ASN Report 2017

41 ASN report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2017 Radioactive wastes are radioactive substances for which no subsequent use is planned or envisaged or which have been reclassified as such by the administrative authority pursuant to Article L. 542-13-2 of the Environment Code. They come from nuclear activities processing artificial or natural radioactive substances, provided that this radioactivity warrants the implementation of radiation protection checks. A site contaminated by radioactive substances is any site, either abandoned or in operation, on which natural or artificial radioactive substances have been or are employed or stored in conditions such that the site can constitute a hazard for health and the environment. Contamination by radioactive substances can be the result of industrial, craftwork, medical or research activities. Significant events 2017 saw the adoption of the National Plan for Radioactive Materials andWaste Management (PNGMDR) 2016-2018, which was transmitted to Parliament in February. This three-year plan presents the results of the radioactive substances management policy nationwide, identifies new needs and determines the objectives to be achieved, more specifically in terms of studies and research to create new management solutions. It is supplemented by Decree 2017-231 of 23rd February 2017 implementing Article L. 542-1-2 of the Environment Code and establishing the requirements of the PNGMDR and the Order of 23rd February 2017 implementing the Decree of 23rd February 2017. On 8th June 2017, ASN issued its opinion on the fourth three-yearly reports transmitted by the licensees in 2016. These reports describe the evaluation of the costs relating to decommissioning and waste management, the methods applied for calculation of the corresponding provisions and the choices made with regard to the composition and management of the assets allocated to coverage of these provisions. ASN more particularly considers that the contents of the reports issued by the licensees do not all contain the same level of detail and that the EDF file does not contain enough information for ASN to be able to adopt a position on the exhaustiveness of the evaluation of its financial costs. 2017 was marked by the examination of the safety options file for the Cigéo deep geological disposal project, submitted by the National Radioactive Waste Management Agency (Andra) in 2016. In January  2018, ASN issued its opinion on this file. It considers that these safety options represent a significant step forward, stipulates which additional justifications will be necessary for a possible creation authorisation application and underlines its reservations with regard to bituminised wastes. Examination has begun on the Areva and CEA files concerning waste management and facilities decommissioning strategies. ASN and the Defence Nuclear Safety Authority (ASND) will issue a position statement on these strategies in 2018. Finally, ASN published resolution 2017- DC-587 on 23rd March 2017 relative to the packaging of radioactive waste and the conditions of acceptance of the radioactive waste packages in the disposal BNIs. Assessment and outlook ASN considers that the French radioactive waste management system, built around a specific legislative and regulatory framework, a national plan and an agency (Andra) dedicated to the management of radioactive waste, independently of the waste producers, is capable of regulating and implementing a structured and coherent national waste management policy. ASN considers that there must eventually be safe management for all waste, more specifically by means of a disposal solution. The PNGMDR ASN will continue to monitor the work done on the PNGMDR 2016-2018, more particularly via the pluralistic working group it chairs with the General Directorate for Energy and Climate. Depending on the decision by the National Public Debates Commission, which will be involved in the drafting of the PNGMDR 2019- 2021 with regard to the procedures for organising participation of the public, ASN will work alongside the Ministry for Ecological and Solidarity-based Transition, to allow this involvement of the public in the drafting of the plan. ASN will also prepare for drafting of the next PNGMDR through its opinions, as of 2018, on the studies provided for in the PNGMDR 2016-2018. Finally, ASNwill take part in the HCTISN working group on the management of very low level waste. 16 Radioactive waste and contaminated sites and soils Significant events and outlook