ASN Report 2017

251 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 OCCITANIE With regard to environmental protection, the licensee has undertaken work to renovate its liquid effluent environmental discharge monitoring stations. ASN observes that the licensee has nevertheless been unable to meet its set objectives for gaseous radioactive discharges – due in particular to the fuel assembly cladding defects – but without exceeding the regulatory limits. ASN considers moreover that the radioactive waste storage and sorting conditions can be improved. With regard to occupational radiation protection, ASN notes deficiencies in the preparation and conducting of activities involving serious radiation risks. The site had occasional difficulties in controlling radiological cleanliness during certain phases of the reactor shutdowns and inmeeting its set objectives. Labour inspection in the nuclear power plants The personnel in charge of labour inspection continued their oversight actions on the work presenting a risk of exposure to asbestos, particularly in the performance of maintenance work during reactor outages. They also verified compliance with the rules governing the secondment of foreign employees and continued the actions in progress since 2013 on the risks of work at height and the conformity of work equipment. Despite the efforts made, these actions can be further improved. The labour inspectors checked implementation of the action plans established by the licensees further to the work equipment conformity verifications decided in 2016. They consider that the time frames proposed by the licensees to definitively bring the fuel loading machines into compliance, from the point of view of worker safety, are not ambitious enough. In addition, particular attention was focused on compliance with the labour regulations during construction of the buildings to accommodate the future ultimate backup diesel generator sets. Marcoule platform In 2017, further to the publication on 1st March 2016 of the resolutions regulating the liquid and gaseous effluent discharges fromMélox, Centraco, Atalante and Gammatec, ASN examined the impact study submitted for the decommissioning of the Phénix NPP and started the updating of the installation’s discharge resolutions. These resolutions will be made available in 2018 for consultation by the general public, the Local Information Committee (CLI), the licensee and the CODERST (Departmental Council for the Environment and for Health and Technological Risks). This updating will finalise the work to take into account changes to the installations, with a significant drop in the overall discharge limits and an environmental monitoring plan common to all the civil nuclear installations on the platform. Mélox plant ASN conducted 6 inspections in the Mélox plant in 2017 and one follow-up inspection of the organisation approved for radiation protection controls in the facility, and considers that the level of nuclear safety and radiation protection is satisfactory on the whole. The containment barriers on which a large part of the safety case is based are effective and robust. The radiation protection issues are addressed with rigour and the licensee seems to be lastingly committed to carrying out, year after year, operations that bring non-negligible dosimetric gains in the context of ageing of the facilities, and the necessary optimisation of work stations. ASN does nonetheless note the persistence of low-level events, more specifically concerning the crossing of controlled areas by personnel and waste, causing radiation protection problems. Taking into account the criticality risk is one of the major challenges in this facility, and it is adequately ensured on the whole. Nevertheless, with regard to the criticality risk, the licensee reported one significant event, rated level 1 on the INES scale, for a significant exceedance of the authorised mass of fissile material in a waste drum. ASN conducted a reactive inspection further to this event. The stakeholders’ analysis of the event showed that it was caused by Organisational and Human Factors (OHF). Further to the 10-yearly safety review of the installation, for which the report was submitted in 2013, the licensee met all its commitments and complied with all the ASN requirements. With regard to the improvement actions undertaken further to the Fukushima accident, the means of remediating the cooling of the fuel rod storage facility are operational and the construction of the new emergency command post has been authorised. CEA Marcoule Centre ASN carried out 12 inspections in the CEA Marcoule centre in 2017, comprising 3 cross-centre inspections, one conducted jointly with ASND – the Defence Nuclear Safety Authority, 4 inspections of the Phénix NPP, 4 inspections of the Atalante facility and 1 inspection of the Diadem storage facility construction site. ASN considers that the level of nuclear safety and radiation protection in the centre is satisfactory on the whole. The transverse organisation of the centre for fire riskmanagement was found to be relatively satisfactory although some aspects can be improved, such as the deployment of the teams over the vast perimeter of the centre and coordination with the other facilities of the centre. The organisation for the transport of radioactive substances is satisfactory. The level of safety of the Atalante facility is stable, in a context of significant changes due to the arrival in 2017 of certain activities from the Cadarache LEFCA (Laboratory for research and experimental fabrication of advanced nuclear fuels), and remains satisfactory on the whole. The ASN inspectors nevertheless noted a lack of rigour in the application of the operating rules of the installation, to which ASN remains attentive. ASN is currently examining the periodic safety review concluding report for Atalante, submitted at the end of 2016, and has requested additional information. It should be presented in 2018 to the Advisory Group for Laboratories and Plants before ASN rules on the continued operation of the facility. At the Phénix NPP, the licensee has continued to remove the spent fuel but at a slower pace than planned due to unforeseen