This document is the safety analysis made by the national association of the local commissions of information about nuclear activities (ANCLI), about the safety of graphite storage silos of Saint Laurent des Eaux nuclear facility. The analysis covers: the operation safety and the accident hypothesis, the monitoring of indoor and outdoor contamination in routine situation, the geotechnical characteristics of the site environment, the isotopic inventory and the estimation of radioactivity in routine and accidental situation, the estimation of doses received by the population in accidental situation and the internal emergency plan. After examination of these different points, the scientific committee of the ANCLI considers that a new global evaluation of risks, which integrates more recent exposure data, has to be carried out. (J.S.)
The work opened by the A.C.R.O. is in line with in an initiative of evaluation of the radiological quality of marine and continental waters of the Normandy coast. In this perspective, measures of radioactivity were made, not near an emissary (already very watched environment) but in more large scale because in marine environment, more than 640 km of coast are concerned. It was a question of supplying a representative assessment of the radioecological situation, for one year,of the marine environment (along the Normandy coast) and main streams which supplies it. (N.C.)
Japanese companies have developed suitable cleansing technologies and export their know-how. Some original technologies are developed today, like: in-situ chemical oxidation, iron confinement, hot-soil process, low-temperature catalytic decomposition or dechlorination of dioxins. However, some pollutions are still poorly considered (nitrates) or badly mastered (dioxins). This situation is partly due to late legal decisions and to limited pollution abatement measures. Japan is also very active in bio-cleansing research, and this, despite the lack of dialogue and directives at the national level. Several research programs with important funds have started since 1995. However, Japan is still at the preliminary stage in open-field applications of cleansing methods. (J.S.)
For the inventory of water tritium concentration in the Manche department, it is the complementarity that animated the work opened during year 2001. To answer to a commune sensitivity such water quality, particularly drinking water at tap, the A.C.R.O. laboratory brought its know how to make and its technical means in the area of tritium analysis and the general council brought its know how to make and its logistics means in matter of sanitary control. This collaboration has allowed to supply an indication on the tritium content of the distribution waters of thirty of the most important cities of the department. Then, it allowed to inform on the radiological situation (in relation with the tritium presence) of coast waters and principal rivers waters. More than 160 controls have been realised between the months of march 2001 and february 2002. Only the tritium under the shape of tritiated water has been measured. The measures have been made by liquid scintillation according to the ...
The 24 papers presented at the conference on Neutralisation des eaux de drainage dans l'environnement minier (NEDEM) (Mine Environment Neutral Drainage (MEND)) 2000 symposium on research on innovative methods to control acid mine drainage, covered eight sessions with both technical and general interest papers. The technical papers covered the topics of acid mine drainage and remediation measures, such as flooding, soil cover with various materials, encapsulation, and others. Other topics discussed included the freeze-thaw cycle and its effect on the performance of soil covers. The environmental impacts of acid mine drainage were also described. Some case studies were included to further illustrate the environmental impacts of acid mine drainage and to demonstrate the effectiveness of remedial actions in specific situations. Most of the cases studied were mines located in Quebec and Northern Ontario, with some in British Columbia. The general interest ...
In France, groundwater usage represents 40 per cent of volumetric use, outside of thermal power plants. Groundwater represents 60 per cent of domestic and public use, 40 per cent in the industrial sector, and is increasing in the agricultural sector where it accounts for 20 per cent. Groundwater withdrawal in France has slightly increased over the last twenty years and benefited the agricultural sector. Availability throughout the territory, the consistency of resupply and natural quality has rendered groundwater a prevailing source for drinking water. Water protection and management is important and led to the adoption of legislative and regulatory measures. The Mining Code (Code minier) allows for exploitation of underground resources starting at 10 metres. The Rural Code (Code rural) mandates the declaration of public utility for water collection for the public. Protection areas are to be provided under the Public Health Code (Code de sante publique). Proper permits and ...
{sup 60}Co is produced as an activation product and is present in the low-level aqueous radioactive waste released from the La Hague plant. At present, the concentration in the sea (non filtered at 0.45 {mu}m) at the Goury site are close to or even below, the detection limit: 0.2 mBq.l{sup -1}. The {sup 60}Co speciation depends on the type of effluent considered: in the effluent A ('active'), the cobalt is in the form of a stable trivalent complex; in the effluent V (to be checked), the cobalt is in majority (50% of the activity release) in the form of particles (>0.45 {mu}m), and then in the form of two soluble species: ionic divalent (Co{sup 2+}) and some stable complexes. The evolution of the reprocessing techniques used does not affect the speciation. So, since the nuclear reprocessing plant started at the La Hague plant in 1966, the chemical species discharged in the sea shows time variation related to the evolution of the type of effluent discharged. ...