LES ACTIVITÉS NUCLÉAIRES : RAYONNEMENTS IONISANTS ET RISQUES POUR LA SANTÉ ET L’ENVIRONNEMENT 1 – Planning ahead Four main principles underpin the protection of the general public against BNI risks: ∙risk reduction at source, wherein the licensee must take all steps to reduce the risks to a level that is as low as possible in acceptable economic conditions; ∙the emergency plans and contingency plans, designed to prevent and mitigate the consequences of an accident; ∙controlling urban development around BNIs; ∙informing the general public. 1.1 Looking ahead and planning 1.1.1 – The Basic Nuclear Installation site emergency and contingency plans The emergency and contingency plans relative to accidents occurring at a BNI define the measures necessary to protect the site personnel, the general public and the environment, and to control the accident. a) Major Nuclear or Radiological Accident National Response Plan ASNR helped draft the Major Nuclear or Radiological Accident National Response Plan (PNRANRM), which was updated by the Government in June 2024. The Plan takes into account the lessons learned from the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi NPP and the latest recommendations to the Government on post-accident doctrine published by Codirpa in 2022. It sets out the national organisation in the event of a nuclear accident, the strategy to be applied and the main actions to be taken. It includes the international nature of emergencies and the mutual assistance possibilities in the case of an event. b) Off-site Emergency Plans In the vicinity of the facility, the Off-site Emergency Plan (PPI) is drawn up by the Prefect of the département concerned in accordance with Articles L. 741-6, R. 741-18 et seq. of the Internal Security Code, “with a view to protecting people, property and the environment, to counter particular risks associated with the existence of works and installations with a fixed, localised perimeter. The PPI implements the orientations of civil protection policy in terms of mobilisation of resources, information, alert, exercises and training”. These Articles also stipulate the characteristics of the facilities or structures for which the Prefect is required to define a PPI. The PPI specifies the initial actions to be taken to protect the general public, the roles of the various services concerned, the systems for sending the alert, and the human and material resources likely to be engaged in order to protect the general public. The PPI falls within the framework of the Disaster and Emergency Response Organisation (Orsec) which describes the protective measures decided on by the public authorities in large-scale emergencies. Therefore, beyond the application perimeter of the PPI, the département or zone Orsec plan is activated. ASNR assists the Prefect, who is responsible for the drafting and approval of the PPI, by analysing the various aspects including those concerning the nature and scale of the radiological consequences of an accident. The PPIs currently make it possible to plan the public authorities’ response in the first hours of the accident in order to protect the population living within a 20 km radius around the affected installation. The PPIs comprise a “reflex” phase, in which the licensee immediately issues an alert to the populations situated within a radius of from a few hundred metres up to 2 km (for electricity generating reactors). Once alerted by activation of the “PPI” sirens, the populations situated within this radius must take shelter and listen to the media. The PPI are also able to prepare for an “immediate evacuation” response from a distance of a few hundred metres up to 5 km (for electricity generating reactors). Finally, within a radius of up to 20 km around the installations, the PPI provide for the preventive distribution of stable iodine tablets for certain installations (reactors in particular), the adoption of measures to restrict consumption in the event of an accident, plus reinforced information of the populations regarding the risks from the installation and the appropriate behaviour to be followed. The additional measures to be taken beyond the zone covered by the PPI are specified, as applicable, through a joint approach which can be based on the Orsec arrangements, taking account of the characteristics of the accident and the weather conditions. c) On-site Emergency Plan As part of the BNI commissioning authorisation procedures, ASNR examines and approves the On-site Emergency Plans (PUIs) and their updates (Article R. 593-31 of the Environment Code). The PUI, prepared by the licensee, is designed to restore the plant to a controlled and stable condition and mitigate the consequences of an event. It defines the organisational actions and the resources to be implemented on the site. It also includes the provisions for rapidly informing the public authorities. The obligations of the licensee relative to the preparation for and management of emergency situations are defined in Title VII of the Order of 7 February 2012 setting the general rules for BNIs. The associated provisions were stipulated in ASN resolution 2017-DC-0592 of 13 June 2017 concerning the obligations of BNI licensees in terms of preparedness for and management of emergency situations and the content of the PUI, known as the “emergency” resolution, approved by the Order of 28 August 2017. 1.1.2 – Response plans for radioactive substance transport accidents The transport of radioactive substances represents nearly a million packages carried in France every year. The dimensions, weight, radiological activity and corresponding safety implications can vary widely from one package to another. ASNR examines and approves the management plans for events linked to the transport of radioactive substances. These plans are drawn up by the stakeholders for the transport of such substances pursuant to the international regulations for the carriage of dangerous goods. These plans describe the steps to be taken, depending on the nature and scale of the foreseeable hazards, in order to avoid damage or, as necessary, mitigate the effects. The content of these plans is defined in ASN Guide No. 17. To address the possibility of an accident involving the transport of radioactive substances, each département Prefect must include, within their implementation of the PNRANRM, a section devoted to this type of incident: the Orsec-TMR (Transport of Radioactive Materials) plan. Faced with the diversity of possible types of transport operations, this part of the plan defines the criteria and simple measures enabling the first respondents (Departmental Fire and Emergency Service – SDIS – and law enforcement services in particular) to initiate the first reflex response measures to protect the general public and sound the alert, based on their findings on the site of the accident. ASNR Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2025 179 01 02 03 04 05 09 06 10 07 11 13 08 12 A / Z
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NjQ0NzU=