Safety review of the Manche disposal facility: the examination is coming to an end
Last February, the Nuclear Safety Authority, the Institute for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety and the "permanent waste group" (GP) met to assess the safety review file for the Manche disposal facility (CSM). The culmination of two years of review. Explanations.
In April 2019, Andra submitted the CSM safety review file to the Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN). A document of nearly 1,000 pages, the result of long-term work that has mobilized Andra teams since 2016: "Every ten years, the safety review aims to reassess the compliance of the Center and its current safety on the long term", explain Catherine Dressayre and Fabrice Poirier, safety engineers at Andra.
The Safety Authority has commissioned the Institute for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) for carrying out the technical examination phase of the dossier, which lasted two years and raised nearly 450 questions: “The examination is a period of intense discussion. We must provide as many details as possible to IRSN so that it can draw up its expert report which is then submitted to the GP”, adds Fabrice Poirier. This very demanding phase ended on 1st February with an official meeting of the GP in the presence of ASN, IRSN and Andra.
The GP is made up of waste producers, university experts and representatives of associations.
« “There was no particular sticking point between our proposals and IRSN's recommendations. The feedback from the experts was generally positive. » »
A positive feedback
Is the disposal facility still suitable and compliant with the regulations in force? How would the facilities behave in a given situation? “There was no particular sticking point between our proposals and IRSN's recommendations. The feedback from the GP experts was generally positive,” says Catherine Dressayre.
While awaiting ASN's decision, which will provide a framework for the continued operation of the facility, the Agency is working to take into account the 28 commitments made to improve the safety of the centre. These relate to the consolidation of the repository cover, the monitoring of the center, and also long-term safety and the system linked to the preservation of its memory or the updating of regulatory documents. “We are working on preparing action plans in order to carry them out over the next ten years,” concludes Fabrice Poirier.
Examination of the safety review file entails:
asked by IRSN
taken by Andra
of review