ASN Report 2017

298 ASN report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2017 Chapter 10  - Sources of ionising radiation and their industrial, veterinary and research applications Assessment of the expected benefit of a nuclear activity and the corresponding health drawbacks may lead to prohibition of an activity for which the benefit does not seem to outweigh the risk. Either a generic prohibition is declared, or the license required on account of radiation protection is not issued or is not extended. For existing activities, justification is reassessed when license renewal applications are made if the current state of knowledge and technology warrants it. Optimisation is a notion that must be considered in the technical and economic context, and it requires a high level of involvement on the part of the professionals. ASN considers in particular that the suppliers of devices are at the core of the optimisation approach (see point 3). They are responsible for putting the devices on the market and must therefore design them such that the exposure of the future users is minimised. ASN also checks application of the principle of optimisation when examining the license applications, when conducting its inspections, and when analysing the various significant events notified to it. 4.2.2 Applicable licensing and notification systems Applications relating to the holding and use of ionising radiation sources are reviewed by the regional divisions of ASN. License applications for the manufacture and distribution of sources or devices containing sources are examined at a central, national level. As indicated in chapter 3 which describes the applicable regulations, the transposition of European Directive 2013/59/Euratom of 5th December 2013 into French law will more specifically allow a third administrative system situated between the notification and licensing systems to be put in place: this is a simplified authorisation system called “Registration System”. ASN is preparing a classification nomenclature for the various categories of nuclear activities between these three systems, which will be progressively implemented as of 2018. This change will enable ASN to continue to implement its graded approach which consists in adapting the regulatory constraints and the level of oversight to the risks that the nuclear activity presents. The licensing system As part of this simplification process (see above), ASN has produced licensing application forms adapted to each activity which are available on www.asn.fr. These documents are designed such that the licensing applications can be made by the representative of a legal person or entity as permitted by the Public Health Code. They do however provide the possibility, subject to justification, of a physical person or entity applying for a license. The forms also list the documents that must be enclosed with the application. All the other documents listed in the appendix to ASN resolution 2010-DC-0192 of 22nd July 2010 must of course be held by the applicant and kept at the disposal of the inspectors in the event of inspection. It is moreover possible that ASN will request further information during its examination of the license application. Small-scale nuclear activities stand out through their extreme heterogeneity and the very large number of licensees concerned. ASNmust therefore adapt its efforts to their radiation protection implications to ensure effective oversight of these activities. The abovementioned revision of the administrative systems means that these forms will gradually be revised. FUNDAMENTALS International think tank on alternative technologies Radioactive sources present safety and security risks for their users, the general public and the environment, which must be taken into consideration in the reflection phase preceding the deployment of a nuclear activity. Consequently, in France, when technologies presenting lower risks than a nuclear activity are available under technically and economically acceptable conditions, they must be implemented instead of the nuclear activity initially envisaged: this is the principle of justification. On this basis, as of 2014 and subsequently at the Washington Summit on nuclear safety in April 2016, France was the initiator of an international commitment made by 29 States and by Interpol. The aim is to support research into and the development of technologies that do not use high-activity sealed radioactive sources and to promote their use. In this context, since April 2015 ASN has, along with the National Nuclear Security Administration (United States), initiated a think tank involving several States working on the theme of replacing high-activity radioactive sources by alternative technologies. The think tank’s aim is to share the experience feedback of each State in this area in a way that does not constrain its members, who are volunteers. In application of the principle of justification, ASN has presented in particular the work conducted by the French blood bank to replace its irradiators that use radioactive sources by electric irradiators that emit X-rays. ASN also enabled the French Confederation for Non-Destructive Tests to present the progress of its work in replacing gamma radiography by other non-destructive testing technologies. In December  2016, during the international conference on nuclear safety organised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), ASN presented the work of the working groups at a round table dedicated to this subject. The think tank continued its meetings in 2017. Other foreign licensees were able to put forward their experience. These meetings can highlight difficulties in developing or implementing alternative technologies for which further work is needed.

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NjQ0NzU=