ASN Report 2017

448 ASN report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2017 Chapter 16  - Radioactive waste and contaminated sites and soils Examination of the Cigéo Safety Options Dossier (DOS) The filing of a DOS marks the start of a regulatory process 2 . ASN received the DOS for Cigéo in April 2016. Experts were consulted for their opinion at two key stages in its examination: the IAEA peer review from 7th to 15th November 2016 and the meeting 3 of the GPD and the GPU on 18th and 19th May 2017. ASN published its draft opinion on the Cigéo DOS in July  2017. This draft opinion was subject to public consultation from 1st August to 15th September 2017. ASN issued its opinion on the Cigéo DOS on 11th January 2018. ASN also detailed in a letter the safety options to prevent or mitigate the risks and asked Andra for complementary studies and substantiations (corrosion phenomena, low-pH concretes, representativeness of the hydrogeological model, etc.). The examination of the Cigéo DOS highlighted several issues relating to specific aspects (see box above). Andra will continue to prepare the Creation Authorisation Decree (DAC) application file in 2018. ASN and IRSN will make regular progress assessments to check that the key issues identified in the examination of the previous Andra files have been properly taken into account. 2 . Article 6 of the Decree of 2nd November 2007 stipulates that “ any person who plans to operate a BNI can, before initiating the creation authorisation procedure provided for by Article 29 of Act 2006-686 of 13th June 2006, ask ASN for an opinion on all or part of the options it has chosen to ensure the safety of that installation. ASN, through an opinion rendered and published under the conditions determined by ASN, indicates the extent to which the safety options presented by the applicant are appropriate for preventing or mitigating the risks for the interests mentioned in I of Article 28 of the Act of 13th June 2006, given the prevailing technical and economic conditions. It may indicate the additional studies and justifications that will be required for a prospective creation authorisation application. It can set a validity period for its opinion. This opinion is communicated to the applicant and to the Ministers responsible for Nuclear Safety.” 3 . It relies on the technical expertise of IRSN with regard to the Cigéo DOS and the conclusions of the IAEA peer review. The cost of the project On 15th January 2016, in accordance with the procedure stipulated in Article L. 542-12 of the Environment Code and after consideration of ASN’s opinion of February 2015 and the comments of the radioactive waste producers, the Minister responsible for Energy issued an Order setting the reference cost of the Cigéo disposal project “at €25 billion under the economic conditions prevailing on 31st December 2011, the year in which the cost evaluation work began” . This Order also specifies that the cost must be updated regularly and at least at the key stages of project development (creation authorisation, commissioning, end of “industrial pilot phase”, periodic safety reviews), in accordance with ASN opinion of 10th February 2015 concerning the evaluation of the costs of the Cigéo project for deep geological disposal of radioactive waste. 1.3.4 Low-Level Long-Lived Waste (LLW-LL) management Low-level long-lived waste (LLW-LL) comprises two main categories: graphite waste resulting from the operation of the Gas-Cooled Reactor (GCR) nuclear power plants, and radium- bearing waste, from the radium industry and its offshoots. Other types of waste fall into this category such as certain bituminised effluents, substances containing radium, uranium and thorium with low specific activity, as well as certain spent sealed radioactive sources. Putting in place a definitive management solution for this type of waste is one of the objectives defined by the Act of 28th June 2006. Finding such a management solution necessitates firstly having greater knowledge of LLW-LL waste and secondly conducting safety studies on the associated disposal solution. The successive editions of the PNGMDR have set out this objective. ASN also issued a notice in 2008 giving general safety guidelines concerning the search for a site capable of accommodating LLW-LL. FOCUS ASN’s position on the Cigéo DOS General observations ASN considers that: ཛྷ ཛྷ the project has on the whole reached satisfactory technological readiness at the DOS stage: -- Detailed understanding of the Meuse/Haute-Marne site has been acquired, confirming the suitability of the chosen area. -- Considerable knowledge has been compiled concerning the various components of the repository. -- The disturbances that could affect the host rock and those that will occur during the transients (thermal, hydraulic, mechanical, etc.) that will result from the construction of the repository have been properly identified. The results presented tend to indicate that their extent should be limited, given the thickness of the host rock. -- The principles adopted in the safety approach are consistent with the ASN safety guide of 2008 and the recommendations made by the international bodies. ཛྷ ཛྷ the DOS is documented and supported and has made significant progress with respect to the files of 2005 and 2009. Safety options to supplement Additions are required for the facility’s creation authorisation application with regard to: ཛྷ ཛྷ the radioactive waste inventory; ཛྷ ཛྷ the bituminised waste packages and control of the fire risks; ཛྷ ཛྷ certain subjects which could lead to design changes: -- justification of the repository architecture; -- dimensioning of the facility to withstand hazards; -- monitoring the installations -- post-accident situations.