA3 reactor
wasauthorisedbyDecreeof18thMay2010.Thepreparatory
work for complete decommissioning was started by the
licensee in mid-2011. ASN gave its approval in 2012 for
the decommissioningworkon the exchangers (first step in
decommissioning of the facility) of theChinonA3 reactor.
ASNupdated the prescriptions regulating thewater intakes
and effluent discharges in 2015.
Decommissioning of the Chinon A3 heat exchangers
continued in 2015. Work has also started on Chinon A2.
The licensee’s monitoring of outside contractors on the
worksites remains a major issue in the decommissioning
of these installations.
The fire risk is well managed by the licensee, who has put
inplace a continuous improvement process to control this
risk. ASN has nevertheless noted a few deviations from
the corresponding new regulations.
ASN considers that the level of safety of the Chinon A
nuclear installations is satisfactory.
In 2016, ASN will also continue to monitor the various
actions carried out by the licensee concerning the
monitoring and implementation of a plan for managing
legacy hydrocarbon pollution of the soil.
In2016ASNwill state its positionon the decommissioning
schedule for the Chinon A reactors (see point 2.1.1) and
especially the decommissioning of ChinonA1DandA2D.
In the coming years, EDF should submit the conclusions
of the periodic safety reviews of the three reactors and the
decommissioning files for the Chinon A1D and Chinon
A2D reactors.
Saint-Laurent-des-Eaux A1 and A2 reactors
Complete decommissioning of the facility, which
comprises two reactors and for which final shutdown
was declared in 1994, was authorised by Decree of
18th May 2010. A file concerning the renewal of the
prescriptions regulating water intakes and effluent
discharges is currently being examined by ASN.
Since 2013, EDF has been carrying out expert appraisals
inside the vessel of reactors A2 and A1. The resulting data
served to produce a file substantiating the resistance of
the reactor structures and whose examination is nearing
completion.
The licensee has continued to progress with the
installation’s legacy waste and effluents treatment
work, despite unforeseen events that yet again affected
the worksites. A plan of action has been successfully
applied to improve operating rigour following several
deviations on one of the worksites in 2014 and 2015.
ASN has also observed satisfactory presence in the
field for the monitoring of outside contractors. The
licensee must therefore continue its actions in order to
be able to start the decommissioning operations, apart
from reactor pressure vessel A2, under satisfactory
conditions in 2016.
The fire risk is well managed by the licensee. ASN
has nevertheless noted a few deviations from the
corresponding new regulations.
ASN considers that on the whole the level of safety of
the nuclear installations of the former Saint-Laurent-
des-Eaux NPP is satisfactory.
EDF is going to carry out the periodic safety review of
the installations in the next few years.
2.1.5 Chooz A reactor
The reactor of the Ardennes NPP was the first pressurised
water reactor built in France. It was shut down in
1991. Its decommissioning foreshadowed the future
decommissioning of pressurised water reactors, the
technology of the French nuclear power reactors currently
in operation.
Within the context of partial decommissioning of the
reactor, the Decree of 19th March 1999 authorised
the modification of the existing facility to convert it
into a storage facility – called CNA-D – for its own
equipment left on site. Its complete decommissioning
was authorised by Decree of 27th September 2007.
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CHAPTER 15:
SAFE DECOMMISSIONING OF BASIC NUCLEAR INSTALLATIONS
ASN report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2015