ASN Report 2017

227 ASN report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2017 Chapter 08  - Regional overview of nuclear safety and radiation protection GRAND EST In the area of environmental protection, ASN considers that the efforts made in the preceding years are showing satisfactory results, particularly with regard to the management of waste and compliance with the limit values for aqueous discharges, in a sometimes complex context of managing compatibility between the chemical treatments of the cooling tower water and the prevention of the legionella risk. In this respect, the licensee’s environmental monitoring and transparency are to be underlined. With regard to occupational radiation protection, ASN sees a positive dynamic in the management of radiation protection which has resulted in encouraging signs in day-to-day behaviour in the field. Chooz nuclear power plant ASN considers that the radiation protection and environmental protection performance of the Chooz NPP is on the whole in line with the general assessment of EDF plant performance, but that its nuclear safety performance is below the average. In the area of nuclear safety, 2017 was marked by numerous unforeseen incidents during the reactor outages resulting in a large number of significant events related to noncompliance with the general operating rules. These events once again reflect a lack of rigour in behavioural attitudes and in the documenting of practices, as well as the vulnerability of the resources available for the management of the installations. With regard to maintenance, the unexpected incidents during the reactor outages revealed the site’s difficulties in restoring correct operation of the equipment concerned, in particular its difficulty in mobilising sufficient human skills and resources, including among service providers. In the area of radiation protection, shortcomings were observed in the optimisation of occupational radiological exposure; several internal contaminations of workers occurred due to the non-integration in the prevention plan of safety recommendations resulting from the activity preparation phase. Several events moreover reflect a lack of radiation protection culture when entering worksites. The site must also remain vigilant with the process for analysing radiation protection deviations. Lastly, ASN considers that the site’s organisation for environmental protection is satisfactory. A number of events have nevertheless revealed shortcomings in the embracing of the regulatory requirements that govern some installations on the site. Fessenheim nuclear power plant ASN considers that the nuclear safety and environmental protection performance of the Fessenheim plant is stable and above the average of the plants operated by EDF and that the radiation protection performance is in line with the general assessment for EDF. 2017, like 2016, was marked by shortened reactor operation because reactor 2 was kept shut down pending a decision on the fitness for service of the steam generator with an anomaly in one of its parts manufactured by the Creusot Forge plant. The operating and maintenance operations went smoothly on the whole, given this particular context. The site’s organisation of environmental protection and the corresponding level of performance remain satisfactory. The obligations resulting from the new resolutions concerning water intakes and discharges are properly integrated and applied. Occupational radiation protection, which showed occasional weaknesses in 2016, has reached a satisfactory level again. EDF’s confirmation in late 2017 of its intention to proceed with final shutdown of the Fessenheim NPP when the Flamanville EPR is commissioned marks the beginning of a singular period. Although ASN observed no demotivation of the personnel or shift in the site’s maintenance strategy in 2017, the consideration of organisational and human factors and the defining of an industrial roadmap corresponding to the phases of end of operation, of site shutdown and of scheduling the decommissioning operations now represent pivotal points for the management of the site’s safety challenges. Nogent-sur-Seine nuclear power plant ASN considers that the nuclear safety performance of the Nogent-sur-Seine site is on the whole in line with the general assessment of EDF, while its performance in radiation protection and environmental protection is below average. With regard to nuclear safety and maintenance, ASN considers that the scheduled outages of the two reactors were properly managed. ASN does nevertheless note a lack of oversight of outside contractors’ activities and that deficiencies in communication between the actors involved in the management of equipment modifications caused several events. With regard to radiation protection, ASN considers that the site has not corrected the shortcomings in radiation protection culture already seen in 2015 and 2016 during the scheduled maintenance work on the reactors. The deficiencies in the optimisation of radiological exposure of workers and compliance with radiological zoning must produce a firm response from the licensee in reinforcing the radiation protection culture of all the personnel, including outside contractors’ personnel. With regard to environmental protection, ASN considers that the site must improve its performance by increasing its skills and resources in this area in order to be capable of implementing adequate decisions. ASN considers in particular that the management of both nuclear and conventional waste must be significantly improved to comply with the rules in effect. Labour inspection in the nuclear power plants ASN performed 21 inspections and took part in 11 meetings or surveys on the sites and continued its oversight actions in the area of occupational safety, particularly during reactor outages.