Areva - Reference Document 2016

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SOCIAL, ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIETAL RESPONSIBILITY A3
2. Environmental information
AREVA establishes radioactive wastemanagement methods in compliance with the
principles of the French Environmental Code and Euratom directive no. 2011/70/
Euratom of July 19, 2011:
p protect public health, safety and the environment;
p prevent and limit the burden to be borne by future generations;
p reduce the quantity and toxicity of radioactive waste, in particular by using
appropriate processing and packaging methods;
p organize waste shipments and limit them in distance and volume;
p provide information to the public on the effects on the environment and public
health of waste production andmanagement operations, subject to confidentiality
rules provided in the law, and on the measures taken to prevent or offset harmful
effects.
Each waste management method is thus defined as part of a graduated approach
to the risks and impacts as regards the costs (human, financial, environmental, etc.)
and the benefits expected from the use of a management solution.
For implementation of waste management methods, AREVA draws on:
p the operating entities of the different production sites likely to generate radioactive
waste;
p the Dismantling andWaste Contracting Department, which is taskedwith steering
the Group’s overall performance plan and defining strategies to be deployed by
the operating entities.
The principles guiding the use of management methods at AREVA’s different sites,
in compliance with safety, cost, schedule and quality objectives and commitments,
are:
p waste reduction at the source, with the goal of “zero waste” in design and
operations; waste likely to be radioactive is separated from conventional waste
based in particular on a policy of “zoning” the facilities, which is continually
optimized to minimize radioactive waste quantities;
p radiological characterization and assessment of activity to define optimum
packaging;
p volume reduction using cuttings, assembling and compaction processes;
p with packaging, waste is immobilized in a container suited to its radioactivity level
and half-life, in some cases using material to hold it in place (such as cement) or
after processing. When processing is necessary, the goal is to convert the initial
waste into a waste form with characteristics more appropriate for final disposal,
in particular by maximizing containment performance. Drying, incineration,
vitrification and melting are examples of processing. Furthermore, processing
reduces waste volumes.
A quality program including quality control is carried out throughout processing
operations. Best available technologies (BAT) are used for processing and are
chosen based on multicriteria analyses that factor in the industrial, environmental,
health and radiological impacts.
The sustainable radioactive waste management solutions used by AREVA follow
the guidelines of the National Radioactive Waste and Materials Management
Plan (PNGMDR). AREVA is heavily involved in developing the PNGMDR resulting
from the implementation of the program law of June 28, 2006 on the sustainable
management of radioactive materials and waste. The principal purpose of this
triennial plan developed under the aegis of the Ministry of the Environment, Energy
and the Sea, together with the nuclear safety authority ASN, is to regularly assess the
radioactive substances management policy in France, to evaluate new requirements
and to determine the objectives to be achieved. AREVA is represented through its
Dismantling and Waste Contracting Department, which steers and coordinates
cross-business programs and studies related to the development, implementation
and follow-up of the plan.
Dissemination and communication of information
Information on the flows and volumes of waste stored at AREVA’s nuclear facilities
(especially volumes) is communicated to the competent authorities in the form of
annual reports. In addition, AREVA is a major participant in updates to the National
Inventory published every three years by Andra. The 2015 edition shows radioactive
waste in France as of December 31, 2013 at sites operated by AREVA, among
others, along with forecasts on waste quantities expected by 2020, 2030 and the
end of the facilities’ lifecycle.
The inventory also presents storage capacities, in particular for long-lived medium-
and high-level waste, along with their fill status.
This information is available on the Andra website, The inventories
(volumes, activity levels, principal radioelements) at the end of 2013, 2014 and 2015
are now available as open data at the website
2.3.5. RELEASES
Control of releases and environmental monitoring
AREVA devotes considerable resources to limiting and monitoring releases and
to environmental monitoring, upstream from monitoring performed by the French
authorities.
The resources deployed take into account regulatory reporting requirements,
including in particular declarations for the European Pollutant Emission Register
(EPER), reduction of greenhouse gas emissions under the National Quota Allocation
Plan, and renewal of release permits for the nuclear facilities. The amended “INB
Order” of February 7, 2012 and ASN’s “Environmental Decision” no. 2013-DC-360
lay down general rules related to reporting releases from regulated nuclear facilities
and for environmental monitoring.
Regarding radioactive releases, AREVA is strongly committed to the standardization
program for measurements of effluent radioactivity established in 2007 by the
M60-3 Committee of the Bureau de normalisation des équipements nucléaires
(BNEN, the French nuclear equipment standards organization) and has designated
a representative from each major nuclear site to participate in this effort.
Concerning the monitoring of environmental radioactivity, it has been possible
since February 2010 for any member of the public to go to the website managed
by IRSN to see all of the environmental radioactivity
measurements carried out by the operators in the vicinity of their sites as part of the
prescribed environmental monitoring. Each site has acquired the tools needed to
manage and submit the data. The group’s six laboratories – AREVA NC la Hague,
AREVANCPierrelatte, Eurodif Production, NPRomans, SEPABessines and AREVA
NC Malvési – were issued licenses by the French nuclear safety authority ASN for
the analyses that they must carry out. These licenses are periodically renewed as
laboratory comparison tests organized by IRSN are carried out, based on a table of
analyses defined by the national environmental radioactivity measurement network
RNM in the order of June 3, 2015 implementing ASN’s decision no. 2015-DC-
0500 of February 26, 2015, which itself modifies ASN’s decision no. 2008-DC-0099
of April 28, 2008 on the organization of the national environmental radioactivity
measurement network and sets the terms for laboratory licensing.
348 2016 AREVA REFERENCE DOCUMENT