ASN Report 2017

23 ASN report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2017 In France, the party responsible for a nuclear activity must ensure that this activity is safe. They cannot delegate this responsibility, and must ensure permanent surveillance of both this activity and the equipment used. Given the risks for humans and the environment linked to ionising radiation, the State regulates nuclear activities, a task it has entrusted to ASN. Control and regulation of nuclear activities is a fundamental responsibility of ASN. The aim is to verify that all licensees fully assume their responsibility and comply with the requirements of the regulations relative to nuclear safety and radiation protection, in order to protect people and the environment from risks associated with radioactivity. Inspection is the key means of monitoring available to ASN: one or more ASN inspectors (nuclear safety inspectors, radioactive substance transport safety inspectors, labour inspectors and radiation protection inspectors) go to a site or department, or to carriers of radioactive substances. After the inspection, a follow-up letter is sent to the person responsible for the inspected site or activity and published on www.asn.fr . The inspection concerns material, organisational and human aspects. ASN’s regulatory actions are also carried out by other means such as examination of authorisation applications and analysis of significant events. It is proportionate to the level of risk presented by the facility or activity. Following safety and radiation protection assessments in each activity sector, its regulatory and oversight activities lead to issue of resolutions, prescriptions, inspection follow-up documents, plus administrative or criminal penalties as applicable. Assessment In 2017, ASN was notified of: ཛྷ ཛྷ 1,165 significant events concerning nuclear safety, radiation protection and the environment in BNIs; 1,040 of these 04 Regulation of nuclear activities and exposure to ionising radiation events were rated on the INES scale 1 (949 events rated level 0, 87 events rated level 1 and 4 events rated level 2). Of these events, 18 significant events were rated as “generic events” including three at level 1 and three at level 2 on the INES scale; ཛྷ ཛྷ 66 significant events concerning the transport of radioactive substances, including two events rated level 1 on the INES scale; ཛྷ ཛྷ 655 significant events concerning radiation protection in small-scale nuclear activities, including 183 rated on the INES scale (of which 36 were level 1 events and 3 were level 2 events). 2017 was marked by several events rated level 2 on the INES scale in the field of NPPs and in the medical field. In 2017, following the inspections carried out, the ASN inspectors transmitted twelve reports to the Public Prosecutors. In 2017, ASN took three administrative actions (formal notice, deposit of sums, etc.) against managers of nuclear activities. With regard to protection of the environment, 2017 was marked by the adoption of ASN resolution 2017-DC-0588 of 6th April 2017 setting rules for the intake and consumption of water, the discharge of effluents and 1. INES: International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale. environmental monitoring specifically applicable to PWR nuclear reactors, and by the launch of the 2016-2021 micro-pollutants plan, through which ASN will closely monitor the gradual reduction in copper and zinc discharges from the NPPs. Finally, the October 2017 meeting of the action plan follow-up committee created following the publication of the tritium White Paper was able to measure the latest progress made in understanding the origins, levels and behaviour of tritium in the environment. Outlook In 2018, ASN intends to perform about 1,800 inspections of BNIs, of radioactive substances transport activities, activities involving the use of ionising radiation, organisations and laboratories that it has approved and activities related to pressure equipment. Further to the irregularities found in the manufacture of certain NPP equipment items, ASN in 2017 initiated a review of BNI licensee monitoring of their contractors and subcontractors. ASNwill also implement the conclusions of its review of the reinforced effectiveness of the oversight of small-scale nuclear activities. Furthermore, the revision of the Labour Code and the Public Health Code will enable ASN to finalise the revision of the criteria and procedures for Significant events and outlook