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RISK FACTORS
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4.4 Industrial and environmental risks
4.4.2.
CHEMICAL RISK MANAGEMENT
4.4.2.1.
SEVESO REGULATIONS
The group operates nine sites subject to Seveso regulations, which implement
European Directive 2012/18/EU concerning the control of major accident hazards
involving dangerous substances, as amended. The regulations apply to facilities
that may present a significant risk to public health and safety or to the environment.
The sites subject to these regulations are located in France and in Germany (Lingen
ANF). Four of them are subject to high-threshold Seveso regulations, three of which
are in France: AREVA NC (Tricastin and Malvési sites) and AREVA NP (Jarrie site).
The ANF Lingen site is a nuclear facility and also presents a high-threshold Seveso
risk due to its storage of hydrofluoric acid (HF).
In accordance with the regulatory requirements, the three sites in France have set
up a plan to prevent major accidents and limit their impacts on individuals and
the environment. A safety management system incorporating the organization,
functions, products and other resources was set up to strengthen riskmanagement.
Similarly, hazards studies are updated on a regular basis. They are the foundation of
the process designed to minimize risk from the outset, control urban development,
establish emergency management plans and inform the public. Hazards studies
present in particular the hazards that the facility could generate in the event of
a deviation and demonstrate measures capable of reducing the probability and
impacts of an accident to the lowest achievable level in view of current knowledge
and practices, taking into account the vulnerability of the facility’s environment.
As part of a continuous improvement process, the relevance, reliability and “stand-
alone” quality of safety barriers are reviewed on a regular basis. This review applies
to prevention barriers (intended to reduce the probability of an unscheduled event)
and to protection barriers (intended to limit the consequences of an unscheduled
event). Moreover, a dedicated working group was set up in 2004 to harmonize and
share best practices from Seveso sites.
With respect to insurance, the above-mentioned facilities of AREVA NC, AREVA NP
and ANF are covered by the civil liability program taken out by the group. The level
of coverage is based on quantification of reasonably expected risk and guarantees
available in the insurance market.
4.4.2.2.
IMPLEMENTATION OF REACH REGULATIONS
On December 18, 2006, the European Parliament adopted the REACH regulation
(Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals), EC
no. 1907/2006. REACH establishes a policy for managing chemical substances in
the European Union. The long-termobjective is to find substitutes for substances that
are of most concern for health and the environment. The regulation helps improve
knowledge of the properties of chemical substances and the risks associated with
their use.
It requires the registration of all chemical substances produced or imported in
quantities of more than one metric ton per year. The data collected in this way are
being used to ensure appropriate management of the risks associated with the
use of each substance. In addition, each user of a substance must ensure that
its use is covered by the manufacturer’s and importer’s registration file and that
recommended risk management measures are applied.
For the substances of most concern for health and the environment, listed in
Appendix XIV of the regulation, an authorization request must be submitted to
the European Chemicals Agency. More than 160 substances were introduced
in the process: an initial list of substances was published in October 2008 and
is regularly updated. Today, 31 substances are listed in Appendix XIV. AREVA is
directly concerned by only a few of these substances; a research and development
program is in progress to find substitutes for them.
Several steps were taken tomanage the legal, financial and technical consequences
of the REACH regulation and to ensure that all of the group’s entities are in
compliance. In October 2006, an awareness program targeting the affected
functions was deployed throughout the group and has continued since then. An
internal organization was set up consisting of a REACH steering committee at the
corporate level (Safety, Health, Security and Environment Department, Supply Chain
Department, Legal Department, and Research and Development Department) as
well as representatives of the entities and technical advisors for the various issues
related to REACH. This organization, described in a group procedure, will deploy
and monitor the initiative in each legal entity.
AREVA is affected by this regulation as a producer and importer of substances
used in certain operations (in particular in the Mining, Chemistry, Enrichment and
Fuel Business Units), and more generally as a downstream user of substances and
mixtures. It should be noted that the radioactive substances covered in the Euratom
directive (no. 96/29, replaced by no. 2013/59) are excluded from the scope of
the REACH regulations. The group pre-registered and registered all substances
produced or imported in quantities of more than onemetric ton. Eleven applications
for registration, including three as lead registrant, were filed before the first deadline
of November 30, 2010, and six applications were filed before the second deadline
in 2013.
2016 AREVA
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