Enhancing nuclear safety

2010

ANNUAL REPORT

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ORGANIZATION01

ORGANIZATION I SUMMARY AND STRATEGY I ACTIVITIES I EFFICIENCYENHANCING NUCLEAR SAFETYIN FRANCE AND AROUND THE WORLDIRSN, a public authority with industrial and commercial activities, was set up under Article 5 ofFrench Act No. 2001-398 of May 9, 2001, enacted through Order No. 2002-254 of February 22,
2002. This Order was amended on April 7, 2007. The Institute is placed under the joint authorityof the Ministries of Defense, the Environment, Industry, Research, and Health.
It is the nation’s public service expert in nuclear and radiation risks, and its activities cover all
the related scientiﬁc and technical issues. Its areas of specialization include the environmentand radiological emergency response, human radiation protection in both a medical and professional capacity, and in both normal and post-accident situations, the prevention of major
accidents, nuclear reactor safety, as well as safety in plants and laboratories, transport andwaste treatment, and nuclear defense expertise.
IRSN interacts with all parties concerned by these risks (public authorities, in particular nuclear
safety and security authorities, local authorities, companies, research organizations, stakeholders’associations, etc.) to contribute to public policy issues relating to nuclear safety, human andenvironmental protection against ionizing radiation, and the protection of nuclear materials,
facilities, and transport against the risk of malicious acts.

HUMAN RESOURCESBUDGET(3)1,768

296.4€M(1)

employees, including many
specialists, such as engineers,
doctors, agronomists,
veterinarians, technicians,
experts and researchers,
including 36 doctors or persons
qualiﬁed to direct research. IRSN
is also the place of work ofspent by IRSN in 2010
Q 43.3% of budget devoted
to research,
Q 47.9% of budget allocated totechnical support and public
service missions.

Q 85.5(2) doctorate students,
Q 28(2) post-doctorate students.

(1) This workforce consists of 1,638 persons on permanent contracts and 130 on ﬁxed-term contracts (including 62 persons assigned
to other organizations, but excluding 24 temporary assignments).
(2) Expressed in full-time equivalent terms.
(3) Budget excluding property restructuring project and special fund. See Financial Report for further details.

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2010

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+ Progress and main activities in 2010
+ Transparency and communications policy+ Promoting a safety and radiation protection culture

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SUMMARY
AND STRATEGY+ Foreword
Agnès Buzyn
Jacques Repussard
Michel Brière+ Key events+ Major reports+ Activity: key ﬁgures+ IRSN Organization Chart+ Board of Directors+ Steering Committee for the Nuclear Defense
Expertise Division+ Scientiﬁc Council+ Ethics Commission+ Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection
Research Policy Committee

ORGANIZATION

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CONTENTS

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SAFETY OF EXISTING FACILITIESQMonitoring reactors
QMonitoring plants, fuel cycle facilities,
and radioactive material shipments
QFuel safety
QAging nuclear faciliies and service life extension
QFires and containment
QAccidents
QNatural hazards+ About defense

P. 42
P. 45
P. 47
P. 48
P. 50
P. 53
P. 54

CONDUCTING ASSESSMENTS ON FUTURE FACILITIESQReactors of the futureQDeep geological repositories for nuclear waste

P. 57
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SECURITY – NON-PROLIFERATION

P. 60

QProtection and control of nuclear
and sensitive materials
QProtection against malicious acts

P. 60
P. 64

RADIATION PROTECTION – ENVIRONMENTAND HUMAN HEALTHENVIRONMENTAL AND POPULATION EXPOSURE
QEnvironmental monitoring
QEnvironmental studies
QAnalyzing radiological incidents
QPolluted sites and soils
QRadioecology
QRadiation protection in the workplace

P. 66
P. 66
P. 66
P. 67
P. 69
P. 71
P. 73
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EFFECTS OF CHRONIC EXPOSURE

P. 78

PROTECTION IN HEALTHCARE

P. 80

EMERGENCY AND POST-ACCIDENTSITUATIONS+ Control and operation+ Property assets+ Human resources+ Health, safety and environmental protection+ Quality policy

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+ Glossary

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EFFICIENCY

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QPreparing emergency exercises
QWork of CODIR-PAQDeveloping tools

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ACTIVITIESSAFETYORGANIZATION01

ORGANIZATION I SUMMARY AND STRATEGY I ACTIVITIES I EFFICIENCY+ FINANCIAL REPORT AT THE END OF THE ANNUAL REPORT+ IRSN SITE DETAILS (ON FLAP)IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2010

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MOSCOW, RUSSIA I JUNE 7-11

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IRSN took part for the ﬁrst time in ATOMEXPO, a forum organizedby Russia’s nuclear industry. IRSN offered assessment, study, research,and training services to a public composed of Russian, Indian, Chinese,and Italian organizations.

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ORGANIZATION I SUMMARY AND STRATEGY I ACTIVITIES I EFFICIENCY+ FOREWORD
AGNÈS BUZYN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 06
JACQUES REPUSSARD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 07
MICHEL BRIÈRE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 09+ KEY EVENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 10+ MAJOR REPORTS PUBLISHED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 13+ ACTIVITY: KEY FIGURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 14+ ORGANIZATION CHART . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 16+ BOARD OF DIRECTORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 18+ STEERING COMMITTEE FOR THE
NUCLEAR DEFENSE EXPERTISE DIVISION . . . . . . P. 19+ SCIENTIFIC COUNCIL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 20+ ETHICS COMMISSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 20+ NUCLEAR SAFETY AND RADIATIONPROTECTION RESEARCH POLICYCOMMITTEE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 21

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2010

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FOREWORD

In 2010 IRSN
completed all the necessary
steps to consolidate
its governance.

AGNÈS BUZYN, CHAIRPERSONIn 2010, IRSN fulﬁlled all its assessment, research and training obligations, and moved forward with its
initiative to open up to society, informthe public, and promote transparency in
its activities, thus conﬁrming its credibility in the eyes of French society as
a whole, during a period overshadowedby the recent Japanese nuclear crisis. This
activity report provides an overview of all
the Institute’s 2010 activities, together
with a certain number of cross-disciplinary reports concerning radiation protection, nuclear safety, and environmental
monitoring that have been submitted tothe authorities and released to the publicat large.
In addition to conducting its daily
business in 2010, IRSN completed
all the necessary steps to consolidate
its governance. Thanks to the commitment of all its employees, the Institutesaw its ISO9001 certiﬁcation renewed,
a clear reﬂection of efﬁcient management and high quality. The Contract of
Objectives between the State and IRSN
for the period 2010-2013, a major strategic instrument governing exchange
between IRSN and the French authorities, was completed and signed by
the Institute’s supervisory ministries
at the beginning of 2011. The latest
version of the contract includes some
new indicators which, although simpliﬁed, are better suited to realities inthe ﬁeld. They will be used to monitor
the Institute’s performance in accomplishing its tasks year by year. Lastly,
IRSN’s research activities were evaluated by AERES, an evaluation that the6

Institute came through successfully.
The recommendations made during
the evaluation process, combined withan ongoing restructuring initiative incertain areas of internal organization,
should put the Institute in a position
to rise to the major challenges that lie
ahead in the ﬁeld of safety and radiation protection.
As part of a drive to cut government
spending, state-run institutions andorganizations have been asked to makea greater effort towards cost-effective
management. This constraint has encouraged the Institute to pursue its efforts toplan effectively and deﬁne its priorities. It
has also raised questions as to the funding of certain activities. In this respect,
the Government decided to compensate
for the cut in the public grant to IRSN in
2011 by setting up a special annual contribution to be paid by nuclear operators
to partially ﬁnance work conducted by
IRSN to support the French nuclear safety
authority, the ASN. Talks are still underway to address the issue of funding for
the Institute’s major research programs,
such as those involving the Cabri reactor.
It is essential for these talks to succeed,as IRSN’s research is one of the mainstays of nuclear safety in the long term.
Nothing is ever achieved for good where
nuclear safety is concerned, which is why
the Institute must constantly open up
new avenues of research to ensure thatit can go on adding to the body of knowledge needed to drive progress in nuclear
safety and radiation protection. With thisin mind, IRSN can and must build on the
results of the recent AERES evaluationand the opinions of the Nuclear Safety
and Radiation Protection Research Policy
Committee (COR). One example of thisis the opinion issued on extending theservice life of nuclear reactors, a prospectthat has already begun to raise new andsometimes unexpected questions concerning safety. Similarly, recent events inJapan have pushed back the limits andmargins for which we were prepared,
obliging us to consider increasingly complex emergency response situations, andreview safety at nuclear facilities in France.
Our expertise will be needed in situations
beyond the scope of our routine assessment activities, while our research teams
will be called on to tackle new issues. If
it is to rise to all these challenges, theInstitute must open up and draw on the
support of existing and future cooperation structures and partnerships, both athome and abroad. It is a matter of preserving the scientiﬁc and technical excellence for which the Institute’s research
activities are renowned, and working toensure that its recognized performance
as a public expert continues to build on
innovative, forward-looking research in
an increasingly competitive, globalized
world. In this way, it will be sure to preserve the skills and expertise it needs tofulﬁll its public service obligations andsafeguard its values of excellence andindependence. Q

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Enhancing nuclear
safety in France and aroundthe world, in industry,science, regulations,and society.

JACQUES REPUSSARD, DIRECTOR GENERALIRSN came into legal existence under
the terms of an Act passed by the
French parliament on May 9, 2001, inrecognition of the need to consolidate
the nation’s nuclear safety and radiation
protection institutions.
With this in mind, it was decided tocreate a new public institution thatwould be independent from the French
Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) andfrom nuclear operators. The new institution would be tasked with providing the
public authorities with high-level, independent assessments to help implement
national policy in the ﬁeld of nuclear
safety, and radiological environmental
protection, occupational health andsafety, and public health.

ing on the commitment and scientiﬁcand technical strengths of its 1800
or so employees, IRSN continues toprogress.
To a great extent, the Institute owes
these promising results to the strong
commitment of its personnel, and tosupport from the public authorities andparliament.
The 2010 Budget Act set up an additional public funding system for theInstitute, based on a “contribution” to be
paid by nuclear operators. This decision
is a clear sign that policy makers recognizes the need for sufﬁcient, long-term
funding to support research and scientiﬁc assessments in the ﬁeld of nuclear
safety and security.

Less than ten years on, observers who keep themselves regularly
informed of IRSN’s activities andresults all agree that the Institute has
now achieved a high degree of scientiﬁc,technical and organizational maturity.
It is regarded by other institutions andthe media as “the French public expert
in nuclear and radiological risks”.
Its opinions are respected because they
are founded on expert knowledge ofstate-of-the-art science, and on theconsiderable technical experience theInstitute has acquired in the past thirty
years or more spent in close observation of nuclear facilities operating inFrance and abroad, in research work, andonsite activities in the ﬁeld of radiation
protection.

IRSN does not work alone, however.
New and outstanding examples ofscientiﬁc cooperation are emerging.
For example, the Institute’s excellent
scientiﬁc relations with Météo-France
deserve a special mention, as they madeit possible to forecast occurately the dispersal of release from the Fukushima
nuclear power plant across the northern hemisphere.
Similarly, 2010 saw the creation ofseveral joint laboratories with universities and the CNRS, alongside IRSN’s
long-standing relationship with CEA’s
research teams.
The new laboratories should generatea wealth of programs combining fundamental research with the Institute’s
main applied research priorities.
If IRSN is to make optimum use of thesigniﬁcant public funds allocated to it,then it must also implement a strict

Following a clear strategy backed byits supervisory ministries, and draw-

management policy, based on:
Q quality assurance in production
processes, validated by ISO 9001
certiﬁcation,
Q constantly optimized human resource
management, with a demanding hiring
policy and proactive careers advancement measures, in line with best practices. This is essential in an institute witha relatively young workforce (averageage under forty-two years) and whose
leading experts are justiﬁably prime targets for nuclear industry recruitment
agencies,
Q improved risk control, which calls inparticular for heightened awareness ofinternal risks, and the development ofa special structure for organizing emergency response and speeding up therelated decision-making process. IRSN
is not immune to risks liable to interferewith its own activities and objectives.
This was demonstrated by the radiological incident at the Feursmétal plant in
May 2010, and by costs and delays in
the renovation program concerning theCabri reactor operated by CEA for IRSN.
Further progress in nuclear safety
must now be achieved to reach a still
higher level of assurance that extensive areas around nuclear sites cannot
be seriously polluted in the event of an
accident. Such progress calls for a concerted effort in the four aspects – industrial, scientiﬁc, regulatory, and societal– that are central to effective performance in nuclear safety. In the wake of
the Fukushima disaster, progress in thisﬁeld will no doubt receive more urgent
attention worldwide. IRSN must QQQ

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2010

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ORGANIZATION I SUMMARY AND STRATEGY I ACTIVITIES I EFFICIENCYFOREWORD

therefore pursue its action in this direction, nationally and within Europe. A
European framework is often well suited
to research and development efforts andinitiatives to share knowledge and poolcertain emergency response resources.
In 2010, IRSN endeavored to promotescientific and technical cooperation
among technical safety organizations(TSOs), by consolidating ETSON, theEuropean association that brings them
together, and through research networks such as SARNET, which sets thestandard for research into the management of nuclear reactor core meltdown
accidents.
The Institute also contributed to efforts
to disseminate knowledge. As part ofthese efforts, it joined other TSOs infounding ENSTTI, the European Nuclear
Safety Training and Tutoring Institute,further to the French President’s
announcement at the Paris international
nuclear conference in April 2010.
The importance of the economic
and societal factors of radiation protection have been brought to ourattention not only by the Fukushima
accident, but also by incidents which,although negligible in comparison withthe disaster in Japan, are closer tohome, one example being the incident
in St-Maur-des-Fossés near Paris, whichcaused small quantities of tritium to bereleased in an urban environment.
Effective management of nuclear orradiological accidents and incidents
relies on a number of vital parameters,
including the ability to develop models
to predict the migration of radionuclides

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in natural environments, rapidly obtain
the results of ﬁeld measurements performed to quantify any additional radionuclides present in the environment
or in foodstuffs, and carry out fast andthorough assessments of doses received
by exposed populations.
IRSN is among the few expert organizations in the world with the necessary skills and resources to perform
such operations. As evidence of this,the Institute had the honor of being designated as a World Health Organizationreference center in the ﬁeld of radiation
protection.
Nonetheless, many challenges still lie
ahead for radiation protection scientists,
and much remains to be done to develop
measurement methods that will deliver
high-quality results with the speed thatthe situation demands.
Progress must also be made to understand more about how radioactivity
affects living organisms exposed overlong periods to doses which, though low,
are higher than those associated withnatural radioactivity. Here, too, international cooperation is the best answer. In
2010, IRSN was involved in setting up
MELODI, an international association
for research into the effects of lowdose radiation. It also headed a groupof European organizations in creatinga network of excellence specialized inradioecology research.
“Enhancing nuclear safety in France
and around the world” – this is themotto that IRSN has chosen to illustrate its contribution to the combined

efforts of all those determined to riseto this challenge. Just a few words toencapsulate a large number and wide
variety of activities in the ﬁeld, to support the many partners and customers whose satisfaction is our greatest
nt. Q
achievement.

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An organizational
structure adapted
to defense and security
assessment activities.

MICHEL BRIÈRE, DEPUTY DIRECTOR GENERALIN CHARGE OF DEFENSE-RELATED MISSIONS

Eight years after IRSN’s Nuclear
Defense Expertise Division was set up,
the time seems ripe for a reminder of its
goals, resources and activities.
The Order enacted to create IRSN stipulates that the purpose of the Division is
to carry out activities aimed at ensuring
the application of the defense code in the
nuclear sector, whether for civil or defense
purposes. In most cases, these activities
consist of assessments performed directly
as part of the Government’s action, or ina support capacity and, whenever necessary, in compliance with ofﬁcial secrets
legislation. They are carried out by one of
the following four departments depending on their type:
Q The Nuclear Defense Safety
Assessment Department employs
twenty engineers who are perfectly
familiar with defense-related nuclear
facilities and activities. Drawing on theInstitute’s various ﬁelds of expertise (civilengineering, criticality, mechanical engineering, seismic design, radiation protection, etc.), they analyze ﬁles submitted
by operators in the defense sector orother branches of industry and give theiropinion regarding compliance with safety
and radiation protection requirements tothe safety authority for defense-related
activities. Without losing sight of the purpose served by military applications, themethods and reference systems used by
the Department’s engineers are, wherever
possible, based on those used in safety
analysis for civil applications. Every year,
IRSN responds to a hundred or so assessment requests from the Representative incharge of Nuclear Safety and Radiation

Protection for Defense-related Activities
and Facilities.
Q The Nuclear Facility Security
Department consists of thirty experts
specialized in protection against malicious acts relating to nuclear materials,
facilities, and transportation. They carryout two types of activity:– examining ﬁles submitted by operatorsconcerning physical protection, accountancy and control of nuclear materials
at their facilities. Nearly 400 ﬁles are
examined each year for the competentauthority,– supporting the above authority by performing facility inspections (about a hundred every year).
Q The International Inspections
Application Department employs
twenty specialists who provide therelevant authorities with the technical support required to implement
international agreements and bilateral undertakings signed by the French
Government on nuclear materials control, and in connection with the ban on
chemical and biological weapons. Every
year, these specialists prepare and assist
about ﬁfty inspections conducted by
Euratom or the IAEA, as well as ten or
so OPCW inspections in France.
Q The Technical Support and Study
Department employs a little over thirty
specialists who carry out the following
activities:– centralized accountancy of nuclear
materials (excluding the nuclear deterrent) as part of the national control ofthese materials, and in connection with
French obligations to submit declarations for accountancy purposes underinternational nuclear non proliferationagreements,– examination of nuclear transportation security ﬁles, operational controlof these shipments, and inspections forthe competent authority. IRSN controls
some 1600 nuclear materials shipments
per year,– research and studies to support activities relating to protection against malicious acts targeting nuclear materials,
facilities and transportation.
The activities of the Nuclear Defense
Expertise Division are inspected several
times a year by a steering committeethat brings together representatives of
the chief civil and military authorities
responsible for ensuring compliancewith the defense code in the nuclear ﬁeld.
This committee reports to the Board of
Directors.
IRSN devotes almost eight per cent of
its resources to the activities concerning
application of the defense code in France,in the area of nuclear safety, security andproliferation. The provisions made inaccordance with the Order enacted tocreate IRSN, take account of the speciﬁcnature of these activities, while drawing
on the Institute’s knowledge, methods
and policies as a whole. Q

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ORGANIZATIONKEY EVENTSFEBRUARY 2
The website of the French national network of environmental radioactivity measurements (RNM) was set up. This site(www.mesure-radioactivite.fr) provides the public with access to
all the environmental radioactivity monitoring data made available
by the various organizations concerned: government departments,
nuclear operators, associations, and so on.

Tong Sang, President of French
Polynesia, visited LESE, the IRSN
laboratory for environmental studies and monitoring set up at the
local site of IFREMER, the French
research institute for explorationof the sea, in Vairao, Tahiti. The visit
was organized in connection withplans to develop an observatory formonitoring pollutants in Polynesianlagoons, including metals, radioactive substances, hydrocarbons andorganochlorine compounds).

MARCH 8JANUARY 21-22
A technical seminar was held in
China to discuss problems relating
to the construction of nuclear power
plants inland. The seminar was jointly
organized by IRSN and Huaneng, thefuture constructor of the AP 1000
plant, under the aegis of the China
Nuclear Energy Association (or CNEA,
the Chinese equivalent of SFEN, theFrench nuclear energy society), andthe Nuclear Safety Center (NSC),IRSN’s counterpart in China.

JANUARY 22
The Finnish Minister of the Economy
and Employment appointed an IRSN

10expert, Giovanni Bruna, as Chairof the Evaluation Committee of
Finland’s four-yearly research anddevelopment program on nuclear
power plant safety.

FEBRUARY 4
Marie-Luce Penchard, Minister ofOverseas France, Adolphe Colrat,
High Commissioner of the Republic
for French Polynesia, and Gaston

French President, Nicolas Sarkozy,
announced the creation of ENSTTI,
the European Nuclear Safety
Training and Tutoring Institute. The
President made the announcement
during his opening speech at theInternational Conference on Accessto Civil Nuclear Energy at the OECD
in Paris.

MARCH 16
Two IRSN/CNRS joint laboratories
were ofﬁcially opened, namely C3R
for the study of chemical kinetics,
combustion, and reactivity with
the University of Lille I, and ETIC,
for the study of ﬁres in enclosed
spaces, with the Universities of AixMarseille I and II.

MARCH 25
Pierre Moscovici, President of PMA,
the Metropolitan Community ofMontbéliard, and Jacques Repussard,

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ORGANIZATION I SUMMARY AND STRATEGY I ACTIVITIES I EFFICIENCY

Director General of IRSN, signed acooperation agreement on radiation
protection. Under the three-year
agreement, a center of expertise inradiation protection will be set up
and a radiation protection culture
developed within PMA.

able economic development, and
IRSN. Under the agreement, thetwo organizations will collaborate
extensively on various aspects ofnuclear safety. The ﬁrst two areasin which the agreement will comeinto effect concern public information on nuclear reactor safety, andpersonnel exchange and training.

APRIL 7
IRSN’s Ethics Commission held its
ﬁrst meeting.

APRIL 9A framework agreement on cooperation was signed by ENEA, theItalian national agency for new
technologies, energy and sustain-

APRIL 16
Jean-Denis Combrexelle, Director ofLabor Relations, visited IRSN. During
his visit, the Institute’s Director
General presented him with thelatest developments concerning
SISERI, the information system for
occupational dosimetry registration,
as well as innovative techniques(calixarenes) aimed at improving

JUNE 28
Claire Cousins, Chair of ICRP, the International Commission on
Radiological Protection, paid her ﬁrst visit to IRSN. During hertalks with the Institute’s Director General, the issue of changes
in the relations between ICRP and leading radiation protection
organizations was raised.

dose assessment following internal contamination or radiologicalaccidents.

JUNE
AERES, the French agency for theevaluation of research and higher
education, began its audit of IRSN’s
research units.

JUNE 9Denis Flory, IRSN’s former Director ofInternational Affairs, was appointed
Deputy Director General of the IAEA
(becoming the ﬁrst Frenchman everto occupy this position) and Head of
the Department of Nuclear Safety
and Security.

JULY 5IRSN launched Aktis, its new multimedia newsletter devoted to all
ﬁelds of science. Supplements to
update the topics covered in thisquarterly publication are published regularly on the Institute’s
website.

JULY 20
ASN and ATMEA, a joint subsidiary of Areva and Mitsubishi Heavy
Industries, signed a contract underwhich ASN and IRSN are to initiate
a process to assess safety options
on ATMEA1, the new 1,100 MWe
QQQ
reactor.

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2010

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ORGANIZATIONSEPTEMBER 15
The joint expert group (GEP) on
uranium mines in Limousin submitted its final report to JeanLouis Borloo, the French Minister ofState and Minister for Sustainable
Development, and André-Claude
Lacoste, Chairman of ASN, theFrench nuclear safety authority.
IRSN was behind the creation of
the joint expert group. The reportis the result of three years’ work,
involving ﬁfteen members of IRSN,
aimed at ensuring the long-term
protection of human health andthe environment.

ground water around Tricastin. The
study was backed by a multidisciplinary monitoring group.

NOV. 7-8
SEPTEMBER 23
IRSN received a visit from Tatsuo
Sato, the new Vice-President of
JNES, the Japanese TSO. The aim of
the visit was to renew the general
cooperation agreement between
the two organizations and discuss
methods for developing joint service initiatives in favor of FrenchJapanese offers on international
markets.

The EUROSAFE Forum 2010,
organized by GRS, the German
TSO, in collaboration with its
Belgian (Bel V) and French(IRSN) counterparts, was heldin the German city of Cologne.
The event focused on innovation in nuclear safety andsecurity. It was attended bymore than 400 participantsfrom thirty countries.

OCTOBER 25-29
SEPTEMBER 22
IRSN organized a public meetingin Pierrelatte, in southern France,
attended by about 140 people,
including local residents, elected
representatives and representatives of Areva and a number of associations. The meeting was held topresent the results of an IRSN study
aimed at determining the causes forthe traces of uranium found in the

The IAEA international conference
on challenges faced by nuclear technical safety organizations (TSOs) inenhancing nuclear safety and security
was held. The Tokyo conference waschaired by IRSN’s Director Generaland organized jointly by the IAEA
and the Japan Nuclear Energy Safety
Organization, the Japanese TSO.
Attended by 220 participants from57 countries, the conference stressed
the need for adequate scientiﬁc andtechnical resources in support ofnuclear safety and security, and forstronger regional and international
cooperation among TSOs to meetthe requirements of countries with
ambitious nuclear power programs.

SEPTEMBER 21-24
The “IRSN Dissertation Days” were
held in Arles in the south of France,
giving IRSN’s doctorate and postdoctorate students an opportunity
to present their research in radiation
protection and nuclear safety. The
event opened with a science day, during which key ﬁgures from outside theorganization spoke on the theme of“Research in risk assessment”.

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NOVEMBER 15
A delegation from the United States
Nuclear Regulatory Commission(US NRC), visited IRSN. The delegation was led by George Apostolakis
and William Ostendorff, the two
new Commissioners appointed byPresident Obama. The members ofthe delegation, who had asked tomeet with IRSN’s Director General,
were shown the Institute’s workon nuclear safety. Talks centeredespecially on taking advantage ofreviews to enhance the safety ofoperating reactors.

DECEMBER 16
IRSN organized the ﬁrst session of
the CAMARI aptitude certiﬁcate for
operating industrial radiology equipment in Morocco, in partnershipwith CNESTEN, Morocco’s national
center for nuclear energy, scienceand technology, and AMS-AP, theMoroccan welding and pressure
vessel association. Q

03

Q

02

04

Q

MAJOR REPORTS PUBLISHEDORGANIZATION01

ORGANIZATION I SUMMARY AND STRATEGY I ACTIVITIES I EFFICIENCYAll IRSN reports and scientiﬁc and technical publications can be consulted on the Institute’s website on
www.irsn.fr

RADIATION PROTECTION AND
HUMAN HEALTHENVIRONMENTAL
MONITORING

Q Assessing the health risk relating to X-ray
backscatter body scanners

Q Dosimetric assessments of environmental
management options for the area contaminated by carbon-14 around the siteof the former Isotopchim laboratory in
Ganagobie.

Publication date: February 2010

Q Exposure to ionizing radiation relating to
medical diagnostic procedures in France
in 2007.
Publication date: March 2010

Q Practical guide for conducting dosimetricstudies at work stations with a risk of exposure to ionizing radiation (Version 2).
Publication date: April 2010

Q Analysis of diagnostic reference levels inradiology and nuclear medicine - 20072008 report.
Publication date: October 2010

Q 2009 report on occupational exposure toionizing radiation.

Publication date: March 2010

Q Study of the radiological impact of dredging sediment at Les Minimes port in La
Rochelle.
Publication date: April 2010

Q Tritium in the environment – IRSN summary report.
Publication date: July 2010

Q Tritium in the environment – IRSN’s
viewpoint on key issues and avenues forresearch and development.

Q Study of the causes for the presence ofuranium in alluvial ground water around
Tricastin.
Publication date: September 2010

Q 2009 management report of the national
network of environmental radioactivity
measurements (RNM) IRSN/ASN.
Publication date: November 2010

Q Radioactive ﬂux conveyed by the River
Rhône to the Mediterranean Sea in2008.
Publication date: September 2010

Q 2009 report on radioactivity monitoringin French Polynesia.
Publication date: October 2010

Publication date: July 2010

Publication date: October 2010

Special report published further to the work of the joint expert
group (GEP) on uranium mines in Limousin
Q Critical appraisal of information on the ecological impact of mining sites
on the Ritord catchment basin and Saint-Pardoux lake.

NUCLEAR SAFETY
Q Translation of the report “Enseignementstirés des incidents déclarés entre 2005 et2008 dans les laboratoires et usines nucléaires et dans les installations nucléaires endémantèlement” (Lessons learned fromincidents reported between 2005 and2008 at nuclear laboratories and plants,
and at nuclear facilities in the process of
being dismantled).English translation of
the December 2009 report.

Publication date: September 2010 - signed on June 2, 2006

Q Method for assessing the environmental risk associated with the releaseof radioactive substances. Adaptation to the case of mining sites in HauteVienne.
Publication date: September 2010 - signed on December 20, 2007

Q Contribution to the assessment of the environmental risk associatedwith uranium release in the Ritford catchment basin.
Publication date: September 2010 – signed on August 6, 2008

Q Consideration of the impact of chemical speciation in the analysis of theecotoxic effects of uranium in fresh water.

Publication date: May 2010

Q Production sources and management oftritium produced by nuclear facilities.

Publication date: September 2010 – signed on November 12, 2009

Q Preparing a proposal for an environmental quality standard for uranium
in fresh water.

Publication date: July 2010

Q Analytical guide to criticality risks and theirprevention at plants and laboratories.
Publication date: December 17, 2010

Q IRSN’s viewpoint on safety and radiation protection issues relative to French
nuclear power plants in 2009.
Publication date: January 2011

Publication date: September 2010 – signed on November 20, 2009OTHER
Q IRSN barometer 2010: Risk perception.
Publication date: July 2010

Q CAMARI aptitude certiﬁcate for operating
industrial radiology equipment. 2009

Annual Report: organization, results andoutlook.
Publication date: November 2010

Q 2009 Report on Research Training.
Publication date: January 2011

Summaries of the assessment reports submitted to theadvisory committees in 2010 can be downloaded from:www.irsn.fr/rubrique Notices and reports

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 201013

ACTIVITY KEY FIGURESRESEARCH

INTERNATIONAL

43.3%

180 in 2008
187 in 2009of IRSN’s budget
devoted to research.
(45% in 2009)(1) excluding property project and special fund.

158

publications in
Journal Citation Reports.

(157 in 2009)25

182 in 2010
Number of bilateral agreements
signed with research andassessment organizations.

34

countries involved inthese agreements. (36 in 2009)

dissertations defended.

84(28 in 2009)

international projects inprogress. (93 including 22 projects

329

European projects in 2009)

TECHNICAL SUPPORT FOR
PUBLIC AUTHORITIES

47.9%

of IRSN’s budget (1)devoted to technicalsupport and activities
in the general interest.

84

technical
notices to the ASND.
(93 in 2009)

386

technical
notices to the security
authority. (402 in 2009)(47% in 2009)(1) excluding property projectand special fund.

658

technical
notices to the ASN.

(646 in 2009)

scientiﬁc lectures atconferences. (318 in 2009)INTELLECTUAL
PROPERTY

HUMAN RESOURCES
103 in 2008
125 in 2009

18 in 2008
19 in 2009

57 in 2010

21 in 2010

Number of employees recruitedon permanent contracts

TRAINING

63

patents in force
abroad. (58 in 2009)2

software applications anddatabases placed with thesoftware protection agency APP.

(11 in 2009)SERVICE CONTRACTS
€M

39.2

2,153

participantsin IRSN training courses over
the year. (3,271 in 2009)

2,406

hours of teaching
given outside the Institute(universities, engineeringschools, INSTN, etc.).

24,304

customers. (23,063 in 2009)14(61 293 en 2009)

Average age

41.1
for women

42.6
for men(2,417 in 2009)

Proportion of managerial/ Proportionof men/women
non-managerial staff

1,372

Nonmanagerial
staff:

hours ofeducation given in 140 training
sessions on radiation protection.
(2,387 in 2009 – 192 training sessions)revenue.

(37.7 in 2009)

60,471hours of training given to
maintain the skill levels of engineers and experts.

Women:

45.4%

26.5

%

Managerial
staff:

73.5%

Men:

54.6%

735

Distribution of employees on permanent contracts(786 in 2009 – 21 training sessions)

Paris Region: 1,314 employees
Southeast Region: 324 employees

hours of education
given in 29 training sessions
on nuclear safety.

03

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02

04

€M

revenue. (283 €M in 2009)

DISSEMINATIONOF KNOWLEDGE

1,631,014
visits to the IRSN
website.
(1,700,000 in 2009)

41 notices andreports published on
the IRSN website.

(41 in 2009)12 IRSN operations
at local informationcommittees.

(16 in 2009)

Q

316

204,000€M

313

consulted in the“Research” section(formerly the “scientiﬁcsite”) of the IRSN
website.

expenditure including 25 €Mfor equipment investment.
(301 €M including 23 €M in 2009)(234,000 in 2009)25 requests for

IRSN action received
from local informationcommittees.

Operating and investment
expenditure(30 in 2009)10.23%

1 IRSN publication.

Investment(2 in 2009)89.77%
Operating expenses

Total funding

73.14%
Budget Act 189 grant

1.02%
Budget Act 212 grant

Le Vésinet
SaclayOcteville-Cherbourg

Fontenay-aux-Roses
Orsay

Pierrelatte

Agen

Cadarache

Les AnglesAvignon
Tournemire

La Seynesur-Mer

BUDGET BREAKDOWN

25.84%

LOCATIONS as of december 31, 2010

Other French
funds (aside
from Budget Act)

French funds(aside from Budget Act)

Other 77.89%
including 20.99% loan

EDF 9.94%
State 6.59%
Areva 2.82%
CEA 2.76%

Foreign funds

Riskaudit 45.86%
Other 21.67%
EU 14.13%
Stockholm
University 6.77%
Batelle Energy
Alliance 5.88%
Stuk Radiation
and Nuclear 5.69%

Vairao (Tahiti)

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2010

ORGANIZATION01

ORGANIZATION I SUMMARY AND STRATEGY I ACTIVITIES I EFFICIENCY

15

02

ORGANIZATIONORGANIZATION CHARTEXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (as of April 30, 2011)
The IRSN Executive Committee is chaired by the Director General and made up of 20 members representing
the Institute’s operational and functional divisions. It meets twice monthly to examine matters of strategy,
development, operation, and the positions adopted by the Institute on various topics.

> Executive committee - From left to right and from top to bottom:
Didier Demeillers and Marc-Gérard Albert / Alain Cernès /Bruno Dufer and Jacques Repussard / Jean-Bernard Chériéand Marie-Pierre Bigot / Patrick Gourmelon / Daniel Quéniart andJean-Luc Pasquier / Jérôme Joly / Michel Schwarz / Michel Brière /Patricia de la Morlais / Martial Jorel and Thierry Charles /Jean-Claude Micaelli / Didier Champion and Matthieu Schuler.

QGENERAL MANAGEMENT
Jacques REPUSSARD, Director General
Michel BRIÈRE, Deputy Director General in chargeof defense-related missions
Jean-Bernard CHÉRIÉ, Deputy Director General in chargeof administrative affairs
Jean-Luc PASQUIER, Deputy Director
Michel SCHWARZ, Scientiﬁc Director

QBOARD OF DIRECTORS

Alain CERNÈS, Inspector General

Agnès BUZYN, Chairperson

Daniel QUÉNIART, Advisor

16

03

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04

QFUNCTIONAL DIVISIONSNUCLEAR DEFENSE EXPERTISE
Jérôme JOLY, Director> Safety of defense-related nuclear facilities> Security of nuclear materials, transport and facilities> Enforcement of international inspections> Technical support and studies

STRATEGY, DEVELOPMENT AND PARTNERSHIPS
Matthieu SCHULER, Director> General strategy with a strong focus on scientiﬁc andtechnical content> Partnership and contracting policy> Relations with supervisory authorities, partners andcustomers> Openness to society> Promotion and development of the Institute> Strategic technology watch and exploiting knowledge> Teaching and training in radiation protection and nuclear
safetyENVIRONMENT AND RESPONSE
Didier CHAMPION, Director> Study of radionuclide behavior in ecosystems> Study and monitoring of radioactivity in the environment> Environmental sample processing and metrology> Analysis of risks related to the geosphere> Radiation protection response and support> Emergency situations and response organization
PREVENTION OF MAJOR ACCIDENTS
Jean-Claude MICAELLI, Director> Experimental study and modeling of the behavior of fueland its component materials in accident situations> Experimental study and modeling of ﬁres
> Experimental study and modeling of core meltdown
accidents
RADIATION PROTECTION AND HUMAN HEALTH
Patrick GOURMELON, Director> Radiation protection studies and assessments> Radiobiology and epidemiology> External dosimetry> Internal dosimetry
REACTOR SAFETY
Martial JOREL, Director> Pressurized water reactors> Gas-cooled, fast-neutron and experimental reactors> Equipment and structures> Systems and risks> Thermal-hydraulics, reactor core and operationof nuclear facilities> Severe accidents and radiological consequences> Human factors
SAFETY OF PLANTS, LABORATORIES, TRANSPORT
AND WASTE
Thierry CHARLES, Director> Fuel cycle transport and facilities> Laboratories, irradiators, accelerators and decommissioned
reactors> Radioactive waste> Industrial risks, ﬁre and containment> Criticality> Air dispersion of pollutants

Q

QOPERATIONAL DIVISIONSINTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Marc-Gérard ALBERT, Director> International relations> International business development
COMMUNICATIONSMarie-Pierre BIGOT, Director> Public relations> Websites> Information and media relations> In-house communications

QSUPPORT DIVISIONSHUMAN RESOURCES
Patricia de la MORLAIS, Director> Social policy> Human resource management> Staff administration and pay
FINANCIAL, BUSINESS AND LEGAL AFFAIRS
Didier DEMEILLERS, Director> Budget monitoring> Administration of expenditure and revenue> Application of tax and customs regulations> Cost accounting and management control> Commercial and legal support
SECURITY, ASSETS AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Bruno DUFER, Director and IRSN Security Ofﬁcer> Security of assets and sites> Buildings and logistics> Health, safety, and environmental protection> Sustainable development> Information systems
ACCOUNTING OFFICE
Stéphane ROCHARD, Accounting Ofﬁcer

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2010

ORGANIZATION01

ORGANIZATION I SUMMARY AND STRATEGY I ACTIVITIES I EFFICIENCY

17

02

ORGANIZATIONBOARD OF DIRECTORS
Composition (as of December 31, 2010)
MISSIONS
Deliberations by the Board of Directors rule on IRSN
activities. More speciﬁcally, the Board deliberates on
general conditions governing the Institute’s organizationand operation, its strategy and program, and its annual
activity report. It also approves the budget, decisions
involving changes, year-end ﬁnancial statements andincome appropriation.

24

members4

meetings
in 20105-yearmandate18

Q TEN GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVESPatrick RENVOISÉ, Nuclear Safety Inspector for DGA,
the French Armament Procurement Agency, representing the Minister of Defense. Régine BRÉHIER, Directorof Research and Innovation, representing the Minister for
the Environment. Jocelyne BOUDOT, Deputy Directorof Environmental and Food Risk Prevention at the French
Directorate General for Health, representing the Minister
for Health. Thomas BRANCHE, Deputy Director for the
Nuclear Industry, Directorate General for Energy andClimate, representing the Minister for Industry. Laurence
PIKETTY, Scientiﬁc Director of the Energy, Sustainable
Development, Chemistry and Process Department of the
Directorate General for Research and Innovation, representing the Minister for Research. Guillaume DEDEREN, Headof the Major Risks Ofﬁce at the Directorate for Defense andCivil Security, representing the Minister for Civil Security.
Jean-Denis COMBREXELLE, Director of Labor Relations,representing the Minister for Employment. Mathieu
DUFOIX, Head of the Energy, Proﬁt-sharing, Industry andInnovation Ofﬁce at the Budget Directorate, representing the Minister for the Budget. Marcel JURIEN DE LAGRAVIÈRE, Representative in charge of Nuclear Safety
and Radiation Protection for Defense-related Activities andFacilities. Nicolas CHANTRENNE, Head of the Nuclear
Safety and Radiation Protection Mission.
Q SIX ADVISORY MEMBERS
Serge AUBERT, Air Force Major General, nominated by
the Minister of Defense. Jean-Claude DELALONDE,
Chairman of the National Association of Local Information
Commissions and Committees, nominated by the Ministerfor the Environment. Patrick LEDERMANN, Vice-Presidentof the Nuclear Division at Alstom Power, nominated by the
Minister for Industry. Jean-Marc CAVEDON, Director of
the Division for Research into Nuclear Energy and Safety
at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland, nominatedby the Minister of Research. Agnès BUZYN, Chairperson,
Board of Directors, physician and professor of hematology,
nominated by the Minister for Health. Claude BIRRAUX,
President of the Parliamentary Ofﬁce for the Evaluationof Scientiﬁc and Technological Choice.
Q EIGHT STAFF REPRESENTATIVES
Yves BRISSET, CFE-CGC. Nicolas BRISSON, CGT. François
DUCAMP, CGT. Thierry FLEURY, CFDT. François JEFFROY,
CFDT. Yves LE RESTE, CFE-CGC. Christophe SERRES,
CFDT. Carine STRUP-PERROT, CGT.
Q EX OFFICIO OR ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
Laurent MICHEL, Director General of Risk Prevention
and Government Commissioner. Bernard ABATE, Auditor
General. Jacques REPUSSARD, Director General. MichelBRIÈRE, Deputy Director General in charge of defenserelated missions. Stéphane ROCHARD, Accounting Ofﬁcer.
Philippe BOURACHOT, Works Committee Secretary.
André-Claude LACOSTE, Chairman of the French Nuclear
Safety Authority.

MAIN ACCOMPLISHMENTS 2010
• Deﬁnition of the basis for discussions on the futureof the Cabri water loop project,• Review of IRSN’s organizational structure andgeneral operating rules,• Launch of phase 1 of the property restructuring
project for the Fontenay-aux-Roses site.

03

Q

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04

Q

STEERING COMMITTEE FOR
THE NUCLEAR DEFENSE EXPERTISE
DIVISION – CODEND
Composition (as of December 31, 2010)
MISSIONS
The committee examines the activity program preparedby the Nuclear Defense Expertise Division before it issubmitted to the Institute’s Board of Directors. It isconsulted when the Board of Directors is called upon
to make decisions relating specifically to theorganization or running of this Division and advises theBoard of Directors on matters related to division
activities.

Marcel JURIEN de la GRAVIÈRE, Chairman of CODEND,
Representative in charge of Nuclear Safety and Radiation
Protection for Defense-related Activities and Facilities.
Laurent MANDARD, Commander, representative of theArmed Forces Chief of Staff. Patrick RENVOISÉ, Engineer
General for Armaments, representing the DGA, the French
defense procurement agency. Rony LOBJOIT, Colonel,
representing the administrative Secretary General of the
Ministry of Defense. Éric CHAPLET, Rear-Admiral, Nuclear
Weapons Inspector. Mathieu DUFOIX, representing theBudget Director. Sabine SCIORTINO, representing the

Director of Strategic Affairs, Security and Disarmament at
the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs. Alain ROCCA,
Head of the Economic and Nuclear Infrastructure Security
Department for the Senior Defense and Security Ofﬁcialof the Ministry of Industry. Laurent DEMOLINS, BrigadierGeneral, Head of the Department of Defense, Security andEconomic Intelligence, representing the Senior Defense
and Security Ofﬁcial at the French Ministry of Ecology,
Sustainable Development, Transport and Housing. JeanBaptiste FLEUTOT, Chief Medical Ofﬁcer of the French
Armed Forces, advisory member appointed by the Ministerof Defense. Serge POULARD, advisory member appointed
by the Minister for Industry.

MAIN ACCOMPLISHMENTS 2010
• Review of defense and safety aspects of thefollowing:– DEND 2009 Activity Report and IRSN 2009 Annual
Report,– Medium- and Long-term Plan,– DEND activity program for 2011.

ORGANIZATION01

ORGANIZATION I SUMMARY AND STRATEGY I ACTIVITIES I EFFICIENCY

11

members2

meetings
in 20105-yearmandates
for the twoadvisorymembers

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2010

19

02

ORGANIZATIONSCIENTIFIC COUNCIL
Composition (as of December 31, 2010)
MISSIONSThe Scientiﬁc Council examines and gives its opinion on
IRSN activity programs and ensures that its research
programs are scientiﬁcally relevant and of the highest
quality. It examines program results in order to prepare
recommendations on Institute strategy. It may be consulted by the Board’s Chairperson or by the supervisory
ministers on any subject that comes under the Institute’s
authority.

12

members2

meetings
in 20105-yearmandateMichel QUINTARD, Scientiﬁc Council Chairman, CNRS
Research Director at the Toulouse Institute of Fluid
Mechanics, nominated by the Minister for Research.
Philippe ACKERER, Deputy Director of the Institute of
Fluid and Solid Mechanics in Strasbourg, nominated by
the Minister for the Environment. Jean-Claude ANDRÉ,
Emeritus Research Director, Scientiﬁc Advisor at the CNRS
Institute for Engineering and Systems Science, nominated by
the Minister for Labor. Dietrich AVERBECK, CNRS Emeritus
Research Director at the Curie Institute, nominated by the
Minister for Health. Bernard BONIN, Deputy Scientiﬁc
Director of the CEA Nuclear Energy Division nominated by
the Minister for Research. Yves-Sébastien CORDOLIANI,
medical practitioner, human radiation protection expert,
nominated by the Minister for Health. Denis GAMBINI,
medical practitioner, researcher at the Occupational
Health Department at the Hôtel-Dieu hospital in Paris,
nominated by the Minister for Labor. Pierre LAROCHE,

Chief Medical Ofﬁcer of the French Armed Forces, Headof the Medical Division of the Armed Forces’ Radiation
Protection Department, nominated by the Minister ofDefense. André PINEAU, Professor at the Paris School of
Mine Engineering, nominated by the Minister for Industry.
Bernard SEVESTRE, Head of the Radioactive Sources
Team at the CEA Nuclear Energy Division nominatedby the Minister for Research. Patsy-Ann THOMPSON,
Director of Environmental Assessments and Protection at
the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, nominated by
the Minister for the Environment. George YADIGAROGLU,
Emeritus Professor of Nuclear Engineering at the Swiss
Federal Institute of Technology, nominated by the Minister
for Industry.

MAIN ACCOMPLISHMENTS 2010
• The Council’s assessment on “Assessment of risks toecosystems” (November 2010) was completed andpresented,• Assessment of the environmental monitoring
strategy in progress,• Two new assessments were launched in November
2010:– critical software,– epidemiological studies.

ETHICS COMMISSION
Composition (as of December 31, 2010)
MISSIONS
Included as part of the order organizing the IRSN, theEthics Commission reports to the Board of Directors
and is responsible for advising it on preparing ethicalcharters that are applicable to the Institute’s activities
and for monitoring their application, including
conditions at the Institute for distinguishing between
assessment missions performed on behalf ofgovernment departments and those performed for
public or private operators. It also serves as a mediatorwhen problems of an ethical nature arise.

Jean-Pierre DUPUY, Corps des Mines Engineer General,philosopher, professor at the École Polytechnique andStanford University, California, and member of the French
Academy of Technology.
Jean-Claude AMEISEN, biologist, immunologist, professor of medicine at University of Paris Diderot and Bichat
Hospital, – member of the French National Ethics Advisory
Committee, Chairman of INSERM’s Ethics Committee.
Anne BERRIAT, magistrate on the Council of State (Conseil
d’Etat), took part in steering national sustainable development strategy (2003) and preparing the report on strengthening and structuring environmental policy.

20

Éric VINDIMIAN, Engineer General specializing in agricultural engineering, water and forests, Regional Directorof CEMAGREF (French research institute for agriculturaland environmental engineering), specialist in the impact
of toxic substances on the environment and health and inassessing government environmental policies.

MAIN ACCOMPLISHMENTS 2010
• April 7, 2010: the Commission held its ﬁrst meeting.
The Commission acquainted itself with IRSN’s various
missions and activities, as well as the rules it follows
and the responsibilities it takes on to ensure that they
are carried out effectively.
• July 7, 2010: visit to the Fontenay-aux-Roses site. The
Commission followed the various stages involved in
examining a nuclear operator ﬁle and discovered how
a research program is constructed for assessment
purposes. IRSN’s teams explained these topics inconcrete terms. The Commission also visited theInstitute’s Biological Dosimetry Laboratory and theExternal Dosimetry Department.

4

members1

meetingin 20104-yearmandate

03

■

02

04

■

NUCLEAR SAFETY AND RADIATIONPROTECTION RESEARCH POLICYCOMMITTEE – COR
Composition (as of December 31, 2010)
MISSIONSThe Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection Research
Policy Committee, or COR, is an advisory body to the
IRSN Board of Directors, giving opinions on research objectives and priorities in the ﬁelds of nuclear safety andradiation protection. It adopts a global approach thattakes into consideration the requirements of society andthe public authorities. It thus complements the activityof IRSN’s Scientiﬁc Council, which focuses on the quality
and relevance of the Institute’s research programs andoutcomes from a scientiﬁc perspective.

■ PUBLIC AUTHORITIESSupervisory ministry representatives: Laurence
PIKETTY, Scientiﬁc Director of the Energy, Sustainable
Development, Chemistry and Process Department of the
Directorate General for Research and Innovation, representing the Minister for Research. Didier HOUSSIN,
Director General of Health, representing the Ministry of
Health. Claire HUBERT, Head of Research – Directorate
for Health and Innovation, representing the Ministry of
Ecology. Pascal QUENTEL, Head of Nuclear Security andAssessment Division – French Armament Procurement
Agency, representing the Ministry of Defense. Thomas
BRANCHE, Deputy Director for the Nuclear Industry,
Directorate General for Energy and Climate, representing
the Ministry of Industry.
Representative of the Directorate General for Labor:Thierry LAHAYE, in charge of matters relating to the protection of workers against physical hazards – Directorate
General for Labor, representing the Ministry of Labor.
ASN representative: Jean-Christophe NIEL, DirectorGeneral.
■ COMPANIES AND PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
Philippe GARDERET, Scientiﬁc Vice-President – Areva.
Noël CAMARCAT, Nuclear Research and Development
Officer – Generation and Engineering Branch – EDF.
Bruno CAHEN, Director of Risk Control – Andra. Dietrich
AVERBECK, Curie Institute, SFRP representative. JeanMarc COSSET, Head of Radiotherapy at the Curie Institute,
SFRO representative.
■ EMPLOYEES IN THE NUCLEAR SECTOR
Representatives of national labor unions: Jean-PaulCRESSY, FCE-CFDT. Jean-François DOZOL, FO. Claire
ÉTINEAU, CFTC. CFE-CGC (being appointed). Alain
VASSAUX, CGT.
■ ELECTED REPRESENTATIVESOPECST representatives: Claude LETEURTRE, Member ofParliament for Calvados. Jean-Claude ÉTIENNE, Senatorfor Marne.
Representative of the Local Information Committees(CLI): Monique SENÉ, Vice-President of ANCCLI.
Representatives of towns with a nuclear facility, proposed by the Association of French Mayors: Yves LE
BELLEC, Mayor of Pierrelatte. Bertrand RINGOT, Mayorof Gravelines.

■ ASSOCIATIONSDavid BOILLEY, President of ACRO. Jacky BONNEMAINS,
President of Robin des bois. Élise CHAMPEAU, President of
MANES, an association that supports victims of industrial
diseases and accidents in the nuclear and chemical sectors
and their friends and families. Maryse ARDITI, Presidentof France nature environnement. Simon SCHRAUB,
Administrator of the Ligue nationale contre le cancer.
■ ADVISORY MEMBERS
Jean-Claude DELALONDE, President of ANCCLI. Henri
REVOL, President of the High Committee for Transparency
and Information on Nuclear Safety. Agnès BUZYN,
Chairperson, IRSN Board of Directors, ex ofﬁcio Chairpersonof the Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection Research
Policy Committee.
■ RESEARCH ORGANIZATIONS
Christophe BEHAR, Director of Nuclear Energy – CEA.
Thierry DAMERVAL, Deputy Director General for Strategy– Inserm / Director of Paristech School of Chemistry(being appointed). Farid OUABDESSELAM, President of
Grenoble 1 – Joseph Fourier University, representative of
the French Conference of University Presidents (CPU).
Cyrille THIEFFRY, Task Ofﬁcer for Radiation Protection
and Nuclear Affairs – IN2P3, CNRS representative.
■ FOREIGN MEMBERS
Jean-Jacques VAN BINNEBEEK, Director General – AVN –Belgium. Ted LAZO, NEA (Nuclear Energy Agency) – OECD.
Christophe BADIE, Head of Environmental Assessments
Department – Health protection agency (HPA ) – United
Kingdom. George YADIGAROGLU, Emeritus Professorof Nuclear Engineering at the Swiss Federal Institute ofTechnology.
■ EX OFFICIO MEMBERS
Catherine CEZARSKY, Atomic Energy High Commissioner.
Laurent MICHEL, Government Commissioner andDirector General of Risk Prevention at the Ministry of
Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and the Sea.
Michel QUINTARD, IRSN Scientiﬁc Council Chairman,
CNRS Research Director at the Toulouse Institute of Fluid
Mechanics. Jacques REPUSSARD, Director General.

MAIN ACCOMPLISHMENTS 2010
• April 15, 2010: third plenary meeting of the COR,
focusing on IRSN’s positioning within the French,
European, and world research structure. The COR issued
a notice outlining the main criteria to be considered inassessing the relevance of the Institute’s research work.
• September 30, 2010: fourth plenary meeting of
the COR. A working group was set up, led by Claude
Leteurtre, Member of Parliament for Calvados.
• Furthermore, the working group on the effects of
low-dose ionizing radiation on human health and theone set up to study the issue of extending the service
life of existing nuclear reactors continued their workwith a view to submitting their ﬁndings to COR
members in 2011.

ORGANIZATION01

ORGANIZATION I SUMMARY AND STRATEGY I ACTIVITIES I EFFICIENCY

43

members2

plenary
meetings
in 2010IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 201021

NEW DELHI - INDIA I DECEMBER 6, 201022

02

During President Sarkozy’s visit to India, IRSN’s Director General, Jacques
Repussard, signed a cooperation framework agreement on nuclear safety with
Shri Satinder Singh Bajaj, Chairman of AERB, India’s Atomic Energy Regulatory
Board.

SUMMARY
AND STRATEGYPROGRESS AND MAIN ACTIVITIES IN 2010 . . . . . . . P. 24
TRANSPARENCY AND COMMUNICATIONSPOLICY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 32
PROMOTING A SAFETY AND RADIATIONPROTECTION CULTURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 34

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2010

23

02

SUMMARY AND STRATEGYPROGRESS AND MAIN ACTIVITIES IN 2010

IRSN can rely on
governance principles capableof taking up major
challenges between 2010
and 2020
The Institute made signiﬁcant progress in implementing its strategy in 2010. In particular, it
completed preparatory work on the Government/IRSN Contract of Objectives (known as COB
2010-2013). From the strategic viewpoint, the new contract carries on from its predecessor,
focusing on the same four main areas and highlighting a number of scientiﬁc, technical, andsocial topics relating to safety, security and radiation protection. In this area, the Institute isincreasingly concerned with issues relating to aging existing facilities, building Generation III
reactors, conducting research into the safety of Generation IV reactors, protecting nuclear
facilities against malicious acts, and developing radiation protection in the medical ﬁeld.
IRSN’s ISO 9001 quality certiﬁcation was also renewed in 2010, following a restructuringphase concerning its operating procedures. As part of this work, tools and bodies relating togovernance were set up to consolidate and drive progress in the management of the Institute’s
human and ﬁnancial resources. At a time when the Government continues to express theneed for public policies that are both efﬁcient and economical, it is such operating maturity
that enables IRSN to remain in line with national priorities.

IRSN’s strategy is intended to address three
types of issues. The first area concernschanges in the French nuclear sector relating to aging nuclear power plants and fuelcycle facilities, some of which have been in
operation for more than thirty years, and to
the use of new technology for equipment
and facilities, such as new I&C systems inplants. The second area is to do with howsociety perceives the risks associated withthe use of nuclear energy, such as major
accidents, environmental and health hazards, radioactive release from facilities,
and long-lived nuclear waste. These issues
reﬂect the public’s growing desire to play
an active part in enhancing awareness andrisk control. The last concern changes in the
nuclear industry around the world. Whether
considered in terms of the technologicaloffer in facility design and construction or
the use of nuclear power capabilities, these24

90

man.years
devoted tointernational
activities.
(90 in 2009)

issues represent a growing challenge that
calls for a consolidation throughout Europeof the processes of standardization, if not
gradual integration, of concepts and practices concerning nuclear safety, security andhigh-level radiation protection. IRSN has
every intention of driving this consolidation process.

Fostering a nuclear safety
culture in Europe and the rest of
the world
In 2010, IRSN developed its action in several inter-related areas. Chief among them
was its involvement in assisting in setting
up an appropriate doctrine and regulatory
framework in countries wishing to acquire
nuclear power capability. With its expertisein this ﬁeld, the Institute has stepped up its
cooperation with a number of countries,
such as Italy, and Jordan, which are seeking

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ORGANIZATION I SUMMARY AND STRATEGY I ACTIVITIES I EFFICIENCYQ On October 18-20, 2010, more than 200 scientists and low-dose specialists gathered in Paris to attend the second
international conference on MELODI, the Multidisciplinary European Low Dose Initiative.

partners to help them acquire the humanskills required for setting up safety authorities and technical support organizations
that are capable of fulﬁlling all their duties.
Within this context, the Director Generalof IRSN chaired the second IAEA international conference on the nuclear safety
and security challenges faced by technicalsafety organizations (TSOs), held in Tokyo
at the end of October. The conference led
to broad consensus on the need for a solid
network of technical safety organizations
and for closer cooperation among them.
The Institute, which is recognized as a major
player in the ﬁeld of nuclear safety andsecurity, continued to support internationalorganizations in several ways. This included
helping the IAEA to draft fundamental
nuclear security principles and recommendations, and organizing, on its behalf,
an international training session in nuclear
security culture in November in Paris.
At the same time, it increased initiatives
involving expert networks aimed at learning more about nuclear reactor safety, orthe health effects of chronic exposure to
low-dose ionizing radiation (MELODI).
Representing TSOs on Europe’s Sustainable

153

167

115

2008

2009

2010

Opportunities
for IRSN toparticipate ininternational
expert groups.

Nuclear Energy Technology Platform(SNETP), IRSN took part in selecting
research priorities for 2010 relating to generation II and III reactors. Under a contract
with the European Union, IRSN undertook
to analyze operating experience feedback
from the major nuclear power plants in
Europe. Alongside its nuclear risk prevention
activities, the Institute took part in preparing response and remediation scenarios inthe event of nuclear and radiological emergency situations. This activity was carriedout within the European network NERIS.
In 2010, in a move backed by the European
Commission, ETSON, the European Technical
Safety Organisations Network, underwent achange of legal status to become an independent body. The Institute’s European
strategy largely contributed to this new
structure, which incorporates the different ﬁelds of TSO activity, such as research,assessments and training.
This shows how the Institute and its counterparts have succeeded in producing a
joint response regarding the three main
TSO activities by: i) developing and standardizing nuclear safety practices within
EUROSAFE; ii) performing interna- QQQ

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2010

25

02

SUMMARY AND STRATEGY

tional technical assessments, particularly
through Riskaudit, a jointly-owned subsidiary of IRSN and its German counterpart GRS; iii) providing practical training
at ENSTTI, the European Nuclear Safety
Training and Tutoring Institute, for engineers whose activities will impact on thesafety of nuclear facilities.
The relevance of this approach is reﬂectedin the interest it has aroused outside theEuropean Union. For example, safety
organizations in Japan and Ukraine haveexpressed their desire to become associate
members of ETSON.

Stronger governance and morepartnerships for research
The research carried out by IRSN targets
nuclear and radiological risk prevention. In thisrespect, the Institute must acquire and maintain a sufﬁcient level of scientiﬁc and technicalexpertise to ensure balanced input into technical discussions with nuclear operators when
examining their safety analysis documentation. Research at IRSN is also aimed at building scientiﬁc knowledge in the area of safety
and radiation protection and encouraging
operators to put available technology to thebest possible use in the interest of safety.

IN THE WORDS OF…

Dominique Ristori, Director General of the European

Commission’s Joint Research Centre“The European Commission
has followed with greatinterest the developmentof ETSON ever since theInstitute was founded in2006. The TSO network is
known throughout the world
for its valuable contribution
to nuclear safety and security,
based on its assessment
activities, research programs,
and work on standardizing
nuclear safety practices. IRSN’srole as a driving force behind
this process was demonstrated
when its Director General wasappointed Chairman of the TSO
network.
In 2010, ETSON registered its
new articles of association,

26

which are more in line withthe variety and growth of its
European activities.
I particularly welcome the factthat the network has reachedthis important milestone inits development. I’m now
counting on it to devote its
energy to working with theregulators on continuing efforts
to standardize nuclear safety
practices. This entails deﬁning
Generation III and IV reactors,
helping to guarantee theuniform application of European
directives on nuclear safety
and waste management, andpromoting knowledge sharing
in these ﬁelds among European
countries.”

The year 2010 saw a major change in theInstitute’s organizational structure when
its science and strategy divisions weremerged into a single functional division,
called the Strategy, Development andPartnership Division and set up on January
1, 2011. The merger between the two former divisions - one devoted to scientiﬁc
excellence, the other to guiding strategy –reﬂects both the high degree of interaction
between these two activities and IRSN’s
ability to streamline its organizational
structure to increase efﬁciency and make
optimum use of the resources allocatedby the Government. One highlight in theyear for the Institute’s research activities
was the audit by AERES, the French agency
for the evaluation of research and higher
education (see box on p. 30).
As well as undergoing this audit and reinforcing its organizational structure, IRSN
took various initiatives in favor of its
research activities, starting with increased
partnership activity both in France andabroad. This reflects its ability to work
hand in hand with other research organizations and its ambition to play a part in the
country’s national research and innovation
strategy (SNRI) and the national researchpolicy. Within this context, IRSN became amember of two “national alliances”, namely
ANCRE, devoted to energy research coordination, and AVIESAN, for life and healthsciences, and set up two joint laboratories
with CNRS.
The Institute’s research policy committee
ﬁnalized initiatives to involve stakeholders in its activities through working groups
on the health effects of chronic exposure
to low-dose ionizing radiation, and theInstitute’s research programs devoted toissues relating to the extension of the service life of nuclear power plants, in responseto requests from electric utilities.
Outside France, IRSN took part in setting
up STAR, a European network of excellencein the ﬁeld of radioecology, and continued its work in networks such as DoReMi(research into low-dose ionizing radiation)and SARNET (major accidents).
Modeling and experimentation activities were also stepped up, thanks to theInstitute’s continued investment in facilities
like the Tournemire experimental station or
AMANDE, an accelerator designed to produce single-energy neutrons.
As part of its effort to maintain an outstanding degree of scientific excellence
and thus guarantee a high proﬁle for its
research activities, IRSN continued to open
its doors to a signiﬁcant number of doctor-

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12

%

share of research
program funding
from external
revenue.
(11% in 2009)a multimedia newsletter devoted to science. Aktis is available in electronic format
to reach the widest possible readership.

Enhancing the technicaland economic control
of assessment activitiesQ

ate and post-doctorate students in 2010,
following a project selection process. As at
November 1, 108 of them were carrying out
research at the Institute. Of all the doctorate students present at IRSN in 2010, 67%
beneﬁted from joint funding, a clear sign ofincreased partnership activities with otherresearch organizations (CNRS, universities,
industry, regional authorities, etc.). The
Institute drew up a charter to improve integration of doctorate students and supervise
their activities more effectively.
Lastly, two French patents resulting fromIRSN research were published in 2010. The
ﬁrst protects a pharmaceutical formulation for emergency treatment of accidental contamination of the skin by actinides.
The second describes a process for making
leaktight cable penetrations in vacuum orpressurized reactor pressure vessels. In addition, the year 2010 saw the arrival of Aktis,

IRSN’s assessment strategy is designed toensure that it fully considers the wide rangeof requirements encountered from one
organization to another, and that it complies strictly with the ethical principles thatguarantee its independence as a support
organization for the safety authorities andother public bodies.
Recent years have seen a rise in the public authorities’ need for technical support
from IRSN, largely induced by the need tocontinue activity at existing nuclear power
plants while new projects are in progress.
This situation has led the Institute QQQ

Q IRSN steps up its participation in various networks of excellence, in particular those concerning low-dose ionizing radiation.

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2010

SUMMARY AND STRATEGY

01

ORGANIZATION I SUMMARY AND STRATEGY I ACTIVITIES I EFFICIENCY

27

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SUMMARY AND STRATEGY

Operational external
dosimetry
Supplier
Frequency

Passive external dosimetryRadiotoxicology

Whole bodycounting

Radiol. Protect. Special.

Laboratories

AirlinesOnce a week

Once a month

Once a month

SecureInternet
accessSISERI DATABASE
SecureInternet
accessAccess on request
Radiologicalprotection
specialists

Occupational
physiciansWorkers
Work and radiation protection Inspectors

Q Organization and operation of SISERI, the information system for occupational dosimetry registration.

and its supervisory ministries to study funding mechanisms that will enable IRSN tomatch its resources to these growing needs.
Within the context of these studies, theGovernment has decided to allocate anannual contribution to IRSN to fund someof its activities in support of ASN, theFrench nuclear safety authority.
The contribution, approved in an amendment to the Finance Act for 2010 (passed
on December 29) is part of the current
nuclear and radiological risk prevention andmanagement mechanism. It will replacepart of the grant allocated to IRSN andshould provide the Institute with funding

28

that keeps pace with assessment requests
received from operators.
A process is underway to contractualize
relations between IRSN and government
bodies and the authorities in order to obtaina deﬁnition of priority topics for examination and the related operating procedures.
In 2010, IRSN concentrated particularly on
optimizing the human, material, and budget resources devoted to its assessment
activities.
As part of the above process, it signed aframework document with ASN aimed at
deﬁning the working principles for IRSN
assessments carried out within the context

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47.9

% (1)

Share of IRSN budget
allocated to technical support
and public service missions.
(47% in 2009)(1) Excluding property restructuring
project and special fund.

of an industrial facility in Saint-Maur-desFossés, near Paris, at the end of the year. The
Institute helped the authorities to deal withthe event by providing them with expertiseand emergency response and measurement
resources, clearly demonstrating the effectiveness of its capability in this area.

Qof its support for ASN. The document shows
how both parties share the same vision of
their relations and is built on a common
baseline of work carried out and the related
procedures in an effort to streamline theassessment request and examination process. At the same time, IRSN continued tosign or renew conventions and partnershipagreements with most of the public organizations coming within the scope of its
support activities.
It is also involved in efforts to ensure thatpublic agencies implementing general government policies adopt mutually consistent
strategies.
With this in mind, the Institute increased its
participation in national plans and healthnetworks set up by the public authorities.
Examples of national plans include theFrench national health and environment
plan 2009-2013 (PNSE2), the occupational
health plan (PST) 2010-2014, and the cancer plan 2009-2013.
Examples of health networks include CASA,
the health agency networking committee,
and the R3I network managed by ANSES,
the French agency for food, environmental
and occupational health and safety.
Under the occupational health plan, IRSN
was tasked with optimizing SISERI, the information system for occupational dosimetry
registration for the purpose of conducting
epidemiological surveys of targeted groups
of workers. This is in line with government
objectives concerning occupational healthmanagement.
IRSN is also working on a study devoted
to the risk of radiation-induced cancer inindividuals who were exposed to a scanner
during their childhood. This epidemiological work comes under the cancer plan. The
Institute is also involved in several scientiﬁc and technical projects identiﬁed in the
PNSE2 plan, through its work to protect
human health and the environment against
ionizing radiation. This work targets in particular environmental radioactivity, occupational radiation protection, the quality of
air indoors, and radon exposure.
In 2010, IRSN was closely involved in helping ASN to prepare documentation relating
to safety and human health and environmental protection requirements applicableto basic nuclear installations.
These activities included work on the draft
order on basic nuclear installations, and ASN
draft decisions on the operating conditionsof these installations, safety reviews, and thecontent of the general operating rules.
IRSN must respond to accidents and incidents such as the tritium contamination

SUMMARY AND STRATEGY

01

ORGANIZATION I SUMMARY AND STRATEGY I ACTIVITIES I EFFICIENCY

Involving the populationin radiological and nuclear risk
assessment and control
Two areas in which the Institute makes avital contribution to progress in nuclear
safety and radiation protection are promoting transparency with regard to its
research and assessment activities QQQ

IN THE WORDS OF…

Jean-François Monteils, Secretary General and Senior

Defense and Security Ofﬁcial, Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development,
Transport and Housing
the exercises also improves the
security of facilities andshipments.
Following the Washington
Summit in April 2010, France
asked the IAEA to audit its
security system and some of its
facilities at the end of 2011. I
know that I can count on IRSN’s
international experience,technical expertise and unfailingcommitment.”“With its nuclear material
experts and longstanding
experience, IRSN plays a vitalrole in the French nuclear
security system. It provides the
Senior Defense and Security
Ofﬁcial with technical support
to help him carry out his duties
in this area. The quality ofwork performed by DEND,
particularly its managers andpersonnel in charge of material
inspection, enable the Senior
Defense and Security Ofﬁcial
to obtain an excellent
understanding of various
situations and the decisions
which have to be taken.
Moreover the commitmentof their management to

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2010

29

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SUMMARY AND STRATEGY

197

students
taking partin Rencontres
lycéennes deradioprotection(radiation
protection
workshops
in schools).
(130 in 2009)

and keeping the public informed. Efforts inthese areas respond to the growing concern of the public and their elected representatives to become actively involved in
keeping a watchful eye on and controllingrisks relating to technology. With the new
responsibilities of local information committees, deﬁned under the Nuclear Security
and Transparency Act (TSN), this is now aright. Working with social stakeholders todevelop a shared understanding of complex
issues relating to radiological and nuclear
risk control is central to the commitments
made by the Institute in its Contract of
Objectives for 2010-2013 and in its Charter
on Openness to Society, which was presented to the public in April 2009. IRSN’scommitments in this area are: a) ensuring
the transparency of its research and results;b) sharing its knowledge with professionals
and the public and helping to keep theminformed; and c) supporting efforts to build
stakeholders’ skills and promote participative action.
In 2010, IRSN made an initial assessmentof progress regarding both these external
commitments and internal commitments
aimed at promoting dialog between theInstitute and its staff and social stakeholders (see box).
Several initiatives to open up the Institute’s
activities were completed in 2010. In somecases, this was achieved with the help of

RESEARCH

First AERES audit
As a fully-ﬂedged research institute, IRSN was evaluatedby AERES in 2010. Prior to the evaluation, the Institute embarked
on a structured self-evaluation initiative, focusing on the outcomesof the Government/IRSN Contract of Objectives for 2006-2009
and the contract objectives being discussed for the period
2010-2013.
The AERES evaluation was carried out in two stages.
The ﬁrst, in the middle of the year, concentrated on IRSN’s
research units, while the second, in the second half of the year,
covered the Institute as a whole.
The AERES audit focuses on the quality of IRSN’s scientiﬁc
results and other criteria, such as active involvement in national
and international networks and programs, partnerships withother research organizations and institutes of higher education,
openness to social concerns, applied research and assessment
activities. The ﬁndings of the audit will be published in 2011.

30

recommendations from Georges Mercadal(former Vice-Chairman of the French
National Commission on Public Debate)
and from the monitoring committee thatwas set up to help implement test cases
recommended at the end of a previous mission to promote initiatives to open up theInstitute’s research and assessment work.
One of the main purposes of the tests wasto prepare the ground for technical discussions on nuclear safety documentation withlocal information committees (CLIs) and
ANCCLI, two key partners in the Institute’s
initiatives to open up to society. Within thiscontext, a joint working group was set up
in 2009 and 2010 to keep track of progressin the third ten-year inspection (VD3) program concerning EDF’s 900 MWe nuclear
reactors.
This led to an IRSN-ANCCLI seminar on
November 9, focusing on CLI involvementin these activities. The seminar gave IRSN
an opportunity to set out the key safetyissues highlighted in its VD3 report, andallowed the local information committees
to express their concerns in a number ofareas, including incident monitoring andtheir experience regarding independent
assessments.
Another highlight of the year was the public
meeting that IRSN organized in Pierrelattein southern France on September 22, 2010
in cooperation with the local authorities of
the area. During the meeting, which wasattended by 140 people, IRSN presented
the results of a study to account for thepresence of uranium in the ground wateraround Tricastin, carried out with the support of a multidisciplinary monitoringgroup.
As recommended by Georges Mercadal,
IRSN also set up a “citizens’ workshop” onradon risk prevention in homes. In their recommendations, the citizens put forward a
strategy of action combining informationand support activities. They also consideredthat although Government supervision was
required, there was no need for immediate
regulation as a number of simple actions
could be implemented to reduce the healthimpact of radon. Furthermore, they stressed
the importance of setting up local andregional relay organizations and insisted on
the key role played by doctors and housing
professionals.
On September 15, 2010 another importantmilestone was reached when the multidisciplinary expert group on mines in Limousin
submitted its ﬁnal report to the Minister for
Ecology and the Chairman of ASN.
From the international perspective, IRSN’s

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ORGANIZATION I SUMMARY AND STRATEGY I ACTIVITIES I EFFICIENCYQ The ANCCLI-IRSN seminar on the third ten-yearly inspections was held in Paris on November 9, 2010.

initiative to open up to society was largely
devoted to European and French efforts
concerning concrete applications of the
Aarhus Convention to the nuclear field.
The Convention, signed by 39 nations on
June 25, 1998 lays down rights concerning
access to information, public participationin decision-making, and access to justicein environmental matters. In 2010, theInstitute was involved in discussions coordinated by the French high committee fortransparency and information on nuclear
safety and ANCCLI, with the support of
the Minister for Ecology.
In October 2010, the Institute took partin a seminar, called Corex, to discuss andconsolidate operating feedback from aninternational program called CORE, which isdevoted to the rehabilitation of the regionsin Belarus contaminated by fallout from the
Chernobyl accident. Q

OPENNESS TO SOCIETY

First report on the application of the
IRSN Charter on Openness to Society
In keeping with its undertaking, IRSN took stock of progress madeand the difﬁculties encountered, a year after the charter came into
effect.
Regarding the transparency of its activities, the Institute put online
summaries of reports submitted to advisory committees working with ASN,
together with occasional and regular reports (on occupational exposure
to ionizing radiation, exposure relating to medical diagnoses in France, etc.)
and a series of explanatory sheets on different topics such as radon
and uranium. One point to be highlighted regarding knowledge-sharing
initiatives was the third school “workshop” session devoted to radiation
protection culture. The Charter on Openness to Society provided for new
initiatives in the medical ﬁeld as part of the effort to build skills amongsocial stakeholders and develop participative actions. For example,
a working group was set up to focus on the issue of patient information
on radiation protection relating to radiodiagnosis.
The commitments set out in the Charter also inspired an initiative
concerning post-accident situations, which is aimed at working with
ANCCLI to design a mapping tool, known as OPAL, to heighten local
stakeholders’ awareness of the consequences of a nuclear accident.
As part of the implementation of the Charter inhouse, a seminar
was organized to make the personnel more aware of efforts underway
to open the Institute up to society. IRSN will continue to reportperiodically on progress made regarding the commitments set out
in the Charter.

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2010

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SUMMARY AND STRATEGYTRANSPARENCY AND COMMUNICATIONS POLICY

Enhancing nuclear safety
is also a matter of informationand communication
IRSN, which has now acquired an institutional signature, continued to build up its website in2010 and launched a new multimedia newsletter for scientiﬁc information.

1,250
1,000

(1)

800

2008

2009

Number ofmentions in
the press.

2010(1) Includes numerous
references to the Socatri
incident during the summerof 2008.

Q Aktis, presents the Institute’s research results.

In 2010, to symbolize its determination
to fully assume its role as the public
service expert in nuclear and radiological risk assessment for all concerned,
IRSN adopted a corporate signature,
Enhancing Nuclear Safety (and in French,
Faire avancer la sûreté nucléaire) that willappear on its information and communication media. It embodies the commitmentof all the Institute’s staff – researchers,
experts, engineers, and technicians – toput all the available knowledge and skills
to the best possible use.

32

Aktis, a new multimedia
publication for scientiﬁc
information
In keeping with this knowledge-sharing
initiative, IRSN decided to do more to put
the spotlight on its research and the results
obtained. To this end, it launched Aktis, a
new quarterly multimedia newsletter, atthe end of July, in replacement of its annual
scientiﬁc and technical report. Intended
for scientists in every ﬁeld, Aktis is chieﬂy
distributed in digital format by email or via
an RSS feed to make sure that informa-

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04

tion reaches new readers. Future readers
can subscribe directly via the Institute’s
website, free of charge, and consult backissues as well.

IRSN’s website at www.irsn.fr
goes from strength to strength
In 2010, the Institute continued to develop
its transparency policy, with ever more
nuclear safety and radiation protection
information being made available via its
website.
Professionals and general public alike werethus able to consult some 65 news items
and press releases, 25 special reports andfeature articles, 22 expertize reports and 19
notices to the authorities and summaries
of reports submitted to the ASN advisorycommittees.
As part of its ambition to publicize theresults of its research to an increasingly
large audience, the Institute made a particular effort to propose educational content on subjects relating to its technicalassessment activities.
Examples of such subjects included thethird round of ten-year inspections of 900
MWe PWR plants, the EPR, PWR steam
generators, and the loss of cooling water
incident on a reactor at the Cruas nuclear
power plant in southern France in 2009.
IRSN also responded to requests for information from civil society and the press,
often concerning topical news items, byproviding informative reports on nuclear
non proliferation and security, the Haiti
earthquake, X-ray backscatter body scanners, effects in France of forest fires in
Russia, and the tritium contamination incident in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés near Paris.

Press relations:
growing media coverage
In response to the steadily growing demand
from the media, IRSN issues news releases
and press kits and organizes meetings with
its experts and press trips.
The 2010 trip organized around the themeof nuclear waste disposal management innorthern Europe took journalists to Sweden,
Belgium and Finland, where they were alsoable to visit the EPR construction site in
Olkiluoto.
Two events drew particular media interestin 2010, namely the forest ﬁres in Russia,
for which IRSN was mentioned in thepress nearly 300 times, and tritium contamination of a residential area in SaintMaur-des-Fossés near Paris at the end of
the year, which resulted in some 150 press
mentions.

Repères: recognition in theworld of professional journals
In 2010, IRSN conducted a readership survey of Repères, its quarterly magazine, in
preparation for a change of format in 2011.
Readers considered the publication to be
informative, educational and helpful forunderstanding complex or sensitive issues.
They appreciated the balance of information covering subjects such as nuclear
safety and radiation protection and humanhealth, and the environment.

Exhibitions: informationand dialog close to home

Q In 2010, the Gafforisk exhibition
was held in several towns in the Paris
region, as part of the Fête de la Sciencein Palaiseau and in Leuville to the southof Paris, during the emergency response
drill in Saclay, and training courses,
in particular for teachers working
for the Versailles regional education
authority.

In 2010, the Institute continued three traveling exhibitions organized on different
models and targeting different audiences.
Organized in collaboration with IFFORME the French institute for training inmajor risks and environmental protection,
Gafforisk seeks to step up the work carriedout by the French Ministry of Education withyoung people, and to support local authorities in their public information initiatives, inparticular in areas around nuclear facilities.
Another traveling exhibition, to which theInstitute contributes, entitled Did you say
radiation protection? visited the Swiss cityof Lausanne and Helsinki in Finland.
Lastly, the exhibition Nuclear Power andSociety, jointly organized by IRSN and ASN,
went to the cities of Cherbourg, Epinal andSaint Etienne. However, in view of a signiﬁcant drop in the number of visitors in 2010,
the two organizations decided to work on
a new concept. Q

MORE ABOUTIRSN Barometer 2010: trust in the nuclear
sector takes a downturn, but IRSN’s
credibility goes on climbing
Every year since 1988, the IRSN Barometer has analyzed
the ﬁndings of a survey on how risks and safety are perceived
by the French public, with particular regard to exposure to nuclear
and radiological risks.
Although the results of the 2009 survey, put online in 2010, indicatethat the nuclear risk is not among the chief concerns of the French
public, the relatively positive image enjoyed by nuclear facilities
for many years, as far as reliability and safety are concerned, wasundermined by the series of incidents that occurred during the summerof 2008 on the Tricastin site.
Another point to be noted is that nuclear waste topped the list of mostfrequently mentioned arguments used against nuclear energy, aheadof the Chernobyl accident.
The ﬁndings of the IRSN Barometer 2010 also reﬂected
the Institute’s increasing efforts in favor of transparency, educationand sharing its expertise. While the survey showed that associations
are still considered as the most reliable sources of information,
the technical expertise of nuclear organizations – and IRSN for 86 %of respondents – is gaining in recognition.

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2010

33

SUMMARY AND STRATEGY

02

Q

01

ORGANIZATION I SUMMARY AND STRATEGY I ACTIVITIES I EFFICIENCY02

SUMMARY AND STRATEGYPROMOTING A SAFETY AND RADIATION PROTECTION CULTURE

Education and Training:a changing landscapeWith respect to safety and radiation protection culture, 2010 was marked both by a cyclic
downturn in IRSN’s regulatory activities, and the arrival of new offers.

Q IRSN regularly organizes training sessions for radiation protection specialists.

On-site training for futurenuclear safety ofﬁcers

2,153

persons beneﬁted from IRSN
training programs (including
1,774 in the radiation
protection ﬁeld).
(3,271 in 2009)34

The year 2010 was marked by the ﬁrst session in English organized by the European
Nuclear Safety Training and Tutoring
Institute (ENSTTI), set up in December
2009 when a memorandum of understanding was signed between IRSN and threeof its partners in the European Technical
Safety Organizations Network (ETSON):GRS (Germany), LEI (Lithuania) and UJV(Czech Republic). ENSTTI aims to meettraining needs for staff working in nuclear
safety and security research and assessment by supplementing training for new
safety engineers with presentations andpractical group work and technical inspections supervised by experts in the areas
concerned.
The ﬁrst ENSTTI session – which took placein July and September, ﬁrst in Germany
and then in France – involved 37 participants from 14 countries, who consideredthat they had acquired knowledge in all

Q

03

04

the technical ﬁelds required by a futurenuclear safety expert. In addition, thanks
to instructor involvement in safety at existing facilities, participants from “newcomer”
countries to civil nuclear power were able
to acquire concrete, realistic notions of
nuclear safety.
With regard to IRSN nuclear safety training, the induction course for safety engineers (SAIS) catered for new categories ofexternal participants in 2010, in particularfrom CNES, the French government space
agency, following the implementation of astatutory safety framework for the aerospace sector.

sional journals, and increased participationin trade shows and exhibitions to promote
its training offers more widely. Discussions
are currently underway regarding webbased training (e-learning).

Progress in CAMARI-related
activities
The aptitude certiﬁcate for operating industrial radiology equipment (CAMARI), which
IRSN has issued on behalf of the Frenchauthorities since 2008, is compulsory

in France for anyone wishing to practiceindustrial radiology, which is used in particular for nondestructive testing. It demonstrates that its holder is competent inradiation protection, to ensure his or her
own safety and that of others during theradiology operations performed. In 2010,
IRSN saw a rise in the number of candidates
for CAMARI certiﬁcation, due to the development of the “industrial particle accelerator” option, (see box). Q

Adapting regulatory training
in radiation protection
Some IRSN training courses in this area
meet the requirements of statutory obligations; others are delivered in responseto requests made by other bodies orcompanies.
In 2010, the Institute observed a signiﬁcantreduction in its statutory training activities, although a large number were still performed. This drop is explained by the factthat most of the people concerned weretrained in previous years, especially in theﬁeld of radiation protection for patientsduring medical imaging or radiotherapy. It
also reﬂects budgetary constraints, whichhave affected many bodies and companies,
leading to a reduction in the demand fortraining.
Other types of training have begun todevelop, such as training for radiation protection specialists, which must be renewed
every ﬁve years and for which the start ofa new cycle in 2010 should be followed
by a rise in demand in 2011. The same istrue of training in radon metrology in theworkplace, following decisions taken by
ASN in 2009 with regard to accreditationin this ﬁeld.

MORE ABOUT

664

IRSN provides Moroccowith training support

candidates for
Camari training.
(584 in 2009)

341
Camari cards
issued(1).
(140 in 2009)(1) Including 90 cards
issued to national defense
candidates who have passed
the armed forces radiation
protection service (SPRA)
exam.

Meeting the requirements of
new categories of professionals
Also in 2010, IRSN completely revised thematerials used in its radiation protection
for patients course and started to develop
new radiation protection training modules,
in particular for occupational health andoperating theater staff, as well as medical
equipment manufacturers and ﬁtters.
In the ﬁeld of nuclear security, the Institutehas produced a new offer for companies
involved in monitoring and controlling
nuclear materials – such as plant operatorsand engineering design consultants. It has
used mailouts, advertisements in profes-

Following the signing, in spring 2010, of a contract
with the Moroccan association for welding andpressure equipment (AMS-AP) for CAMARI certiﬁcate
testing in Morocco, IRSN organized the ﬁrst sessionsin Rabat in mid-December, assisted by CNESTEN,
the Moroccan institute for research and training in
nuclear applications. AMS-AP’s request was followed adecision by the Moroccan radiation protection authority
to require industrial radiology companies in Morocco tohave at least one holder of French CAMARI certiﬁcation.

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2010

35

SUMMARY AND STRATEGY

02

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01

ORGANIZATION I SUMMARY AND STRATEGY I ACTIVITIES I EFFICIENCYTOURNEMIRE, SOUTH-CENTRAL FRANCE I SEPTEMBER 15-17

36

03

IRSN received a visit from a delegation from IBRAE, the Russian instituteof nuclear energy safety, to celebrate twenty years of cooperation between
the two institutes. The delegation was led by IBRAE’s Director General,
Leonid Bolshov.

SAFETY

ACTIVITIESP. 38
SAFETY OF EXISTING FACILITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 38.........................................................................

CONDUCTING ASSESSMENTS
ON FUTURE FACILITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 57

SECURITY – NON-PROLIFERATION......

P. 60

RADIATION PROTECTION– ENVIRONMENTAND HUMAN HEALTH. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 66
ENVIRONMENTAL AND
POPULATION EXPOSURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 66

EFFECTS OF CHRONIC EXPOSURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 78

EMERGENCY AND
POST-ACCIDENT SITUATIONS...............

P. 82

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2010

37

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ACTIVITIESSAFETYAn institute rising
to all the challengesof nuclear safety
IRSN’s contribution to the safety of existing and future nuclear facilities as well as to the safety of nuclear
material transportation and storage covers a wide range of activities: examining the ﬁles submitted byoperators, supporting inspection teams, contributing to the process of updating national and international regulations, and research. In these ﬁelds, 2010 was notably marked by the preparation for the safety
review of EDF’s twenty 1300 MWe reactors, the completion of large-scale modeling and experiment
programs regarding the prevention of criticality accidents and ﬁres, and the management of the consequences of major accidents liable to lead to reactor vessel failure and radioactive iodine releases. These
programs were generally performed in the context of international cooperation. IRSN also performed anin-depth examination of planned nuclear fuel cycle operation in France over the period 2007-2017.

SAFETY OF EXISTING
FACILITIESQ Monitoring reactors
As part of its support work for the French
nuclear safety authority, IRSN assesses thesafety of nuclear reactors, whether in operation or under construction.

Preventing the risk of steam
generator tube rupture
In 2010, IRSN approved the solutions
adopted by EDF to prevent the steam generator tube rupture following the discovery, in 2009, of circumferential cracks onseveral tubes during a periodic inspection
carried out on the Bugey 3 reactor.
Such defects are carefully monitored
because they could lead to a sudden tube
rupture and radioactive release to theatmosphere.
Following this discovery, EDF implemented
an exhaustive inspection program and forthe ﬁrst time carried out inspections using amore efﬁcient probe. The tubes showing thegreatest deterioration were condemned byplugging and removed from service.
The Institute drew the operator’s attention
to the fact that tube corrosion affected the38

leaktightness of the tubes, while EDF considered that the reactor was ﬁt for restartand that the operating rules in force weresuitable for the in-service monitoring oftube leaktightness.
On the basis of IRSN’s assessment and following consultation with the advisory committee for nuclear pressure equipment, ASN
requested that a hydrotest be performed
prior to any restart. EDF eventually opted
to replace the steam generators at Bugey 3
earlier than initially planned.

www.irsn.fr
Nuclear reactor operation underabnormal conditions
On the night of December 1 to 2, 2009, theintake of the cooling water pumping stationof reactors 3 and 4 at the Cruas nuclear
power plant on the River Rhône in southern
France was obstructed by vegetal debris.
A “loss of cooling water” event was thendeclared. In addition to providing emergency response, which was hindered byinadequate operating procedures, EDF
quickly drew up an action plan and corrected the procedures in question. In 2010,
IRSN analyzed the corrective action ﬁlesubmitted by EDF. The Institute concluded
that the modiﬁcations proposed by EDF

03

Q

02

04

Q

were acceptable, but raised a number ofissues to be addressed as part of the normal examination of changes to incident andaccident operating procedures at nuclear
power plants.

www.irsn.fr
Preparing for the third
ten-yearly inspections for1300 MWe pressurized water
reactors
In 2010, IRSN assessed the approach, scopeand objectives of the generic studies proposed by EDF for the 1300 MWe PWR
safety review associated with the third
ten-yearly inspections.
In compliance with the French transparency and nuclear security act (TSN), reactor safety is reviewed in France every ten
years. The objective is to analyze the stateof the reactors and also to reassess theirsafety taking into account the improvements in knowledge and the most recent
achievements.
Prior to the safety review for each reactor, EDF must propose the generic studies
that it plans to carry out to prepare the
new safety reference system and determine the modiﬁcations that it intends toimplement on all reactors of the same type.
In preparation for the safety review of its
twenty 1300 MWe reactors, EDF deﬁned
about twenty themes, in particular regarding probabilistic safety analyses, climaterelated hazards and severe accidents. In thisrespect, the Institute suggested a broader

Q IRSN analyzed the loss of cooling water incident that occurred at the Cruas NPP.

program, including a design review of thecomputerized integrated protection system, a risk analysis regarding the handlingof fuel transport packaging, and a study ofthe possible consequences of a tornado
on reactor safety. Plant efﬂuent treatment
facilities will also undergo a safety review
during the third ten-yearly outages.

www.irsn.fr
First version of the level 2 PSA
for 1300 MWe reactors

12reports
prepared formeetings ofadvisory groups
or expert
committees.
(15 in 2009)

In 2010, IRSN completed the ﬁrst versionof its level 2 probabilistic safety analysis for1300 MWe reactors (PSA2 1300).
The study was started in 2007 in QQQ

Reactor building
Containment spray

Direct containment heating
Bypassthroughruptures

Steamgenerator

Hydrogencombustion
VesselCore
meltdown

Radioactive release to theenvironment
Loss ofcontainment
integrity
Venting-filtration

Auxiliary building

Containment
leaks via penetrations
Stack

VesselruptureEvacuationof energy
from thecontainment

Sump

ACTIVITIES01

ORGANIZATION I SUMMARY AND STRATEGY I ACTIVITIES I EFFICIENCY

In-vessel or
ex-vessel
steam explosion
Coriumdepositionin the reactor pit

Ejection of corium
into the containment

Building ventilation-filtration
systems

Corium-concrete interaction

Q Physical phenomena that may be observed during a severe accident.

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2010

39

03

ACTIVITIES / SAFETYQ IRSN’s engineers use SOFIA to simulate the operation of reactors in service in France.

preparation for the third ten-yearly inspections of these reactors. Level 2 PSAs identify,
as exhaustively as possible, core meltdown
accidents that would lead to radioactive
release and, for each, quantify its probability of occurrence and the predicted amountof radioactivity liable to be released.
Furthermore, the level 2 PSAs developed by
IRSN provide an estimate of the radiologicalconsequences associated with the different
scenarios. They use modeling software andmethods developed by IRSN and draw on
input from R&D in the ﬁeld of core meltdown accidents. They allow contributors
to risks of radioactive release and possible
routes for improving facilities to be identiﬁed and prioritized. They thus contribute,alongside deterministic studies, to theassessment of reactor safety. The IRSN’s
PSA2 1300 study will make it possible toeffectively judge similar studies performedby the operator in the safety review associated with the ten-yearly inspections concerning these reactors.

reactors. This modeling platform integrates
the CATHARE thermal-hydraulic software,
which is the reference application in France.
The SOFIA simulator, developed in collaboration with Areva and Canadian simulator
designer L3-Mapps, can simulate an extensive range of operating conditions, fromshutdown to at-power states. Its modern, modular IT architecture can integrate
modiﬁcations to the reactors in the French
nuclear ﬂeet, thus ensuring that conﬁgurations representing the current state of the
facilities are available at all times.

SOFIA: a new simulator to
support safety studies
Since November 2010, IRSN has been able
to use SOFIA, a simulator of incidental andemergency operation to provide a representative model of 900, 1300 and 1450 MWe

40

Q The Flamanville 3 EPR construction site.

SOFIA was ﬁrst used in 2010 to meet thetraining requirements of IRSN engineers
in supporting assessment of safety ﬁles,to prepare emergency response drills andto analyze incidents at nuclear facilities. In
this respect, it was used by the Instituteto simulate the loss of cooling water incident that occurred at the Cruas plant in
December 2009.
The simulation helped to get a more comprehensive understanding of the transientand to assess the robustness of the countermeasures adopted by EDF.

03

Q

02

04

In 2010, IRSN continued to assess thedetailed design of the EPR. The main issues
addressed during the year included:
QThe Instrumentation & Control (I&C)
system: IRSN considered that EDF had
yet to fully demonstrate compliance with
the initial speciﬁcations of the automatedsafety system used for reactor control following the initial phases of an accident,
although the information supplied so far
was considered satisfactory. The Institutethen recommended that additional provisions be implemented to strengthen therobustness of the EPR I&C system;
QThe safety systems: detailed examination of these systems serves to assess
design in light of the safety objectives tobe met. The year 2010 was spent analyzing systems involved in the containment
function and carrying out an initial examination of the main safety systems (such as
safeguard systems, electrical systems andcooling water);
QThe accident study methodology: some
EPR accident studies are performed by EDF
using new methods. In 2010, considerable
effort was made to assess these methods
and ASN gave an initial opinion on four of
the ﬁve new methods. At the same time,
IRSN provided ASN inspectors with technical support on the EPR construction site at
Flamanville in Normandy and on equipment
suppliers’ sites. In particular, IRSN civil engineering and mechanical assembly experts
helped to prepare and conduct inspections
and analyze the anomalies detected, suchas the high percentage of welding defects
in the inner containment wall liner in thereactor building or deformation in prestressing tendon sheaths. Finally, on theinternational scene, IRSN has been using
its knowledge of EPR reactor safety to help
the safety authorities of countries that arecontemplating the use of this type of reactor. IRSN took part in a seminar in India andin international working groups devoted to
the EPR.

www.irsn.fr
Examining safety and radiation
protection management at CEAAt ASN’s request, IRSN examined safety andradiation protection management at CEA,
the French alternative energies and atomic
energy commission, and its operational
application to the day-to-day practices
in use at the organization’s basic nuclear
installations. The Institute’s assessment was
based on CEA documentation and about ahundred interviews of CEA safety and radia-

tion protection staff working in the facilities
or carrying out cross-disciplinary or oversight functions at civil research centers.
The assessment was presented to the relevant advisory committees in November
2010. Based on IRSN’s report, the advisory groups concluded that improvements
had been made in management action
regarding safety and radiation protection
since 1999, when these points were last
examined, leading to a generally satisfactory situation today. They, however, did
make some recommendations, regarding
changes occurring to CEA’s organizational
structure, capitalization of results fromhuman factor and organizational studies,and closer control of subcontracting andsafety and radiation protection in day-today activities. Implementation of these recommendations by CEA should improve theperformance of its management system interms of safety and radiation protection
and increase its commitment to con- QQQ

Q

EPR

MORE ABOUTHEMERA: improved analysisof accident phenomena
Isolation
valve

ACTIVITIES01

ORGANIZATION I SUMMARY AND STRATEGY I ACTIVITIES I EFFICIENCYIRSN has acquired the 3D HEMERA
coupled high-performance
Breakcomputer code package, which
is now operational. The package isdesigned to study nuclear reactor
control rod ejection or steam line
break accidents, during which
Protected
neutronics, thermal-hydraulic andsectionsystem effects interact. 3D HEMERA
was put to good use in 2010 to assess
Containment
Affected
the fully coupled 3D model (MTC 3D)
SGthat EDF the intends to adopt to study
the EPR steam line break accidents.
The method proposed by EDF is
Q Diagram of a steam line break.
based on MTC 3D package, a coupledkinetics computer code package
using three modules: 3D neutronics, 3D core thermal-hydraulics, andthermal-hydraulics of the reactor coolant and secondary systems
The performance of the models in the 3D HEMERA package andthe quality of the interfaces implemented between the modules
have revealed safety-related phenomena that the MTC 3D package
was unable to identify. In particular, IRSN revealed a risk of natural
circulation being interrupted in reactor coolant loops not affectedby the steam line break, in the event of reactor coolant pump
shutdown. From this observation, the Institute concluded that themethod recommended by EDF could not be used for the EPR safety
demonstration without substantial improvements to modeling.
Steamheader

www.irsn.fr

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2010

41

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ACTIVITIES / SAFETY

tinuous improvement. IRSN assessments
such as these, distinct from the regulatory
process, contribute to continuous improvements in safety of facilities.

709

646

658

Analysis of the EDF’s on-site
emergency plan reference ﬁle
In August 2010, IRSN sent ASN its opinion on the draft reference ﬁle that EDF has
drawn up for producing the on-site emergency plans for its plants. The procedures
set out in this document, which speciﬁes
the organization that nuclear power plant
operators must put in place in the eventof an emergency, will be implemented oneach site. IRSN has examined the feasibility
and consistency of the project, giving special attention to the handling of accident
conditions that could lead to risks for thegeneral population.
Following its examination, IRSN considers
that the draft document proposed by EDF
should improve the consistency, robustness
and accuracy of the emergency response
systems implemented at its power plants.
IRSN has also drawn up recommendations
with a view to improving the operational
aspects of the emergency response systems
described in the document. Q

2008

2009

2010

Number oftechnical
notices to ASN(excluding
defense-related
activities).

IN THE WORDS OF...

Didier Wattrelos,
Head of the Clearinghouse project for IRSN

“By participating in theEuropean Clearinghouseproject, which aims to shareexperience in pressurizedwater reactor operation
throughout Europe,
IRSN makes good use of its
knowledge and databases toperform analyses.
The studies in progress focus
on external hazards and spareparts supply, as well as a moregeneral analysis of the types

42

of incident included in theInstitute’s incident database.
In performing these studies,
the Institute is helping toenhance safety on a European
level, to the extent that
Clearinghouse is a datasharing mechanism that allows
countries with only a few
nuclear facilities to beneﬁt fromgreater analytical capabilities
and more extensive operating
experience feedback.”

www.irsn.fr

Q Monitoring plants,
fuel cycle facilities, andradioactive material
shipments
IRSN puts all its skills and expertise towork to provide consistent safety assessments of facilities and a wide range ofactivities.

Safety review for the CIS bio
international plant
On July 7, 2010, IRSN presented the relevant ASNadvisory committee with the conclusions of its safety review for the artiﬁcial
radio-isotope production plant located at
Saclay near Paris, and operated by CIS bio
international.
The Institute noted that signiﬁcant renovation work had been undertaken at thefacility since 2005, mainly with a view toimproving provisions taken to control riskof ﬁre and spread of radioactive materials.
Nevertheless, further studies should be provided to assess the behavior of structures inthe event of an incident (such as ﬁre, load
drop or external explosion) and to rule on
the adequacy of the provisions adopted by
the operator concerning of those risks.
Furthermore, IRSN identified areas for
improvement at the facility, in particularconcerning the management of risks relating to ﬁre and the spread of radioactive
materials, and the organizational provisions put in place to mitigate risks associated with the sensitive activities performedat the facility.
Pending additional studies on these issues,
which will undergo a new examination in
2011, the Institut recommended that theoperator make provisions to reduce thequantity of radioactive iodine liable to bereleased in the event of an accident.

International regulations
on the transportationof radioactive materials
As part of its support activities for ASN,
IRSN participated in meetings organizedby the IAEA in 2010 to reach a consensus
among member states and internationalorganizations on the publication of a newedition of the international regulations on
the transportation of radioactive materials. The decision to publish a new edition(the ﬁrst dates back to 1961) was taken
during a revision cycle initiated in 2008
to which IRSN actively contributed bysuggesting changes aimed at increasing
the level of safety in the transportationof radioactive materials. During 2010, IRSN
presented the French position on exemp-

03

Q

02

04

Q

tion thresholds, conditions for the transportation of naturally occurring radioactive
materials and requirements associated withﬁssile materials that are exempt from a criticality-safety demonstration.
The current revision cycle will be completed in 2012. Before coming into force
in France, the new regulations will have to
be integrated into road, rail, waterway andair transport regulations.

MIRTE experimental criticality
program
The MIRTE 1 program, performed under
IRSN leadership at the CEA’s criticality facility in Valduc, in eastern France, and jointly
funded by the U.S. Department of Energy(DOE), Areva and ANDRA, was completed
as planned in June 2010.
The program comprised 43 experiments
involving the use of one or more fuelassemblies surrounded or separated by vari-

ACTIVITIES01

ORGANIZATION I SUMMARY AND STRATEGY I ACTIVITIES I EFFICIENCYQ Road transportation of irradiated fuel is governed by international regulations.

INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITY

French-Chinese seminaron nuclear fuel cycle
facility safety
At the request of its Chinese counterpart NSC, the Nuclear Safety Center,
IRSN helped to organize a French-Chinese seminar on fuel cycle facility
safety in Beijing, in October 2010, with the participation of representativesof NNSA, China’s safety authority. The seminar was held in partnership with
Areva and China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) in the context ofChinese plans to build fuel cycle facilities (a spent fuel reprocessing plant, MOX
fuel manufacturing facility). The presentations focused on French and Chinese
approaches to assessing safety ﬁles for fuel cycle facilities and on the technicalbasis of these assessments. IRSN made a signiﬁcant contribution in sharing its
know-how in these various areas. The seminar highlighted the safety concerns
shared by all parties and on which future exchanges could be based.

ous screens. Its main aim was to contributeto the validation of criticality calculation
packages for various structural materials
likely to be used in shipping casks and atfuel cycle facilities.
IRSN’s initial analyses of the experimental
results have already produced basic data
concerning the neutronic characteristics ofthe materials tested (copper, nickel, titanium, iron, aluminum, Zircaloy, lead andglass). The effect of the water content of
concrete, which is a signiﬁcant parameterin criticality risk analyses, was also studied.
The successful completion of the MIRTE 1
program demonstrated the professionalism of the IRSN and CEA teams and how
they complement each other in world-classexperimental programs such as this.
Areva, ANDRA and the DOE are convincedof the beneﬁts of such experiments andhave committed themselves to performing a second phase of the program, called
MIRTE 2. This second phase will set out tosupplement the MIRTE 1 program and test
additional materials. The partners are currently collaborating closely on the detailed
design of the MIRTE 2 program.

Nuclear fuel cycle operation
In June 2010, IRSN presented to the relevant advisory committees with the conclusions of its assessment, from a safety andradiation protection standpoint, of how the
French “fuel cycle” is planned to operate forthe period 2007-2017. This analysis, QQQ

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2010

43

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ACTIVITIES / SAFETY

Q Installing the “fine” test device with its 5 mm copper shield in equipment test tank B of the criticality facility
at the CEA Valduc site.

based on ﬁles produced by the operatorsconcerned (EDF, Areva and Andra) with
EDF taking overall responsibility, focusedin particular on the operations and logistical resources required to run EDF’s nuclear
reactors and manage spent fuel.
In order to conﬁrm the data concerning
inventories and ﬂows of nuclear materials
for its assessment, IRSN simulated fuel cycle
operation, taking past and future operation of nuclear reactors into account. This
type of simulation was also used to studychanges that would be brought about by
the deployment of next-generation nuclear
reactors.
In particular, IRSN concluded that available
storage capacities, both for reprocesseduranium and for irradiated fuel, could proveinsufﬁcient in the short to medium term.
Based on these conclusions, the advisorycommittees have recommended that EDF
present a detailed analysis of its available
capacity in the coming years, taking into
account any difﬁculties that might affectits plans to increase storage capacity forspent fuel. Q

44

INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITY

Long-term collaboration
on criticality
Since 1995, IRSN has contributed tothe production of an international handbookof criticality experiments, serving to validate
criticality calculation packages, as part of
the OECD’s ICSBEP project.
Several close collaborations, set up withthe criticality teams of the Japan Atomic Energy
Agency (JAEA), the DOE and the Russian Institutefor Physics and Power Engineering (IPPE), haveled on to joint experimental programs, suchas the ISTC MOX project, led by IPPE in
collaboration with IRSN and the DOE, and
IRSN’s MIRTE 1&2 programs involving the DOE,
Areva and ANDRA.
These collaborations also identify experimental
needs and assess experimental programs designed
to ﬁll them. Within this context, IRSN has been
invited by the DOE to help deﬁne the forthcoming
TEX program, which will be carried out in the USA
as of 2014.

03

Q

02

04

IRSN research in fuel safety seeks to provide
a better assessment of the safety limits to beconsidered for the new nuclear fuel management methods contemplated by operators.

Reference system for the studyof a loss-of-coolant accident
In 2010, IRSN presented the advisory committee for nuclear reactors with its assessment of EDF’s planned modifications
to the reference system for the study ofa loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA). The
assessment focused on the guarantee ofreactor core cooling. The proposed orientations approved by the advisory committee will have to be further developed overthe coming years. They concern the size of
breaks to be considered and fuel strength
requirements during quenching, together
with the mechanical loads to be calculated
and physical phenomena to be taken into
account, such as the movement of fuel pellet fragments inside fuel rod cladding. The
advisory committee should meet again to
discuss these topics by 2013.

Signiﬁcant, tangible progress in
LOCA simulation
In 2010, the structural integrity andmicromechanics (MIST) laboratory, a jointlaboratory setted up by IRSN, CNRS andMontpellier University 2, made signiﬁcantadvances in LOCA simulation. It provided
a major contribution to the validation of
mechanical models of the IRSN DRACCAR
software, which models the thermomechanical behavior of a fuel assembly
during a LOCA. The laboratory also offereda simpliﬁed model for assessing the movement of fuel fragments inside the cladding
during this type of accident. Modeling thisphenomenon, called fuel relocation, is oneof the keys for determining fuel behavior
during a LOCA. It is the subject of numerous studies and experiments, in particular
for the revising safety criteria associatedwith a LOCA.
More generally, since 2007, the MIST laboratory has been developing theoretical andsimulation tools for nuclear safety, supporting IRSN’s safety analysis work. Those
tools, have helped to understand key QQQ

2
1

3Q Schematic
illustration of thefuel relocation
phenomenon and fuelejection in the eventof cladding failure.
1. Fuel cladding.
2. Fuel fragments(shown as spheres).
3. Clad ballooning andcracking induced byﬁssion gas pressurein the fuel.

Q

Q Fuel safety

ACTIVITIES01

ORGANIZATION I SUMMARY AND STRATEGY I ACTIVITIES I EFFICIENCY

MORE ABOUT

Loss of coolant
accidents(LOCAs)
These accidents are taken into
account at the design stage ofpressurized water reactors. They
are relevant to the design ofsafety-related reactor systems
and components, notably
the safety injection system,
the mechanical componentsof the reactor coolant system,and the containment building.
An accidental break in thereactor coolant system causes a
decompression wave that travels
through the system and subjects
its components, and reactor
internals and fuel assemblies,
to huge hydraulic loads.
For safety purposes, mechanicalstresses on reactor internals andfuel assemblies must be limited
so that fuel assembly and coregeometries can ensure continued
cooling.
Furthermore, a LOCA leads toreactor core uncovery. This causes
the fuel rod cladding to heat up,
which can lead to cladding failure.
The water injected by the safety
injection system restores the ﬂow
of water, thus putting an end tothe overheating. The arrival of thiscold water may, however, cause
the overheated, oxidized cladding
to fail and lead to additional
dispersal of radioactive substances
into the reactor coolant system.

www.irsn.fr

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2010

45

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ACTIVITIES / SAFETY

Q The CABRI reactor vessel was filled with water on November 30, 2010.

Internal and external
deployment of SCANAIR
softwaremechanisms involved in pressurized water
reactors accidents such as fuel behavior(fragmentation, changes in properties withreactor residence time), cladding behavior(changes in properties, failure modes, transient swelling) and interactions between
cladding and fractured fuel.

Progress in CABRI reactor
upgrade work
In 2010, a number of key phases were completed in the upgrading work on CABRI. ThisIRSN-funded work includes the constructionof a pressurized water loop that reproduces
the conditions encountered in a pressurized water reactor and the enhancement offacility safety and security. The CABRI test
reactor operated by CEA on the Cadarachesite in southern France is used by IRSN for
its research into the behavior of nuclear
fuel under accident conditions.
The operations performed in 2010 involved
completing seismic strengthening work on
the reactor building and adjoining buildings,

46

commissioning the new nuclear ventilation
system for the reactor building, renovating the two external tanks and reactor corewater pipework, performing functional tests
on the radioactive efﬂuent systems andreinstalling reactor internals prior to water
ﬁlling at the end of the year.
In addition, a characterization campaign
for hodoscope sensors, designed to detect
fuel movements in the fuel rod being tested
under accident conditions in CABRI, wassuccessfully carried out through tests in
CEA’s SILENE reactor.

The SCANAIR software, which is now fully
mature, is used by IRSN to identify the various phenomena that must be taken into
account in the study of pressurized water
reactors Reactivity Initiated Accidents(RIA) safety criteria. In the context of
IRSN’s research into this type of accident,
the SCANAIR application was used to prepare the tests of the CABRI International
Program. Within France, the software is also
widely used by EDF to produce safety documentation and by the CEA for studies relating to the safety of the CABRI core.
The year 2010 also saw SCANAIR distributed internationally, in particular to the
Finnish technical support body (VTT), theSpanish safety authority (CSN), and theJapan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), thus
allowing a larger validation of the software
and, more generally, consolidating IRSN’s
international proﬁle. Q

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IRSN is a fully independent organizationthat provides the public authorities with thetechnical assessments they need to makedecisions as to the continued operation ofreactors in the short to medium term.

work made it possible for ASN to publish the technical grounds for its decision
regarding continued operation of this reactor, with an unprecedented level of information brought to public attention.

www.irsn.fr

Q

Q Aging nuclear facilities
and service life extension

QQQ

Reactor vessel strength analysis
In 2010, IRSN examined whether the reactor vessels of 900 MWe reactors were capable of operating for 40 years. Reactor vessel
integrity is vital for safety and is therefore
reviewed every 10 years to consider theeffects of aging and actual operating conditions. At ASN’s request, IRSN examined theﬁle submitted by EDF that is intended todemonstrate that there is no risk of failurein the event of cold shock due to waterfrom the safety injection system. IRSN
and ASN’s Nuclear Pressure Equipment
Department presented their conclusions
to the relevant advisory committee on
June 16 and 30, 2010. The group ruled infavor of continuing operation for the reactor vessels of all 900 MWe reactors until
their fourth ten-year inspection, provided
that the temperature of the water used forsafety injection on reactor B1 at the SaintLaurent plant (on the River Loire, southwestof Paris) is increased.

Coverof the vessel

www.irsn.fr
Safety review for the ﬁrst 900
MWe reactor as part of its third
ten-yearly inspection
In 2010, following the generic safety review
carried out within the context of the third
ten-yearly inspection of 900 MWe reactors, and drawing on a critical analysis ofﬁndings of the safety review performedby EDF, IRSN assessed the suitability ofthe modiﬁcations made and the results ofthe checks performed for the compliancereview of reactor 1 at the Tricastin plantin southern France as part of its third tenyearly inspection. The Institute also examined the ﬁle concerning the suitability forthe continued operation of this reactor. The
ﬁle in question is aimed at demonstratingthat aging is managed in a way that guarantees safe operation of this reactor for atleast another ten years. IRSN considered
that, despite certain reservations regarding
the generic studies, it could see no obstacle
to continued operation of Tricastin 1.
This reactor was the ﬁrst of the 58 reactors in France to undergo a safety review
under the new enhanced framework introduced by the French Nuclear Security andTransparency Act (TSN). In 2010, IRSN’s

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ORGANIZATION I SUMMARY AND STRATEGY I ACTIVITIES I EFFICIENCY

primarywaterdischarge

primary
water intake

Core

Reactor
Vessel

Q Cross-section of the vessel of a 900 MWe pressurized water reactor.

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2010

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ACTIVITIES / SAFETY

Reactor service life extension
In the context of discussions regarding thepossible extension of the service life ofreactors in the EDF ﬂeet beyond 40 years,
IRSN has identiﬁed two major subjects forinvestigation:
QEDF’s management of the aging and obsolescence of safety-related structures, systems and equipment after 40 years and, in
correlation to this, its ability to anticipate
the best time to replace any safety-related
components as necessary;Qmodiﬁcations that may be speciﬁed andimplemented to significantly reduce
the probability or consequences ofaccidents.
Initial discussions on these matters were
held with EDF in 2010, to prepare a meeting of the relevant advisory committee to
examine EDF’s orientations. The meeting isplanned for 2011. Q

Q The SATURNE
calorimeter hoodis used to study
the behavior offires in an open
environment.

IN THE WORDS OF…

Lounes Tadrist, Director of the Institute for thermal industrial
systems (IUSTI, University Aix-Marseille I and II – UMR CNRS 6595)“The creation in January2010 of ETIC, a joint researchlaboratory for the study ofﬁre in a conﬁned space, stems
from the shared desire of IRSN
and IUSTI to strengthen theirlong-standing collaboration.
For IUSTI, this collaboration isan opportunity to enlarge thescope of our activities to include
research into ﬁre in ventilatedconﬁned spaces, a signiﬁcantissue for nuclear safety. It willdraw on our skills in the ﬁeld of
ﬁre research in urban, industrial
and natural environments thathave been developed over thelast 15 years or more. Through48

ETIC, the goal-oriented research
performed by IRSN will be able
to rely on prior research thatwill consolidate its advances inunderstanding and simulatingﬁres in nuclear facilities. ETIC isan “open” laboratory that plansto share skills and tools aroundfour research themes that wehave speciﬁed together: smoke
propagation, combustion underﬁre conditions, developing
instrumentation dedicatedto ﬁre-wall interactions anddeveloping ﬁeld models.
For each of these themes, aroadmap has been drawn up,
identifying the scientiﬁc barriers
to be overcome and setting
objectives for results overthe next four years.”

Q Fires andcontainment
The research work performed by IRSN
regarding ﬁre protection aims to improveunderstanding of how a ﬁre develops in a
conﬁned space and the related risk of radioactive release to the environment.

Studying ﬁres liable to occur atnuclear facilities
In 2010, IRSN analyzed the results of three
PICSEL-S program tests, which were performed in 2009 as part of a joint programwith Areva NC, in partnership with JNES, theJapanese technical support organization.
These full-scale tests, carried out at the
DIVA facility, focused on the effects ofcompartmentation (using fire dampers
for example) on combustion and smoke
propagation at a nuclear facility such as alaboratory or plant. The source of the ﬁre
was an electrical cabinet - with its door
open - similar to those found at nuclear
facilities.
The analysis distinguished three phases ofcombustion: ﬁrst, a slow ﬁre-propagation
phase, then a rapid-combustion phaseduring which the ﬂame propagates over
the whole cabinet surface, and lastly, a
relatively long burning-out phase until theﬁre dies out. It appears that only the last
combustion phase is affected by compartmentation of the room involved, with the
opening and closing of ﬁre dampers affect-

Q

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04

ing ﬁre duration and the transfer of smoke
to adjacent rooms.

Understanding the role andmechanisms of smoke transfer
IRSN performed the last test campaign ofthe international PRISME project in 2010.
The six tests involved ﬁre sources such as
solvents or electrical cabinet and power
cable ﬁres.
One of the major aim of the PRISME project
was to study various smoke transfer mechanisms during a ﬁre in a nuclear reactor andto assess the consequences for facility components (in particular for electrical cables).
It involved 22 partners from 12 different
countries (European countries, plus South
Korea, Japan, Canada and the USA) between
2006 and 2010.
At the same time, a working group carriedout cross-comparisons to assess the perfor-

1

mance of various simulation software packages in simulating the tests included in the
program. Drawing on unique experimental
data obtained from the PRISME program,
this work led to improved consideration ofsmoke transfer phenomena when modeling ﬁres in a ventilated-conﬁned space andenhanced validation methods for ﬁre simulation software.

Patents for minimizing aerosol
emissions induced by laser
cutting

At the DELIA facility for underwater and air
laser cutting, steel plates up to 80 mm thickwere cut in air using a continuous wave 8
kW YAG laser. The concentration and particle size distribution of the aerosol emitted
during cutting operations were determined
as a function of parameters (nozzle diameter, plate-to-beam waist distance, laser
power and speed) and plate thickness. The
process was validated and measurements
were used to obtain the optimum conditions for minimizing aerosol emissions. Q

In 2010, as a result of research carried out
in partnership with the CEA’s AssemblyTechnologies Laboratory in Saclay, near
Paris, two patent applications were ﬁled
with a view to minimizing aerosol emissions induced by laser cutting operations.
The cutting process in question could be
used in dismantling nuclear facilities.

2

3

Q The work carried out in cooperation with the CEA’s joining technology laboratory (LTA) in Saclay, near Paris, involved the useof the continuous wave 8 kW YAG laser at the DELIA facility, for underwater and air laser cutting facility.
1. Laser cutting head 2. Steel plate 3. Underwater cell.

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 201049

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ACTIVITIES / SAFETY

Q Accidents
In addition to the considerable work it
carries out on the prevention of PWR core
meltdown accidents, IRSN is conducting
research into the physics of such accidents
and their potential impact on human healthand the environment.

Experimental studies on iodine
chemistry
IRSN performed the 29th and last test of
the ISTP/EPICUR program in September
2010. The radioactive iodine produced innuclear reactors is a radiotoxic element thatexists in volatile forms (molecular iodine
and organic iodides). It is the main contributor to radiological effects in case ofradioactive release to the environment following a reactor core meltdown accident.
In particular, organic iodine gas is difﬁcult
to capture in ﬁlter systems.
The ISTP/EPICUR program, which began
in 2005, aimed to study iodine behavior
within the reactor containment building.

More speciﬁcally, it studied the quantity
and nature of iodine (aerosols, moleculariodine or organic iodine) released fromthe sump located at the bottom of thecontainment building. It also considered
the production of organic iodine throughirradiation of the iodine deposited on thepainted surfaces of the containment walls.
The effects of the pH of the water in thesump, temperature, gas-phase oxygen concentration, water vapor pressure and initialquantity of iodine deposited on the paintwere examined.
The experimental data gathered serves
to improve software used for estimating
the release of radioactive iodine and so, toreduce the uncertainty of the corresponding calculations.

Completion of the BECARRE
experimental program
IRSN performed the ﬁnal experiment in the
BECARRE program in March 2010. This program was set up to study degradation phe-

IN THE WORDS OF...

Dr Richard Y. Lee, Ofﬁce of Nuclear Regulatory Research,
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission“I took part in the Phebus FP
program, which was completed
at the end of last year, fromthe time the US NRC became
involved in 1989. We worked
with IRSN on ﬁve tests thatproved extremely useful for
the NRC, as they provided thedata required for updating andvalidating our computer codes,
in particular those relating tomajor accidents. This is the casewith MELCOR, the American
equivalent of the ASTEC codedeveloped by the European
Union. They also provided us

50

nomena affecting the boron carbide (B4C)
neutron absorber rods in nuclear reactors
in the presence of water vapor. It centeredon four areas: the oxidation of B4C pellets,
the oxidation of liquid mixtures of steel and
B4C formed at high temperature, the deformation of a B4C control rod segment, andthe modeling of the carbonaceous gases
emitted, under conditions representativeof accident scenarios.
The results were used to establish theappropriate oxidation laws and identify
phenomena that were not previously taken
into account by modeling codes, for example the dissolution of previously-formedoxide layers on the surfaces of Zircaloy
guide tubes by the B4C-steel mixture. They
conﬁrmed that, in the event of a core meltdown accident, the materials making up thecontrol rods would have an impact on the
degradation of the surrounding fuel rods
and, in the case of B4C rods, this effectcould be increased as a result of the mixtures formed splashing and ﬂowing downalong the rods (candling). The results of the
BECARRE program also demonstrated that
only very small quantities of methane areproduced by boron carbide oxidation, which
limits the potential production of volatileorganic iodine under these conditions.

Launch of the ECOBA projectwith information relating to therelevance of the assumptions
used to develop the “Revised
Source Term” that we publishedin 1995 in report NUREG-1465.
Phebus FP and the International
Source Term Program showedthat although many of ourassumptions were correct,
some of them relating to iodine
behavior in the containment
needed to be reviewed. Thisemerged from the EPICUR tests
in particular. These test results
are very important not only
for designing safer reactors,
but also for maintaining andenhancing the safety of reactors
already in service.”

In 2010, IRSN received funding from the
French national research agency for the
ECOBA project it is running in partnershipwith the GeM laboratory (Ecole Centrale
in Nantes, University of Nantes andUniversity of Saint-Nazaire), the Universityof Pau and Pays de l’Adour and the Ecole
Normale Supérieure in Cachan. The project,scheduled to last three years, will study thecontainment properties of reinforced concrete structures and includes a program ofexperiments aimed at testing the behaviorof a full-scale mock-up representing a reinforced concrete containment wall under theinﬂuence of pressure and temperature. In
2010, the project chieﬂy focused on designing the mock-up and the various measuring
devices to be set up during the tests. IRSN
will measure containment leakage.
The results of research work carried out
by doctoral students at the IRSN on the
behavior of early age concrete and themesoscopic approach (modeling on thescale of individual granules) to explain thecracking phenomena will be used to deﬁnethese measurements. The ECOBA projectwill provide additional data for evaluating
double-wall containment systems for reactors, which will be the subject of an QQQ

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MORE ABOUT

The year 2010 saw some of theoutcomes of work started in
2002 on the detailed simulationof the interaction between corium(mixture of materials resulting
from reactor core meltdown)
and the concrete used in thefoundation slab supporting thereactor vessel. Simulations
involved determining heattransfers taking place between
the different phases present.
Dissertations in this area madea signiﬁcant contribution. The
structure of the interfaces inquestion cannot be examined
experimentally as the materials inquestion are corrosive and opaqueat very high temperatures. It does,
however, play a crucial role in
the rate at which the concrete iseroded by the corium. As far as
safety is concerned, the aim is toobtain a more precise estimate ofthe distribution of heat releasedby the corium on the surface incontact with the foundation slab
concrete, a value that determines
the foundation slab erosion rate.
The problem is made all the moreQ

Simulation of corium-concrete interactions

ACTIVITIES01

ORGANIZATION I SUMMARY AND STRATEGY I ACTIVITIES I EFFICIENCY

complex by the fact that gas
bubbles (CO2, H20) released by theconcrete as it heats up and melts
enter and disturbs the coriumconcrete interface. The detailed
model used will be validated byanalytical tests carried out incollaboration with the Toulouse
Institute of Fluid Mechanics,(dynamics of liquid interfaces/
liquid crossed by a gas) and by
tests performed at the CNRSPROMES laboratory (thermal
degradation of concrete in a solaroven).

Q Display of the interface between corium and siliceous concrete with (right) and without (left) gas release.
Density deviation (top) and solid fraction deviation (bottom).

Q Change in an interface in the corium between an oxide layer and a metal layer with gas bubbles releasedby the concrete passing through it. Density deviation on the left and temperature fields on the right used
to quantity heat transfer.

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2010

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Containment

Containment

VesselVesselCoriumCoriumReactorpit

1

1. Pressurized corium
ejection can cause
containment overheating
and pressurization.
2. Corium falling into
the reactor pit can cause
a steam explosion.
3. Display of an MC3D
calculation of corium flowing
into the reactor pit water.

Reactorpit

2

advisory committee meeting on reactors
planned for the end of 2012.

Modeling phenomena resulting
from reactor vessel failure in theevent of a major accident
Developed by IRSN in partnership with EDF
and CEA, MC3D is a thermal-hydraulic software program primarily used for assessing
phenomena liable to occur immediately
following a postulated reactor vessel failure in the event of a core meltdown accident. If there is water in the reactor pit, themolten core which is spreading breaks up
and mixes with water, which could lead toa steam explosion.
In 2010, IRSN carried out realistic 3D
assessments on a reactor-scale steam
explosion. This work was made possible byrecent improvements to the MC3D software application. If there is no water in thereactor pit, and if the reactor vessel is pressurized at the time of failure, the molten

3fuel may spread through the containmentbuilding and pressurize it as a result of
direct containment heating (DCH). MC3D
software has also been successively used forseveral years to study the spread of molten core material in this type of scenario
for 1300 MWe reactors, the EPR, and 900
MWe reactors.

www.irsn.fr
Increased recognition for
SARNETThe 4th ERMSAR (European Review Meetingon Severe Accident Research) conference,
hosted by ENEA in May 2010 in the Italiancity of Bologna, was attended by 98 delegates from various countries.
The conference presented details of work
carried out in partnership by members of
SARNET, the European network of excellence. Coordinated by IRSN, SARNET isdevoted to research into possible severe
accidents involving nuclear reactors.

MORE ABOUT

Getting back to the basics in chemistry
to further understanding
Theoretical chemistry, the use of which has shot up in thepast 20 years, serves to calculate macroscopic properties, such asreactivity, that are difﬁcult to obtain experimentally, by determining
the electronic properties of atoms, molecules and their interactions.
It is also a good tool for helping to interpret complex experimentsthat optimize test matrices in advance. In 2010, these techniques
were used successfully at the C3R joint laboratory (IRSN-CNRS
University of Lille 1), to calculate the kinetic constants of reaction
systems involving iodine in the reactor coolant system to determine
the stability and solubility of iodine oxides. They are also used
in interpreting interactions between iodine and paint in thecontainment building.

52

Presentations and discussions highlighted
the capitalization of knowledge acquiredin SARNET in the ASTEC software package,developed by IRSN and its German counterpart GRS, to simulate the full scenario
of a severe accident.
New requests to use the software (by KINS,
the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, and
VTT, the Finnish technical research centre)
conﬁrm ASTEC’s position as an international reference code.
In addition, new partners have joined the
network: KINS and soon India’s Bhabba
Atomic Research Centre (BARC).

Progress in the ASAMPSA2
project
The ASAMPSA2 project, coordinatedby IRSN, sets out to create a best practice guide for level 2 Probabilistic Safety
Assessments (PSA2). In 2010, a ﬁrst versionof the guide was completed and sent forreview to over a hundred European agencies
and OECD partners. Practices vary widely
across Europe, and the guide should harmonize the implementation of PSA2s andthe use of the conclusions of these studies
in the overall safety assessment of nuclear
power plants.
Although it deals primarily with plants currently operating in Europe, the guide also
considers Generation IV reactors.
The ASAMPSA2 project includes 21 agencies from 12 European countries involvedin nuclear reactor safety, including nuclear
operators, service providers, safety authorities, constructors, and research agencies.
It began on January 1, 2008 for three anda half years as part of FP7, the European
Commission seventh framework programfor research and technological development. Q

www.asampsa2.eu

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Q

ACTIVITIES01

ORGANIZATION I SUMMARY AND STRATEGY I ACTIVITIES I EFFICIENCYQ IRSN is working with IPG, the French institute of earth physics, and the Ecole normale supérieure in Paris, to study
the processes of deformation of the rift in the Corinth region in Greece.

Q Natural hazards
The research carried out by IRSN in thearea of natural hazards is aimed at improving understanding of the risks and consequences for a nuclear facility of events,
such as earthquakes, heat waves, storms,
or ﬂooding.

Post-earthquake missionin Chile
IRSN is regularly called on to participate
in post-earthquake missions following signiﬁcant quakes. This allows it to build up its
expertise in both seismology and seismic
design for buildings.
In 2010, the Institute was called in on a
post-earthquake mission organized by theinternational laboratory Montessus de
Ballore, following the earthquake of magnitude 8.8 that struck Chile on February 27.
The two-week mission provided seismological and geodesic data for use in studying the mainshock and its aftershocks. The
initial geological observations made concern the changes to the landscape causedby the earthquake on the coast (uplift or
subsidence of soil) and the extent of thezone ﬂooded by the tsunami.

www.irsn.fr
Seismic hazard assessment
In 2010, ANR decided to fund the SISCOR
research project that brings together IRSN,
IPG, the French institute of earth physics,
and the Ecole Nationale Supérieure in
Paris. The studies planned as part of the
project set out to observe and model thedeformation processes affecting the rift in
the western part of the Corinth region in
Greece – Europe’s most seismically active
region. Tectonic studies and permanentseismological and geodesic networks set
up in 2000 will help to improve under-

standing of how active faults work andwill also serve to develop seismicity models. In particular, the results of geodesic
measurements (taken over a period of 10
years) will be compared with paleoseismological studies along the faults (coveringa period of 10,000 years) to quantify theshare of deformations absorbed by eachfault. The age of faults and the presenceof ﬂuids will then be studied to determine

whether these factors explain in any way
the considerable diversity of seismic behavior observed. Based on the results of thiswork, a method will be produced for integrating the contribution of active faults into
probabilistic seismic hazard calculations, by
taking their mechanical behavior and seismic history into account. Q

INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITY

Site survey services
Several countries wishing to acquire nuclear power capability
have initiated a site selection and validation processes and havecalled on IRSN for its expertise to characterize the sites
under consideration.
IRSN is supporting the United Arab Emirates nuclear safety
authority (FANR) by providing a technical assessment of
the preliminary safety analysis report chapter devoted to thecharacterization of the selected site. In Tunisia, it is helping STEG,
the Tunisian gas and electric utility, to assess certain natural
hazards as part of an agreement with AFNI, the French nuclear
international agency.
The Institute also performed a study in associate with AFNI
for the Kuwait nuclear safety authority (KNNEC), as part ofa preliminary siting process for a nuclear power plant.
Lastly, it is also working in Jordan and Egypt for EC-funded
projects on behalf of the local safety authorities.
Here too, its experts are helping the authorities to acquire
the methods and set up requirements that any nuclear facilities
built in these countries will have to meet.

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2010

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About defense

ASSESSING THE SAFETY OF MILITARY NUCLEAR SYSTEMS,NUCLEAR FACILITIES AND DEFENSE-RELATED TRANSPORTIRSN’s activities in this area, particularly
those of its Nuclear Defense Expertise
Division (DEND) come under a technicalsupport agreement with the French Representative in charge of Nuclear Safety
and Radiation Protection for Defense-related Activities and Facilities (DSND), operating under the aegis of the Ministry of
Defense and the Ministry for Industry.
SAFETY OF SUBMARINES, AIRCRAFT CARRIERS AND
DEFENSE-RELATED MILITARY OR CIVIL FACILITIESIRSN’s safety assessments of facilities and equipment operated by the Ministry of Defense, CEA and Areva cover their
entire life cycle, from design and construction, to operationand dismantling. They also concern any major transformations
on the facilities and equipment brought about by changes intheir activity.
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
In 2010, IRSN examined the supporting documentation submitted by DGA, the French defense procurement agency, for thedeﬁnitive operating authorization request for the next nuclear
ballistic missile submarine, “Le Terrible”, the last of this class,following its sea trials.
The Institute also assessed the documentation submitted
for the commissioning of the new fuel storage pool at theIle Longue base in Brittany, as well as preliminary studies in
preparation for the arrival of future nuclear attack submarinesof the “Barracuda” program at the port of Cherbourg on the
Channel.

Q IRSN conducted the safety review of the “Rubis” classnuclear attack submarines.

54

It also continued its examination of the application for a provisional operating license for the experimental reactor (RES)
at the Cadarache secret nuclear facilities in southern France.
For the laboratories and plants used for Defense activities at
the CEA center in Cadarache, IRSN assessed the safety of the
future nuclear materials storage facility of the nuclear propulsion fuel manufacturing plant, together with plans for a spent
fuel dry storage facility.
The Institute also began the safety examination for construction permits for the planned plutonium recycling facility andtritiated waste storage facility at the CEA/DAM center in Valducin eastern France.
It examined the safety analysis report concerning the construction of four new buildings intended for the storage of uraniumbearing materials (P35) at the Areva NC plant in Pierrelatte insouthern France.
Regarding the CEA center in Marcoule in the south of France,
IRSN examined the safety baseline of the alpha waste packaging facility (UCDA) prior to commissioning.
OPERATIONIRSN’s work included a safety review of the “Rubis” class nuclear
attack submarines, for which most of the documentation was
examined in 2010 to comment on the modiﬁcations required
for their ﬁnal operating period, pending the arrival of the“Barracuda” class vessels.
The Institute examined, as it does every year, the lessons learned
from events affecting the operation of on-board nuclear steamsupply systems and their land-based support facilities.
It also began to examine new water intake and discharge permit applications (DARPE) submitted by the bases in Cherbourg,
Brest and Toulon, which are involved in building and providing
support for nuclear-powered vessels.
The Institute began assessments relating to the safety reviewof the liquid efﬂuent treatment station and a legacy-waste
storage facility (MAR 400) at the CEA Marcoule center, so as
to determine whether or not they could continue to operate. It
also examined the documentation submitted by the operator
following the safety review of the Marcoule Vitriﬁcation Facility,
performed in 2009. As part of its facility monitoring activities,
it examined the causes of and lessons learned from a numberof incidents that had occurred at the facility.
Lastly, it began the process of examining the new DARPE.
The Institute has analyzed the safety review documentation
for the nuclear propulsion fuel manufacturing facility at the
CEA center in Cadarache, together with several applications for
authorization to carry out modiﬁcations including structural
reinforcements and fuel element production equipment.
As part of the safety review of the facilities at the CEA/DAM
center in Valduc, it examined the safety baselines of facilities

03

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04

weapon parts transport package. The additional
information was sent by CEA in response to recommendations issued by the Transport Safety
Commission following a meeting in 2009.

Q

7

designed for the storage of recyclable depleted
plutonium-contaminated products and waste suchas tritium, and VLLW, alpha waste. It also examined
IRSN reports
several safety ﬁles related to the improvement offor meetings ofthe production tool at the Valduc center (new triti“defense-related”
ated water treatment process, changes to storage
technical safetycommissions.
conditions in a nuclear materials warehouse, etc.)(6 in 2009)IRSN examined reports on several incidents that
occurred at the CEA/DAM center in Valduc and the
Areva NC center in Pierrelatte and assessed how
they were handled. Overall safety at the Tricastinsite was examined.
In addition, the Institute began to examine how nuclear operators at Valduc, Pierrelatte and Marcoule had responded to the
DSND’s request for them to take into account operating experience feedback from the criticality-related events that occurredat the CEA Cadarache ATPu facility.

ONSITE EMERGENCY PLANS AND DRILLSIn 2010 IRSN was involved in developing scenarios
for emergency drills at the Istres airbase, the CEA
Marcoule site, and the Areva Pierrelatte site – alllocated in southern France – as well as the naval
bases in Toulon and Cherbourg, and for a transport

QQQ

DISMANTLINGIRSN examined the safety documentation concerning the transfer of efﬂuent due to ﬁnal shutdown and dismantling activities
at the UP1 plant to the Marcoule Vitriﬁcation Facility (APM),
and the dismantling of some high-level process cells at the
Marcoule prototype facility.
RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL TRANSPORT
Documentation examined by IRSN relating to the transport ofdefense-related radioactive materials included:Qrequests for extension of approvals for transport on publicdomain,Qapplications for the authorization of on-site transport,
Qproposals for updates to IAEA recommendations concerning the transport of radioactive materials, in preparation
for the publication of a new version of the recommendations in 2012,Qemergency plans relating to the transport of radioactive
materials.
IRSN proposed a model for producing emergency plans, together
with dimensioning guidelines.
It also examined additional evidence relating to the 81,000

Q IRSN regularly examines shipping containers
for weapons parts.

MORE ABOUT

The nuclear propulsion fuel manufacturing facility
at the CEA center in Cadarache
The nuclear propulsion fuel manufacturing facility at the CEA center in Cadarache was discussed
in a joint meeting of the French commission for safety of laboratories, plants and waste management,
and the French commission for criticality safety in 2010, when the safety review documentation forthis facility was examined.
The operator’s review process deﬁned actions that would signiﬁcantly improve facility safety.
As part of the reassessment of seismic risks, the operator launched the process for building a newearthquake-resistant storage facility for ﬁssile materials.
Following this assessment, DSND authorized both the continuing operation of the existing facility,
and the construction of the new storage facility.

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2010

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ORGANIZATION I SUMMARY AND STRATEGY I ACTIVITIES I EFFICIENCY

55

03

ACTIVITIES / SAFETY

84

technical notices
to ASN for defenserelated activities.
(93 in 2009)

Q An emergency drill was organized at the Toulon naval base.

MORE ABOUT

Safety review at
the Marcoule facilities
In 2010, IRSN assessed the safety review
documentation of two facilities at the
Marcoule Center in southern France.
In view of the improvements already madeand those planned by the operator of theirradiated fuel assembly surveillance facility(ISAI), the DSND authorized continued
operation of the facility for another ten years.
IRSN assessed operating conditions at the CEA
Marcoule center’s tritium facility (ATM) up
to its planned shutdown date in 2012.

56

operation. The Institute also took an active part in three drills,
as well as an internal French Navy drill.
It issued technical notices to the DSND concerning a numberof onsite emergency plans. These included:Qthe operational aspects of the onsite emergency plans at
CEA’s Cadarache center in southern France and Saint Dizier
airbase in eastern France,Qaccident conditions covered by the onsite emergency plan
at Areva’s Pierrelatte site,
Qthe operational aspects of CEA’s emergency transport
plan.
RADIOACTIVE SOURCES
In 2010, IRSN issued a notice at the DSND’s request on the useof some ﬁfty electrical devices emitting ionizing radiation at
the CEA’s Gramat center in the southwest of France. Q

03

Q

02

04

INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITY

Participation in
European projects

Q

CONDUCTINGASSESSMENTS ON
FUTURE FACILITIESQ Reactors of the future
Looking ahead to the development ofGeneration IV reactors, IRSN is enhancing its knowledge so that it can assess thesafety of these reactors and their associatedfuel cycle facilities when the time comes.
It is focusing in particular on issues related
to sodium-cooled fast reactors.

ASTRID project examination
process
In 2010, IRSN continued discussions with
ASN and the various participants in the
ASTRID project for the industrial demonstration of sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR)
technology.
Drawing on its technical assessment experience in this ﬁeld, the Institute conducted ananalysis of the technical examination process that should be adopted for the ASTRID
project. This work focused on several areas
including:Qn ew regulatory framework (French
Nuclear Security and Transparency
Act),Qlessons learned from experience feedback from the authorization and technical examination processes for otherprojects (EPR, Jules Horowitz reactor),
Qspeciﬁc issues associated with the very
nature of ASTRID which is a prototype

IRSN was involved in several other projects in 2010 relating
to Generation IV reactors and set up as part of FP7.
These included:
QEUROPAIRS, which is aimed at studying the coupling of a very
high-temperature reactor to a hydrogen production factory;
QGoFastR, relating to design and safety studies for a gas-cooled
fast reactor (GFR);QCP-ESFR, for the development of a sodium-cooled fast reactor(SFR);QADRIANA, which reviews existing or potential test methods
for developing sodium-, gas- or lead-cooled fast reactors;
QTHINS, for the development and validation of thermal-hydraulicsimulation tools applicable to various Generation IV reactor
concepts.

and not a ﬁrst-off plant unit for industrial
deployment,Qthe need for sufﬁciently early validationof the key safety issues connected with
SFR technology, and an assessment of
R&D areas identified by the industry
players involved in the project to achievesignificant progress in safety aspects
such as core neutronic characteristics,
residual heat removal in passive mode
and in-service inspection.
The conclusions of this analysis and therelated proposals were submitted to ASN.

IRSN research strategy
concerning sodium-cooled fast
reactors

Q Schematic illustration of the Astrid
reactor.

In 2010, IRSN continued work to restore
its expertise in the area of SFRs in preparation for the safety assessments that will be
required for the ASTRID project. Summary
documents were produced by building on
the experience gained from projects developed in France and abroad between the
1970s and 1990s.
This work led to an initial identiﬁcation oftheoretical and experimental R&D requirements, in connection with international
projects like OECD’s working group on
experimental facilities for advanced reactors (TAREF and ADRIANA) under FP7.

Inventory of simulation
softwareAlongside efforts to rebuild its SFR expertise, IRSN has begun to resume researchon digital simulation applications used in
the past: GERMINAL for the initial state of
the irradiated fuel, SIMMER for generalizedcore meltdown and FEUMIX and PULSAR
for sodium ﬁres.
Validation of the models is in progress, on
the basis of the results of recent experimental programs. IRSN is in the processof deﬁning a strategy for developing nextgeneration software.
This work draws on all the knowledge
acquired on SFRs through operation, studies and R&D. It also makes use of software
applications developed for modeling PWR
accidents, particularly for determining thetype and quantity of radioactive substances
liable to be released to the environment in
the event of an accident. Q

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2010

ACTIVITIES01

ORGANIZATION I SUMMARY AND STRATEGY I ACTIVITIES I EFFICIENCY

57

03

ACTIVITIES / SAFETY

Q Deep geologicalrepositories for nuclear
waste
The work carried out by IRSN in this ﬁeld
seeks to improve understanding and acquire
the skills and tools required in time to assessthe deep geological repositories for nuclear
waste planned for the future.

Assessment of a zone of interestfor detailed reconnaissanceIn 2010, IRSN examined the criteria adopted
by Andra for choosing a 30 km2 zone ofinterest for detailed reconnaissance close to
its underground laboratory in Bure the eastof France. ANDRA considers the selectedzone particularly appropriate for siting theunderground installations of a geologicalrepository for high- and intermediate-levellong-lived waste, required by the French Act
of June 28, 2006, relative to the sustainable
management of radioactive materials andwaste. Detailed geological reconnaissancetechniques will be used in this zone.
Overall, IRSN considered that the criteria
adopted by ANDRA were appropriate fromthe safety perspective. It did draw attention,
however, to the fact that damage to thehost rock during excavation could increase
with depth, bearing in mind that someareas of the detailed reconnaissance zone
are deeper than the underground laboratory. It might be necessary to adapt thedesign of repository structures to take into
account the effects of siting the repository
at a greater depth than that studied until
now.

Geological disposal facilities forhigh- and intermediate-levellong-lived waste
On November 29, 2010 IRSN presented its
assessment of ANDRA’s “Dossier 2009” tothe relevant ASN standing advisory group.

“Dossier 2009” is an intermediate reporton the high-level and intermediate-levellong-lived waste repository project, submitted before the next milestones deﬁned
by law.
Based on IRSN’s report, the advisory groupconcluded that Andra’s safety approach issatisfactory, but that some safety-related
aspects of repository operation should be
developed further for license application.
This mainly concerns risks associated withsimultaneous activities related to construction and nuclear operation in the underground facility, containment, measures forradioactive materials, and ﬁre hazard. The
need for supporting evidence regarding
the performance of the sealing concepts
designed to guarantee the leaktightnessof the large repository structures was also
highlighted. Based on the assumption thatthe repository will be built in several stages,
the Institute also recommended that Andra

Q IRSN examined the criteria adopted by Andra for choosing a zone of interest for detailed reconnaissance (ZIRA) close to its
underground laboratory at Bure in the east of France.

58

03

Q

02

04

Swelling
clay
core

Downstream
confinement system(removable)

External hydraulicinstrumentation(flow rate/pressure)

Downstream
tankExternal mechanicalinstrumentation(stress/displacement)Φ = 60 cm

No

rth

En

Upstreamsaturation system

tra

Q

Upstream
confinement
systemUpstreamtankInstrumentation
inside core
Downhole
packer

Downstream
saturation system

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nn

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Q SEALEX project:
schematic
diagram andlocation of in situ
tests in the tunnel
at the Tournemire
site.

s

specify the construction phases, prior towhich an updated version of the facility
safety demonstration will be submitted.

First SEALEX experiments
The ﬁrst test setup was completed in 2010
for the SEALEX project on the performanceof clay seals in a repository for high- andintermediate-level long-lived waste and therelated studies and research began.
Launched early in 2009 to meet IRSN’s
assessment requirements, SEALEX
will involve in situ experiments at the
Tournemire experimental station in southern France aimed at quantifying the chief
factors that control the long-term hydraulicperformance of clay seals.
Within this context, a dissertation study
was launched in association with the Ecoledes Ponts Paris Tech to characterize thelong-term behavior of swelling materials
used for sealing purposes.
The goal is to improve the reliability andrelevance of future simulations required
for assessing the long-term performanceof these materials. The first of seven insitu test setups was successfully installedin December 2010. The remaining test setups are planned over a period of several
years. Q

ACTIVITIES01

ORGANIZATION I SUMMARY AND STRATEGY I ACTIVITIES I EFFICIENCY

MORE ABOUT

A delegation of the French national
assessment board at Tournemire
In June 2010, the national assessment board visited IRSN’s
experimental station in Tournemire in southern France.
In the assessment report published after its visit, it stated “... theBoard is highly impressed with the scientiﬁc and technical activityof the Tournemire experimental station. It contributes to IRSN’s
assessment capabilities. […]” The Board underlined the quality of
the activities carried out to enhance geological repository safety.
Furthermore, IRSN researchers also welcomed the local
information and oversight committee of the Andra undergroundlaboratory in Bure in eastern France, reﬂecting IRSN’s desire toopen up to society.

Q IRSN studies the long-term strength and performance ofseals in the tunnel at its experimental station in Tournemire
in south-central France.

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 201059

03 03

ACTIVITIES / SECURITY
ACTIVITIESSECURITY – NON-PROLIFERATION

Advancing the causeof nuclear safety in France
and around the world
IRSN, and in particular its Nuclear Defense Expertise Division (DEND), contributes to national and international
efforts to control nuclear and sensitive materials and protect facilities against malicious acts. The Institutetook part in reviewing regulatory texts in both these areas in 2010.
Regarding the control of nuclear and sensitive materials, it continued to carry out its tasks of examining
ﬁles and escorting inspection teams. Concerning the prevention of malicious acts, the Institute worked onorganizing emergency exercises to gain a better understanding of how nuclear safety and nuclear security
come together. It also worked on procedures for organizing nuclear security training on a European – or evena broader international – level.

Q IRSN tests the performance of radioactive material detection barriers.

Q Protection and control
of nuclear and sensitive
materials
Protection of nuclear materials
at facilities
In 2010, IRSN examined 242 ﬁles at therequest of Senior Defense and Security
Official (HFDS) from the Ministry ofEnergy, the authority in charge of nuclear
material protection and control.
Furthermore, experts from the Institute,officially appointed as “nuclear mate-

60

rials inspectors”, are mandated by the
Senior Defense and Security Ofﬁcial toconduct inspections at facilities holding
nuclear materials. In 2010, these experts
performed 96 facility inspections, two inreaction to speciﬁc circumstances: one at
the Tricastin plant in the lower Rhone valley and the other at the Gravelines plantin the north.
During 2010, the inspection effort focusedmore particularly on systems for receiving
and shipping nuclear materials. Inspections
also concerned:
Qcontrolling access to nuclear materials
and sites;Qremote monitoring and periodic testingof physical protection systems;
Qimplementation of measures applicable
to annual physical inventories.
Several local exercises were carried out,some at night, with nuclear materials
inspectors standing by to observe how local
security forces implement the procedures
and emergency instructions prepared byplant operators.
In 2010, IRSN procured physical protection equipment for test purposes. Testing
covered biometric access control systems,
detection barriers and infrared detectors.
Tests were also conducted on a laser scanning digitizer. This device is used to construct
a 3D image of a facility and to identify any

03

Q

02

04

Q

ACTIVITIES01

ORGANIZATION I SUMMARY AND STRATEGY I ACTIVITIES I EFFICIENCYQ IRSN Transport Operations: monitoring a shipment at the Command Post at the Prefecture in Metz.

changes that have occurred by comparing
two pictures taken at different times. Tests
were carried out at Areva’s Pierrelatte site
in southern France in October.
The purpose of the study was to assess theadvantages of using this type of system
to control nearly static nuclear material
stocks.

Protecting nuclear materials
during transport
The year 2010 was marked by the publication and implementation of the Orderof August 18, 2010 on the protection andcontrol of nuclear materials in transport(excluding nuclear deterrent materials).
This text delegates the powers of the
Minister in charge of national transportof nuclear materials, a key position, to the
IRSN deputy director general.
Assisted by IRSN Transport Operations
Center, he is responsible for managing
nuclear materials transport, processing
applications to authorize transport, monitoring shipments and sending prior noticeof shipments to the relevant authorities.

152

inspections
involving
nuclear material
control.
(171 in 2009)

The Order is part of the work underway on
nuclear security regulations, in which IRSN
plays an important part.
In 2010, IRSN processed 65 requests fortechnical notices on the physical protectionof nuclear material transport. This involved
analyzing transport plans, applications
for transport permits, or applications forapproval of transport methods.
IRSN helped prepare about 1,000 accomplished domestic shipments in 2010 withnothing notable to mention. The Institutealso monitored international shipments
which were sometimes sensitive from apublic relations perspective, such as theexport of MOX fuel or returning vitriﬁed
waste to Germany packaged at La Hague
in Normandy. For the ﬁrst time, part of
IRSN Transport Operations Center wentout to the regional Command Posts set upby the authorities to help them geographically locate the shipments in real time andprovide better communication between
the authorities’ command posts and IRSN
Transport Operations Center at FontenayQQQ
aux-Roses near Paris.

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2010

61

03

ACTIVITIES / SECURITY – NON-PROLIFERATION

8inspections
conducted in
facilities underthe “declaration”
regime.
(12 in 2009)

In 2010, 46 inspections were performed
on nuclear material during transport and
18 were performed on approved transportation equipment. These inspections covered all means of transport – road, rail, sea
and air – but with a special focus on roadvehicles.
In 2010 IRSN deﬁned a new list of roadtransport routes for nuclear material witha cartographical description and detailed
road maps. The list was sent out to all
authorities and users affected by the routes.
Finally, a procedures manual is being prepared on the protection of nuclear material
and radioactive sources transport including
protection against theft and sabotage. The
manual provides background information
on regulations, deﬁnes the roles of those

involved and explains how to apply forprotection. A presentation was given at theinternational PATRAM 2010 symposium.

Nuclear material monitoring
and accounting
In terms of centralized accounting, in 2010
IRSN carried out IT development workneeded to upgrade the remote link used
to transmit accounting operations declaring nuclear material stock changes by themain nuclear operators. This major IT activity was also highlighted by real-world scaletesting of the new Ar Men control software
which is in its ﬁnal acceptance phase.
In 2010, the public authorities decided toseparate accounting for nuclear materials
used for the deterrent policy from accounting for other nuclear materials.
The Institute studied the advantages anddrawbacks of doing this in a document sent
to the relevant authorities and contributed
to preparing protocols and agreements forcarrying this out.

Nuclear material inventory
control in an emergency
IN THE WORDS OF…

Jacques Raharinaivo, Deputy Director of Arms Control
and the OSCE at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs who is
responsible for implementing the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC)“IRSN provided us with
their expertise to
implement the Chemical
Weapons Convention
in France. We need its
capabilities to analyze
technical issues to do with
the implementation of
the Convention. This covers
general negotiations but
also all the speciﬁc issues,particularly chemical site
inspections which are how
the CWC is physically
implemented.

62

From May 2010 to April 2011,
France holds the Presidency of
the OPCW Executive Council
and will have to prepare thedestruction of all chemical
weapons by April 2012.
The deadline is not without
its problems for somecountries. In this situation
it will be all the more
important to be able to relyon an organization like IRSN
whose expertise, reliability
and availability have been
widely demonstrated.”

At the request of the authorities, IRSN regularly organizes emergency situation inventory control exercises for nuclear material
at a facility. The purpose of the exercises is
to test decision making chains as well as thecoordination of those involved (operators,
public authorities and so on).
The exercises entail carrying out a nuclear
material inventory at one or more facilities within a few hours to conﬁrm or ruleout the existence of any malicious acts,
such as theft or misuse of nuclear materials, or acts of sabotage. During 2010 theInstitute managed an exercise involving the
CEA ATALANTE facility at Marcoule and the
CEA LECA STAR facility at Cadarache, bothin the south of France, as well as a readying
exercise for the nuclear material emergency
room in the IRSN Emergency Response
Center. Fifteen exercises of this type, usually scheduled on an almost annual basis,
have already been performed. They enable
the emergency procedures used the main
French nuclear operators to be tested.

International non-proliferation
inspections
International inspectionsin the chemical ﬁeld
In 2010, IRSN supported seven inspections conducted by the Organization for
the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons(OPCW) on the French chemical industry. The inspections concluded that France

03

Q

02

04

Q

is complying with terms of the Chemical
Weapons Convention (CWC). The Institutealso produced the two annual declarations
for activities carried out in 2009 and thosescheduled for 2011 for more than 120
French chemical sites. These declarations were sent to the OPCW
within the time limits laid downby the Convention.
IRSN carried out a major updateto the declaration manuals
used by industry to incorporatechanges in some of the declaration procedures and to some declaration thresholds. The update
also included a description of how
to use the IODA Internet portal
used by a very large number ofcompanies.
The Institute provided technicalsupport to the Ministry of Industry
to modify regulations to incorporate
OPCW decisions and to clarify various measures to do with challenge
inspections. Regarding the latter
point, IRSN also provided the Frenchauthorities with a set of detailed
emergency instructions which werereviewed and validated by the relevant
ministries and by an industrial operator in
December 2010.
Bilateral negotiations initiated with OPCW
in 2009 on the use by its inspectors ofencrypted USB keys continued in 2010 withIRSN involvement to deﬁne procedures forchecking data collected by inspectors.

ACTIVITÉS

01

ORGANIZATION I SUMMARY AND STRATEGY I ACTIVITIES I EFFICIENCYQ The declaration manual
for industry was updated.

Q Nuclear material samples for the Euratom inspection.

International inspectionsin the nuclear ﬁeld
In 2010 IRSN supported 52 international
inspections performed by Euratom andthe IAEA, roughly the same number as in2009. The Institute carried out signiﬁcanttargeted work supporting inspections atcertain facilities affected by changes inaccounting breakdowns and inspection
procedures.
IRSN produced a new version of thenuclear material import and export notiﬁcation manual and made it available tooperators and the Ministries concerned.
This incorporates all the latest regulatory
developments and information on how the
PIMENT Internet portal operates for declaring international nuclear material transfers.
The manual was presented to operators inJune 2010.
In November 2010, IRSN signed a protocol
with Areva governing the roles and responsibilities of the different people involved
when IRSN sends Euratom accounting
reports drawn up by Areva Group facility
managers.
The Institute provided technical support to the French authorities QQQ

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2010

63

03

ACTIVITIES / SECURITY – NON-PROLIFERATIONQ IRSN is involved in IAEA inspections in France. The IAEA’s headquarters in Vienna, Austria are pictured here.

52

missions to escortinspections involving
international nuclear
material control.
(54 in 2009)7

missions to escortinspections involving
the chemical weapons
ban.
(8 in 2009)

11200

recorded movementsof radioactive sources.
(13 500 in 2009)64

as part of a working group on sending
data to Luxembourg and also took partin a European Safeguards Research andDevelopment Association (ESARDA) working group on Euratom audits performed on
nuclear material accounting and control
systems.
To prepare for 24-hour prior notice,“expanded-access” inspections, which
the IAEA can perform in France underthe Additional Protocol to the Safeguards
Agreements, IRSN was involved in an alert
phase coordination and response exercise
carried out by the French authorities. It
also ensured that procedures put in placeremained operational by carrying out aninternal IRSN exercise on notiﬁcation for“expanded access” and advised operators potentially concerned by this type of
inspection.
IRSN also actively took part in training
Areva and CEA operators on international
nuclear non-proliferation saveguards. Q

Q Protection against
malicious acts
Regulatory text reviews
In 2010 IRSN continued to participate in
the review of French regulations on the protection and control of nuclear materials,
both at facilities and during transportation.
This involved the use of signiﬁcant Instituteresources both for preparatory work on
regulations and preparing presentations
given to operators by the Authority. The
main regulations concerned are as follows:Q an order relating to license application procedures for holders of nuclear
materials,
Qan order specifying the procedures forstudying the protection of nuclear materials and facilities,
Qan order deﬁning the physical protection measures to be implemented by thelicensee,Qan order on the conditions for approving
nuclear material shipment methods.

Facility protection assessment
On February 12, 2010 during a meeting with the Senior Defense and Security
Ofﬁcial (HFDS), the French Nuclear Safety

03

Q

02

04

IRSN organization in the eventof a radiological emergency ofmalicious origin
At the request of the Senior Defense
and Security Ofﬁcial, IRSN organized thefourth “Security Protection and Evaluation
Exercise”. The purpose of this type of exercise is to test coordination between nuclear
facility operators, who are responsible forthe protection of their sites, and publicauthorities, including the Senior Defense
and Security Ofﬁcial, the Prefect, the State
Prosecutor, and local and national police
forces. The preparatory work for the exercise with the different entities involved
continued throughout the year in several
working groups led by the Institute. The
exercise itself was performed during thenight of November 3 and 4, 2010 at the
CEA Saclay center near Paris. Around 300
people were involved for around sevenhours. More than a hundred observers andevaluators took part and were able to see
the close connection that exists between
nuclear safety and nuclear security.

International activities
In 2010 at the request of the IAEA, IRSN was
involved in courses organized in Moroccoon the security of radioactive sources and in
Kazakhstan on dealing with internal threats.
The Institute also contributed to a courseon physical protection of nuclear facilities
in Japan and to organizing an international
IAEA course in France on security culture.
IRSN security experts were involved in a
training course for future IAEA physicalprotection trainers, which took place in
Slovenia.
IRSN also took part in working groups organized by the IAEA involving:Q the document defining fundamental
security principles,
QRevision 5 of circular INFCIRC 225, containing recommendations on protection of
nuclear materials and facilities,
Q the recommendations document on
security of radioactive source,
Qthe structure of IAEA recommendation
documents,
Qthe document on recovering out of regulatory control radioactive material,
Qthe document on nuclear and radioactive
material inspection and accounting,Qthe development of a method for iden-

tifying and assessing risks that must becovered by implementing regulatory andorganizational measures under a “nuclear
security regime”.
Within the context of relations between
IRSN and its Japanese counterpart JNES, a
meeting was held from November 20 to 22
in Tokyo on the security of nuclear materials and facilities.
IRSN was also involved in two European
Commission contracts: SERAMA, which
covers security of radioactive sources andSTAR, which addresses management of a
nuclear emergency caused by a serious
malicious attack.
In addition a communication was presented at the Eurosafe 2010 forum in
the Germany city of Cologne on a safety
emergency exercise caused by a malicious
event. The exercise was the ﬁrst of its type
performed in France and provided many
useful lessons. Q

Q

Authority and the operator, IRSN presented
its analysis on incorporating foreseeable malicious acts into protection of theMAGENTA facility at the CEA’s Cadarache
plant.

ACTIVITIES01

ORGANIZATION I SUMMARY AND STRATEGY I ACTIVITIES I EFFICIENCY

MORE ABOUT

Security culture seminar
From November 16 to 18, 2010, IRSN organized in Parisan IAEA “regional course” on security culture. Intended
for a European audience, 26 people took part from17 countries.
It covered the part played respectively by the State,organizations involved (nuclear operators), management
systems and individuals in establishing a security culture
as well as similarities and differences between safety
and security cultures.
The course brought together government authority
representatives, nuclear facility operators and representatives
from the police services.
Discussions highlighted an improved understanding of
the concept compared with the ﬁrst courses held by
the IAEA in this area a few years ago.

Q The lecturers of the regional training course on nuclear security culture.

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2010

65

03

ACTIVITIESRADIATION PROTECTION – ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN HEALTH

Improving protection
through progress inmeasurements andknowledge
In 2010, IRSN began upgrading its radiological alert networks, conducted environmental studies to explain thenature and origin of the radioactivity detected in certain regions, and launched a regional radiological reportsystem. It undertook these actions as part of its work to carry out radiological monitoring of the environment
and protect both workers and the public from ionizing radiation. The Institute also conducted surveys toassess occupational, public and environmental exposure following radiological incidents, and made signiﬁcantprogress in radioecology in securing EC funding for STAR, a network of excellence in which it is a prominent
player. Also in 2010, to increase awareness of the health effects of chronic exposure to low-level radiation, theInstitute assumed chairmanship of MELODI, an initiative which brings together the chief European radiation
protection institutions. Finally, in the medical sector, IRSN continued researching new radiotherapy and datacollection techniques for the optimization of patient exposure.

ENVIRONMENTAL
AND POPULATIONEXPOSURE

ﬁrst new-generation probes were received
and tested, and the new SPARTE remotealarm supervision system entered the production phase.

In addition to the existing functions, thissystem enables real-time collection ofdata from EDF gamma ray measurement
probes. Designed using a standard software

Q Environmental
monitoring

171

IRSN’s is responsible for performing radiological monitoring throughout France. For
this purpose, the Institute has monitoring
networks that make use of advanced technology and implement equipment that iscurrently being upgraded.

radiation
monitors in thenational remotemonitoring
network(including
164 Teleray).

Upgrading the Telerayradiological alert network
In 2010, IRSN launched an initiative torenovate its radiological alert networks,
particularly its Teleray network, in order toupdate the aging technologies that havebeen used on these networks for the past
20 years.
The Institute chose a secure, proprietary
ADSL data transmission system, along withthe operator to handle data routing. The

66(191 in 2009)

Q Testing a “Teleray” new-generation beacon.

Q

03

04

package, SPARTE automatically manages
alert thresholds, checks data integrity, triggers alert messages and transmits its data
to emergency response players in Franceand Europe. With a probe in each of theFrench administrative departments, the
new Teleray network will provide uniform
coverage of the entire country. Additional
probes will be installed for enhanced coverage of measurement points within a perimeter of up to 30 kilometers around nuclear
facilities, outside the 10 km radius coveredby each plant operator’s own systems. By
2015, IRSN expects to be equipped withapproximately 420 Teleray probes, up from
163 in 2010.

Training - a part of IRSN’s role asa leading national laboratory
As a “national reference laboratory” (LNR)
for the laboratories of the French general
directorate for food safety (DGAL) and direc-

torate for competition, consumer rights,
and protection against fraud (DGCCRF),
IRSN provides them with technical training to develop their skills and know-how.
In 2010, it set up a training course on theuse of gamma spectrometry for measuring radioactivity in foodstuffs. The course
comprises two modules including the theoretical bases of gamma spectrometry andpractical exercises involving simulation
scenarios. It gives trainees the chance tocome into contact with the Institute’s radiation measurement experts and to acquire
practical tools that can be directly appliedin their laboratories and possibly used in
testing environmental or food samples in
accident situations.
In connection with its national referencelaboratory status, IRSN also organizes laboratory proﬁciency testing on the measurement of test specimens representative ofenvironmental or agri-food samples. Q

Q Environmental studies
IRSN conducts in-depth studies to learn
more about and account for the originof the radioactivity observed in certain
regions.

Setting up a regional
radiological reporting system
In 2010, IRSN completed its pilot study forthe regional radiological reporting systemin the Loire Valley region. Regional radiological reports cover an extensive geographical area in which several nuclear facilities
are located, and set out to provide up-todate reference data on radioactivity levels
in a wide variety of samples, particularly
foodstuffs. In the event of emergency, thistype of information can provide valuable
indicators of activity levels existing prior
to an accident. The study, carried out inthe Loire Valley, tested the feasibility of
the approach, which has since been QQQ

MORE ABOUTThe OPERA network is called on to monitor
radioactivity in the air
In 2010, due to two unusual events outside
France, large amounts of particles containing
traces of radioactivity were released to theatmosphere: ash from the Icelandic volcano
Eyjafjöll (natural radioactivity) and ash fromthe forest ﬁres in areas contaminated byradioactive fallout from the Chernobyl accident(artiﬁcial radioactivity). The public authorities
asked IRSN to assess the environmental impactof these two events in France.
Using the most advanced stations in its
atmospheric radioactivity monitoring
network (OPERA-Air network) and its highly
sensitive radioactivity measurement facilities,
IRSN was able to demonstrate that the events
had induced no signiﬁcant change in theconcentration of particles in the air – measured
at ground level – thereby ruling out any
radiological hazard to the environment and,more importantly, public health.
The Institute was also actively involved inanswering the many questions from the press
and providing information for the public.

www.irsn.fr

Q IRSN’s OPERA-Air network: a very high-flow
aerosol collector in Dijon.

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900

ambient dose ratemeasurement
points.
(900 in 2009)

extended to the Rhone Valley, Northeast,
Southwest and Mediterranean regions.
These reports, which come under IRSN’srevised environmental monitoring strategy, begin by analyzing earlier results, andthen complete and update this information using samples pre-selected according
to a statistical ranking of produce, on theregional, then local level. Working mainly
through local information committees(CLI), local contacts help adjust the choiceof foodstuffs. In addition to samples of
local produce, standard samples such as

INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITY

Monitoring the South
Paciﬁc: IRSN joins the GOPSOn March 19, 2010, IRSN became one of 14 French institutions
making up GOPS, a major observatory set up to monitor theenvironment and marine and terrestrial biodiversity in theSouth Paciﬁc. The various members of the observatory collaboratein the areas of research, training, experimentation and innovation,basing their work on long-term observation and monitoring of
the environment, ecosystems and biodiversity affected both byenvironmental changes and pressures from human activity.
The ﬁndings of the environmental radioactivity monitoring
network obtained by the IRSN laboratory based in Tahiti will be fed
into a database. Also selected by GOPS as a priority project is themonitoring network for multi-pollutants (chemical and radiological)
in lagoons in the archipelagos of French Polynesia, co-developed by
IRSN with the French research institute for exploration of the sea(IFREMER) and national center for scientiﬁc research (CNRS).

Q Involved in environmental monitoring in French Polynesia
for 50 years, IRSN will bring precious radiological knowledgeof the region to the GOPS.

68

tree leaves, milk, salad vegetables, ﬁsh, andseaweed are collected for comparison withnational data.

Information on radioactivity
around the Bure site
On October 5, 2010, IRSN and the Frenchnational radioactive waste management
agency (Andra) signed a partnershipagreement to study surface environment
radiation levels in the area around theunderground research laboratory in Bure,in eastern France, operated by Andra.
This initiative seeks to determine the origins and concentrations of the radionuclides under study, by reviewing existing
reports and analyzing samples from allcompartments of the environment (air,rainwater, soil, suspended solids and sediments in streams and rivers, and plants andanimals).
The study will provide a baseline for environmental monitoring in the area, which
will begin while the site is in operation,and continue for at least a century after
closure. The Institute uses the area aroundBure for its radioecology research. The area
will provide data for the radiological reporton the Northeast region that IRSN began in2010 as part of its environmental monitoring activities.

Study on the origin of uranium
in the ground water at Tricastin
From January 2009 to May 2010, in partnership with the Vaucluse and Drôme regional
health agencies and Areva, IRSN conducteda study to determine the reasons for thehigh uranium content found locally in the
ground water at the Tricastin nuclear site in
the Rhône valley. Several Institute departments worked on the study, which required
expertise in a variety of ﬁelds (geology,hydrogeology, geochemistry, metrology ofstable and radioactive elements, etc.). The
study’s content and progress was discussedwith members of the site’s local information committee (CLIGEET). Reports on theﬁndings were submitted to this committee, and a public meeting to present theresults of the study was held in Pierrelatteon September 22, 2010.
The study provided clearer understandingof the behavior of the ground water in thearea, as well as a detailed map of uranium
content. Fewer than 1.5 % of the measurement points contained levels above
the WHO guide values for drinking water(15 μg/l). The points where content levels
exceed 5 μg/l are distributed between twoareas: south of Tricastin, in Bollène, and

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ACTIVITIES01

ORGANIZATION I SUMMARY AND STRATEGY I ACTIVITIES I EFFICIENCYQ IRSN is studying the reasons for the high uranium content found locally in the ground water to the south of the Tricastin site.

southwest in the village of Lapalud. Threehypotheses were considered to explain thecause of the higher concentrations: 1) the
presence of a geological formation that isparticularly rich in uranium; 2) the resultof non-nuclear anthropogenic activities(use of ash, clinker and fertilizers); and 3)
past or current activities on the Tricastin
nuclear site. For the area to the southwest,
the consensus was that the higher content
can be explained by geological reasons. For
the area to the south, IRSN’s view, based onhydrogeological modeling, is that chronic
pollution and past pollution associated with
nuclear activities is the most likely cause. Q

www.irsn.fr

RADON
Map of radon potential in soils
After two years of work based on the analysis of available geological data, IRSN submitted its radon potential maps to the French
nuclear safety authority (ASN). These local
and regional maps (scale 1:1,000,000) cover
metropolitan France and distinguish threelevels (low, medium and high) of radon

potential in geological formations. They
provide information on the areas most
likely to present a risk of high radon concentrations in buildings, and specify areas
where investigations and in situ measurements would be most useful.
Regulations on radon risks require radongas testing in certain buildings open to the
public and workplaces in designated “priority” areas. The boundaries of these areas
currently coincide with the borders of theadministrative départements. In practice,
31 such départements are considered aspriority areas. As ASN is not entirely satisfied with this breakdown, however, it
asked IRSN to create more precise mapsof radon potential in soils. The method chosen for this task consisted in determining
the capacity of geological formations to
produce radon and facilitate its transfer tothe surface. The maps obtained can be used
to observe overall radon potential trends
in the areas concerned and as a guide forradon risk management policies. They donot, however, serve any forecasting purposeand on no account can they be considered
as a substitute for radon concentration estimations based on measurements. Q

Q Analyzing radiologicalincidents
IRSN uses its know-how to assess occupational, public and environmental exposurein the event of radiological incidents involving the dispersion of radioactive particles.

Tritium contamination due toincidents
Following the use of a molecular sieve
provided by the CEA and which, after the
event, was found to contain tritium, a building belonging to 2M Process in Saint-Maurdes-Fossés, near Paris, was contaminated,
as were members of the company’s staff.
As a result of this contamination, tritium
was found in the immediate vicinity of thebuilding in question.
Since November 4, 2010, at the request of
ASN, IRSN has conducted various analysesof the contamination of 2M Process premises, adjacent buildings and the surroundingarea. It has also assessed the doses received
by the personnel working on the premises
and by local residents. Its investigations
have also identiﬁed traces of tritium on
another site, in Bondouﬂe (south of Paris),where the contaminated molecular QQQ

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2010

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sieve was used for similar tests before beingtransferred to Saint-Maur. In November andDecember, IRSN took weekly air, water andplant samples from the area around the 2M
Process site in order to map the range oftritium contamination and track its evolution over time.
Over this period, eight information notices
were published, and the Institute took partin three public meetings organized by the
local authorities in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés
to present the measurement results andexplain the risks for the population.

www.irsn.fr

600

600

2008

2009

635

2010

Number ofsampling points
for radioactivity
monitoring
throughout
France.

ure to apply all the safety rules associatedwith this activity. Another contributing factor was the lack of instructions for using
the detection equipment. For IRSN, some
important lessons can be learned from its
analysis of the incident to help improveradiation protection during industrial radiography operations, including those notconnected with nuclear power plants. Q

www.irsn.fr

Incident at the Feursmétal plant
At the request of Cegelec and Feursmetal, acompany located in Feurs in central France,
IRSN carried out an operation using robotic
equipment to retrieve a high-level cobalt-60
source that was trapped in a gamma ray
source in one of the plant’s workshops.
The radioactive source in question was
damaged during the operation, leading
to the accidental dispersion of cobalt-60
particles.
As a result, the workshop in question was
contaminated, as were the six people
present during the operation. The doses
received, however, were low.
At Feursmétal’s request, IRSN analyzed thedispersion of radioactivity in the workshop
where the incident occurred as well as its
immediate surroundings. It also helped
Feursmétal deﬁne and implement an action
plan aimed at securing the contaminatedfacilities and decontaminating the equipment required for its industrial activities.

www.irsn.fr
Industrial radiography incident
on the Flamanville site
In 2010, IRSN analyzed an incident that
occurred in 2009 during an industrial radiography operation at the Flamanville site
in Normandy. A radiology worker was accidentally exposed to ionizing radiation when
he misinterpreted a co-worker’s gesture andentered the room where the work was being
carried out, before the radioactive source
was set to the safe position. In a matter of
seconds, he received a quarter of the annual
regulatory dose
IRSN’s analysis of the incident showed thatmultiple lines of defense had failed. In thisparticular case, a radiographic operation
was being resumed after a period of intense
work, following ﬁve nights of work and on
the last day of the job.
The resulting loss of diligence and alertness contributed to the radiologists’ fail-70

Q Proper warning signs must be used for all industrial radiography operations.

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ORGANIZATION I SUMMARY AND STRATEGY I ACTIVITIES I EFFICIENCY

Q Main building of the former Orflam-Plast plant in Pargny-sur-Saulx
in eastern France.

Q Polluted sites and soils
At the request of the public authorities andplant operators, IRSN conducts studies toassess the industrial pollution of certain
sites.

Managing polluted sites
In 2010, IRSN conducted analyses areas of
La Gravière pond and the poplar plantationin Pargny-sur-Saulx in eastern France, atthe request of the French national advisorycommittee for public funding in the ﬁeldof radioactivity (CNAR). These analyses followed cleanup operations coordinated byAndra after areas of soil contaminated withradioactive elements from the thorium-232
family were discovered in 2009 around theformer Orﬂam-Plast plant.
Also in 2009, radiological investigations
conducted on Ile-Saint-Denis near Paris
revealed the presence of signiﬁcant radon
concentration levels in a building adjacentto the site of the Satchi company’s former radium extraction plant. A study ofthe site, conducted by IRSN in 2010 at thesite manager’s request, provided valuable
insight into the entry and transfer of thisQ Radiological pollution map of site.

radioactive gas in the building. Finally, trees
near the former laboratory of the isotope
manufacturer Isotopchim in Ganagobie,
in southeast France, were contaminatedby carbon-14 released by the company
from1989 to 1997. At the request of ASN,
IRSN assessed the doses that could be
released as a result of this contamination in
the event of forest ﬁre, use of the wood for
fuel, or composting, etc. The results of theanalysis, based on very conservative scenarios, were presented at a public meetingin Ganagobie in 2010. They show that theradiological risk to local residents of leaving
the trees in place is extremely low.

www.irsn.fr
IRSN participation in radium
diagnostics
At the request of ASN and the Minister for
the Environment, IRSN helped prepare andcarry out the national radium diagnostics
operation in the Île-de-France region around
Paris as soon as it was launched in October2010. The operation is aimed at detecting
and treating cases of radium pollution inresidential and business areas where thisradioelement was used for medical or traditional small-scale industrial activities (suchas watch making) during the ﬁrst half of the20th century. When IRSN’s surveys showsthat radium is present, a series of additional
measures are carried out to determine theexact levels of radioactive pollution andassess the residents’ exposure to ionizing
radiation. Andra then steps in to deﬁne acleanup program, where necessary. IRSN istasked with conducting the ﬁnal diagnostic tests after cleanup to ensure that thepollution has been thoroughly eliminated.
During the last quarter of 2010, the Institutecarried out diagnostic tests on six different
sites (buildings, detached houses, shops,etc.), revealing the presence of radium, atleast in certain facilities. Scheduled overperiod of three years, the operation will
cover more than 130 sites across France,
including 84 in Île-de-France.

Former mining sites: GEP Mines
recommendations
In September 2010, after more than three
years of work in which IRSN played asignificant role, the joint expert QQQ

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2010

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20,414

samples taken from the environment
for radiological measurements.
(28,000 in 2009)group (GEP) on uranium mining sites inthe Limousin region, in central France,
submitted its ﬁnal report to the Ministerof Sustainable Development and the
Chairman of ASN. This initiative is based ona transparent, cross-disciplinary approachthat will ultimately provide an overview of
the impact of uranium mining in France.
The work involved some thirty experts
from a variety of ﬁelds and backgrounds.
The Institute worked on aspects relating
to radon, the environmental transfer ofuranium and its decay products, and risk
assessment for humans and ecosystems.
As a result, the GEP issued 15 recommen-

dations aimed at continuing the action
already underway and defining a longterm management strategy. For example,
it recommended defining terms for thetransfer of responsibility for the sites to
the Government, optimizing environmental monitoring, and increasing awarenessand involvement among local stakeholders.
It also recommended conducting research
to gain better insight into how waste fromformer mines and mine tailings disposal
facilities will change over time, measuring the toxicity of released substances forecosystems more accurately, and obtaining
a better grasp of what causes uranium tobuild up in sediments.

www.irsn.fr
Securing abandoned uranium
mines

IN THE WORDS OF…

Pierre Barbey, scientiﬁc advisor for ACRO, the association
for radioactivity control in western France, member of the joint expert
group (GEP) on uranium mines in Limousin“As with any team effort,
participation in a joint
expert group implies many
confrontations due todifferences of opinion
and motivation!
It requires lengthy discussions,sometimes using terms that
may seem simple but which
can mean very different
things for an operator or
association. Another problem
is to do with the actual
subject matter as we must
consider the combinationof natural radioactivity
around the mines and theradioactivity resulting from72

mining activities. The debate
on this complex issue islong and arduous. But thiswork was constructive, andcomparing [these different
views] allowed us to move
forward and meet some ofthe population’s expectations.
By bringing together arange of multidisciplinary
skills and through our many
discussions, we were able toreach a certain consensus,
even though each individual
may of course have his or her
own views on the Group’s
recommendations. The
ﬁnal report provides some
important data that is sure to
be useful to the supervisory
authorities for the sustainable
management of mining sites
in Limousin and throughout
France.”In 2010, at the request of the Minister for
the Environment, the regional directorates
for the environment, town and country
planning and housing (DREAL) surveyedsome ﬁfteen abandoned or “orphan” uranium mines in France. In some cases, there
is either no organization managing themine, or else the manager has defaulted,
in which case, the Government assumes
responsibility.
In this framework, IRSN, Andra, the Frenchgeological survey (BRGM) and Geoderis
have been jointly assigned the task of
examining the mining and radiological risks
associated with the sites in question. The
ﬁrst step was to compile the data in thepossession of sites and create a consolidated list of the sites. The second step was
to perform diagnostic tests on 14 identiﬁedsites (nine in Auvergne, ﬁve in Limousin).
Based on ﬁeld investigations conducted byGeoderis and IRSN with the help of the
DREALs, these diagnostic tests identiﬁed
the sites that needed to be secured. Basedon this data, action proposals completewith forecast budget and timeline information have been presented to the Ministerfor the Environment. Q

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Q Radioecology

Q

IRSN is conducting research in order toexpand its knowledge in the ﬁeld of dispersion and transfer of radioactive materials in atmospheric, terrestrial and marine
environments.

Experimental validation of
atmospheric dispersion models
Until now, most of the experimental campaigns of this type have concentrated on
low-level release on terrain with a simple
topography and observations were in thenear ﬁeld.
To be able to work in environments closer
to reality, the Institute has developed original experimental techniques for tracing,sampling and measuring within air masses.
In 2010, it embarked on experimental studies of atmospheric dispersion of pollutantsfor Areva NC and TOTAL.
The lessons drawn from these studies highlight the fact that while some processes orparameters can be generalized to apply to
all types of sites, others are speciﬁc to aparticular site. This conﬁrms that models
used for operational or research purposes
to predict atmospheric dispersion of pollutants require experimental validation on thesites where they will be used, especially if
the site is “complex” (presence of buildings,
relief, release at heights).

Behavior of selenium in“unsaturated” soil layers
After several years of research in collaboration with Andra on the behavior of selenium
in the soil-plant-atmosphere system, IRSN
was able in 2010 to quantify the main dispersion pathways of this element into thedifferent surface soil components.
In the event of loss of conﬁnement integrity at a geological repository for radioactive waste, some of the radionuclides foundthere could be released to the biosphere,
thus contributing to the dosimetric impactof the facility. Of the different radionuclides
released, and according to the various scenarios studied, selenium-79 would be oneof the key factors in this impact.
The studies carried out by IRSN and Andra
were used to build a new model to illustrate the behavior of selenium, taking into
account the exchanges between selenium
and the soil components, while considering the varying kinetic rates involved. Thismodel helps explain the changes in the
behavior of selenium, in the soil, in the
short and medium term. Much of 2010
was spent determining the main parameters of the model, based on the oxida-

ACTIVITIES01

ORGANIZATION I SUMMARY AND STRATEGY I ACTIVITIES I EFFICIENCYQ Preparing IRSN’s captive balloon for high-altitude tracer gas measurements.

tion states of selenium, its chemical form,
the mineralogical and organic soil quality,
and the intensity of the microbiologicalactivity of the soil. Integration of this newmodel into the SYMBIOSE platform, used
to model transfers of radionuclides in thebiosphere, seeks to improve predictions ofselenium distribution in soil in the shortand medium term.

Testing modeling tools for areal-life case study
In 2010, IRSN’s modeling tools were tested
by assessing the dosimetric impact of radio-

active liquid and gaseous efﬂuent releasefrom the Chinon power plant in the Loire
valley between 2004 and 2008, undernormal operating conditions. The aim of
this exercise, carried out by IRSN on its
SYMBIOSE platform in collaboration with
EDF, was to test the feasibility of a fullscale study, assess the platform’s operational limits and learn lessons relating tomethodology and calculation. Calculations
took into account the speciﬁc features of
the area within a radius of 5 km around theplant. They also made use of data including speciﬁc features of the site, such QQQ

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2010

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ACTIVITIES / RADIATION PROTECTION – ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN HEALTH

as actual radioactive gaseous and liquid
release, meteorological and hydro-sedimentary measurement series, agricultural
practices, food intake and lifestyle of the
population. Simulation of the variation inradioactivity in the environment over space
and time made it possible to estimate thedoses and dose rates received by an adultrural population as a result of external (irradiation, deposition) and internal (inhalation, ingestion) exposure.
Q Simulation of contamination due toatmospheric deposition and irrigation:
the 60Co activity levels simulated in cereals
in the dark blue areas are 30 times lower
than those in the read areas.

Study of the transfer ofradionuclides to plants grownin open ﬁelds
In 2010, the FORTRESS project advanced
knowledge of the transfer of radionuclides

IN THE WORDS OF…

Thomas Hinton, Department for the Study of Radionuclide

from the leaves to the parts of plants used
for food.
Led by IRSN in collaboration with Andra,
the project is designed to experimentally
determine factors governing the transfer – or translocation – of chlorine-36,
iodine-129 and selenium-79 to edible partsof the main crop categories (cereals, fruiting
vegetables, root vegetables and tubers), following contamination of the leaves causedby spray irrigation. The experiments wereconducted in open ﬁelds in the Chernobyl
exclusion zone by the Ukrainian Instituteof Agricultural Radiology.
The focus of attention in 2010 was oncompleting the third growing season andprocessing the results obtained in 2009,
which showed low translocation of iodine(up to 2.1%), medium to high translocation of selenium (up to 17%) and very hightranslocation of chlorine (up to 27%), thevalues depending on the plant species andthe development stage of the plant at thetime of contamination. These results will beincorporated into the models used in the
SYMBIOSE platform for modeling radionuclide transfers to the biosphere.

Behavior in Ecosystems at IRSN

“The STAR network of
excellence is part of theEuropean Radioecology
Alliance, an entity created byeight European organizations
conscious of the need tocoordinate research in theﬁeld of radioecology within
the scope of a joint strategic
research agenda. Integrating
research conducted bydifferent organizations
represents both extraordinary
progress and a major
challenge! It’s early days yet
but you can feel that there’s
an incredible determination,at the highest level, toestablish a strategic research
agenda and a road map,
which makes the project all74

the more motivating.
STAR will take a highly
innovative approach toradioecology, based on amultidisciplinary concept.
For instance, radioactive,
chemical and biologicalcontaminants will no longer
be studied separately, butrather in terms of theirinteractions.
This approach gives a more
realistic picture of the actual
exposure of organisms in
the environment.
STAR will also contributeto disseminating knowledge,
enhancing the training ofyoung scientists and fosteringcollaborative research.
This initiative will help us todetermine the main issues
to be tackled in radioecology
over the next 15 to 20 years
and to promote effective
integrated research, in orderto achieve the objectives set.”

Environmental and healthimpact of tritium release
IRSN published six reports in 2010 on thelatest research ﬁndings on tritium as partof the preparatory work for a White Paper,
published by ASN in June 2010.
The reports, which are available online, list
tritium production sources and describe
how it tritium is managed by nuclear
facilities.
They also deal with key questions concerning the behavior of tritium in the environment, the health risk it poses and, lastly,
its release limits and impact, particularlyon the marine environment.
In addition to presenting the current
information available on tritium, the IRSN
reports identify three main areas where further research is required to enable a better
assessment of the health and environmental impact of tritium.
Three main areas are concerned:
Qimproving measurement techniques toreduce the detection limits of tritium inthe environment;Qreaching a better understanding of the
behavior of tritium in its different forms,
particularly tritium bound to organic
molecules in ecosystems;
Qassessing, under realistic exposure conditions, the biological and health effects oftritium on living organisms.

www.irsn.fr

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Calculating the health impact
of radioactive release undernormal operating conditions
In 2010, IRSN developed a new tool forassessing the health impact of radioactive
release from nuclear facilities under normal
operating conditions. Known as CONDOR,
the tool is used in the Institute’s assessment activities, superseding three tools
used until now to assess the impact ofchronic release to the atmosphere, rivers
and the sea. CONDOR provides integrated
and consistent assessments of the three
types of environment, making use of thelatest available models, particularly for the
impact of tritium release, and a radionuclide library that allows it to incorporate
release from the great majority of nuclear
facilities. Its main advantage is its optimized
ergonomics, designed to facilitate daily use
by experts. Q

Q Radiation protection in
the workplace
IRSN carries out research and analysis togain a better understanding of the exposureof workers to ionizing radiation.

Assessment concerning the Portof La Rochelle
The municipal authorities of the city of La
Rochelle on the west coast of France asked
IRSN to assess the radiological impact onworkers and the population at large of sediment dredging operations planned as partof the extension of the marina development
Port des Minimes. The sediment, which represents about a million cubic meters, is tobe dumped offshore. It is, however, contaminated by industrial discharges containing
radioactive material such as thorium.
A sediment coring campaign was carried out and the results analyzed QQQ

Q IRSN assessed the radiological impact on workers and the population at large of dredging works in the port of La Rochelle.

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 201075

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352(1)
301
254

2008

2009

2010

Whole-bodyradiation counts
for worker
monitoring.

(1) 324 ﬁxed and 28 mobile.

Q Measurements taken by IRSN at an EDF power plant to characterize neutron exposure
at certain work stations.

by IRSN. On the basis of its ﬁndings, theInstitute estimated the potential doses forworkers involved in dredging operations:the calculated maximum effective dose is0.012 mSv. The radiological impact was also
estimated for the population at large. The
calculated effective dose for the population group of adult professional ﬁshermen
who consume large amounts of ﬁsh or seafood is 0.035 mSv per year. These doses
are low and well below the 1 mSv legal
maximum yearly exposure limit deﬁned for
populations.

Work station study at Blayais
nuclear power plant
At EDF’s request, IRSN conducted a dosimetric and spectrometric study at theBlayais nuclear power plant site in southwest France in 2010. The aim of the study
was to characterize neutron exposure of
personnel at workplaces involved in theremoval of a MOX fuel assembly.
A week-long measurement campaign was
carried out in June 2010 to define theneutron energy distribution and compare
measurements obtained using different
dosimeters in the vicinity of transportcasks.
The results of the study will help EDF to
improve personal dosimetry for workers at
the work stations in question, particularly
for the new operational dosimeters it has

76

chosen for neutron dosimetry. The study
will also help EDF radiation protection staff
to interpret the measurements obtained
from different dosimetric systems.

Optimization of nuclear worker
monitoring
IRSN has conducted research, co-funded by
Areva, with a view to optimizing programs
to monitor internal contamination of workers by examining the uncertainties of dose
assessment.
This work culminated in 2010 in the development of software to help occupational
health physicians set up and assess theirmonitoring program for exposed workers.
In particular, it will allow them not only
to calculate the effective dose but also to
determine, for a given monitoring program,the minimum detectable dose with a given
conﬁdence level. This can be used to choose
the most appropriate program for the typeof exposure considered, striking a balance
between the sensitivity of the program andits cost. Areva is planning to implement thissolution in the ﬁeld after conducting tests
jointly with the Institute.

Intercomparison of passive
dosimetry laboratories
In October 2010, IRSN organized the fourth
regulatory intercomparison of passive personal dosemeters. The exercise proceededin accordance with regulatory provisions,specifying the conditions for granting
approval of laboratories in charge of personal dosimetry to monitor the dose ofworkers to ionizing radiation. Within thiscontext, IRSN is tasked with organizing
an intercomparison of results from eachlaboratory involved, at least once every
three years, to check the quality of dose
measurements.
In all, ten passive dosimetry laboratories
took part in the exercise and more than 300
dosimeters were irradiated at IRSN reference facilities, in Fontenay-aux-Roses near
Paris for photons, and at the Cadarache
center in southern France for neutrons. The
report on this intercomparison was issued
at the beginning of 2011.

Epidemiology andradiotoxicology to characterize
the effects of uranium moreaccurately
In 2010, the conclusions of an epidemiological study by the Institute revealed anincreased risk of lung cancer after exposure
to insoluble reprocessed uranium. The toxicity of uranium results from the combination of its chemical properties, as a heavy
metal, and its radiological properties, as anemitter of ionizing radiation.
This study therefore assessed the incidenceof lung cancer in workers as a function of

Q

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1,372,107
personal dosimeters marketed
and analyzed. (1,461,614 in 2009)

exposure to uranium, based on a cohort of
2,709 workers at the Areva NC Pierrelatte
plant in southern France, who were present
on the site between 1960 and 2005.
For this purpose, work began on reconstructing the individual exposure of these workers to six forms of uranium, with different
solubility and isotopic composition, usinga job-exposure matrix. This retrospective
estimate of workers’ individual exposure
was then validated through comparison
with radiotoxicological measurements ona sample of 30 workers.
Furthermore, a data base completed in
2010, and conducted in collaboration
with the University of the Mediterranean,
revealed biological markers that can beused to determine, for a given isotopic mixture of uranium, which effects on DNA are
associated with the chemotoxic properties
of uranium, and which with its radiotoxic
properties. These potential markers will
have to be validated using blood samples
taken from workers exposed to uranium.

Dosimetry and metrologyof neutrons
As part of Ph. D. Thesis completed in
2010, IRSN has developed a spectrometer
designed to measure the energy of neutrons encountered in high-energy radiation fields around particle accelerators(for example in proton therapy in medical
applications) or natural cosmic radiation in
the atmosphere.
After characterizing this system in reference neutron radiation ﬁelds, on-site tests
were performed in 2010, which enabled
the entire measuring channel to be characterized. As part of a collaborative venture, measurement campaigns were thus
carried out underground and at elevationin the underground low-noise laboratory(CNRS).
Under a collaboration agreement with
IRSN, the French national aerospaceresearch center (ONERA) acquired thesame system to equip an experimental
platform dedicated to measuring cosmic
radiation, set up at the Midi-Pyrénées
Observatory in Toulouse at an altitude of
2,800 meters on the Pic du Midi. Q

IN THE WORDS…

Juliette Feuardent, engineer in the Occupational Exposure
Monitoring and Analysis Unit at IRSN“Every year, IRSN reports on
worker exposure to ionizing
radiation. In 2009, thenumber of workers monitored
using external passive
dosimetry reached 319,091 –
4.1% more than in 2008; theaverage individual dose wasfound to remain steady.
At the same time, as part of
the Institute’s initiative toopen up more to society, weformed a joint expert group
to improve the structure andpresentation of the annual
report on worker radiation
protection. This group brought
together employees’ andemployers’ representatives

and members of a local
information committee, as
well as occupational healthphysicians and radiation
protection specialists. It
represented the various
ﬁelds of activity involved.
One of the proposals to
emerge from the group’s
discussions is that the results
should be presented per ﬁeldof activity in future; thiswould require that the datacollected should associate
information on the workers’
activity with the workforce
monitored, according to thenomenclature of activity
sectors deﬁned by IRSN.”Q Bonner spheres with metal shells used in the spectrometer for measuringhigh-energy neutrons.

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ACTIVITIES / RADIATION PROTECTION – ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN HEALTH

EFFECTS OF CHRONICEXPOSURE
The ENVIRHOM program
Since 2001, IRSN’s ENVIRHOM program
has helped to deepen its understanding of
the effects of chronic exposure to ionizing
radiation on the environment and humanhealth.

Impact of radionuclides andmetals on ﬁsh DNA
In 2010, IRSN carried out research to discover the effect of exposure to gamma
radiation and to toxic substances such as
cadmium, aluminum, copper and uranium
on the DNA of the zebraﬁsh (Danio rerio).
The zebraﬁsh was chosen as the biological model because of its short lifecycle
and because its genome has been fully
sequenced. The research focused on thecharacterization of DNA double-strand
breaks – number of breaks and repair time
– which are known to be particularly harmful to cells.
In the case of uranium, DNA double-strand
breaks and a malfunction in DNA repair
mechanisms were observed in vitro inzebraﬁsh embryonic cells, as from an internal uranium concentration of 6.8 μg/g, andin vivo, as from comparable internal con-

Q Laboratory experiment to determine the impact of chronic exposure to uranium
on the DNA of zebrafish (Danio rerio).

centrations in the gonads of this species
exposed to 100 μg/l.
These effects are associated with disruptionof embryonic development in this species.
In addition, a study on exposure to gamma
radiation compared the effects of acute

INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITY

Collaboration with
the International
Radioecology Laboratory
What are the effects of chronic exposure to radionuclides
on biodiversity and the functioning of natural ecosystems?
To ﬁnd some answers to this question, IRSN started three new
R&D projects in 2010, in collaboration with the International
Radioecology Laboratory in Ukraine, with the aim of studying theinﬂuence of contamination levels.
The focus is on the decomposition of leaf litter in streams
and forests, the abundance and diversity of communities ofnematode-type worms, which are involved in the decomposition
process, and root uptake of radionuclides by plants.
This research began with work on selecting the research sites.
A total of 20 experimental plots of land with different levelsof contamination have been selected on the Chernobyl site
in Ukraine and equipment to monitor the decompositionof leaf litter has been set up.

78

exposure and chronic exposure. The kinetics of DNA repair at the cellular level andembryonic development were examined ineach of these cases of exposure.
DNA double-strand breaks were also
observed following exposure to common
trace metals in the environment (cadmium,aluminum).
This research was conducted with support
from the French national research agency
ANR (HEMI-Breaks project) and in collaboration with EDF. The ultimate aim is to ﬁnd
biomarkers that can be used to monitor
ecosystems.

Interactions between exposure
to uranium and treatment withdrugs
Ph. D. Thesis completed in 2010 at IRSN
aimed to characterize the effects ofdepleted uranium on two organs, both primary targets of uranium: the kidney and theliver. One of the physiological functions ofthese organs is to detoxify the body. The
effect of depleted uranium was studied inrodents subjected to drug treatment, since
medicines can become toxic if the kidney orliver are not performing their detoxiﬁcation
function properly.
Research carried out in vivo showed thatchronic contamination with doses ofdepleted uranium on a par with the highest levels of uranium found in the environment does not result in renal toxicity, anddoes not exacerbate renal toxicity induced

Q

03

04

experimentally by the antibiotic gentamicin.
With regard to the liver, depleted uranium
can alter the expression of genes coding for
certain enzymes involved in the metabolism of xenobiotics (EMXs). This alteration
disrupts the metabolism and elimination of
a drug like paracetamol, but only when it isadministered in doses that are toxic to theliver. Results obtained in vitro revealed thatthe location of depleted uranium in renal or
hepatic cells depended on its concentration.
Thus, the lowest concentrations of depleted
uranium are found in soluble form in the
nucleus and the highest concentrations in
insoluble form in the cytoplasm.
These results provide fresh insight into themechanisms by which uranium enters a cell,
as well as those involved in the organism’s
detoxiﬁcation systems.

MORE ABOUT

Dosimetric impact and health risks related
to the use of body scanners at airports
The Ministry for the Environment tasked IRSN with assessing
the dosimetric impact and health risk of X-ray scanners following
the introduction of tighter airport security measures and the planned
use of imaging equipment that is more advanced than the metal
detectors currently in operation.
It was found that the effective dose received as a result of a security
check using X-ray scanners is equivalent to one or two minutes’
exposure to cosmic radiation during a high-altitude ﬂight, or to about
20 minutes’ natural exposure to radioactivity in France.
Although the calculated dose is very low, IRSN recommends thatthe authorities should give priority to other techniques using
non-ionizing radiation, which is less aggressive in terms of its
physical properties and biological effects.

European coordination of low
dose research
In 2010, IRSN stepped up its involvement in an initiative to ensure better
European coordination of research activities on the health effects of exposure to
low doses of ionizing radiation. The same
year saw the creation of the MELODI association (Multidisciplinary European Low
Dose Initiative), a consortium of ﬁfteen
European research organizations in theﬁeld of radiation protection, presided overby IRSN’s Director General.
In addition, the second international
MELODI workshop, held in Paris in October
2010, brought together more than 200 scientists from all over the world to discuss
future low dose radiation research.
Jointly organized by IRSN and CEA, theworkshop paved the way for the development of the ﬁrst version of a strategic
research agenda, deﬁning priority avenuesof research over the next 20 to 30 years.
Finally, within the framework of theEuropean network of excellence on low
dose research, DoReMi, which is MELODI’s
operational tool, IRSN organized a scientiﬁc seminar in December 2010, following which 31 international experts issued
recommendations on future researchrequirements for gaining a better understanding of the vascular effects that may
be observed after exposure to low dosesof ionizing radiation. Q

www.irsn.fr
Q The effects of chronic depleted uranium contamination are studied
in organs rat such as the liver and kidney.

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ACTIVITIES / RADIATION PROTECTION – ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN HEALTH

vascularization, as well as the inﬂammatory response of the vascular system, play a
key role in early and later radiation-induced
toxicity in the intestine. These results
helped focus the research program on asingle biological model: the endothelial cell.

Exposure to scans in childhood

Q MIRCOM microbeam line prototype developed by the Bordeaux Gradignan Nuclear
Research Center in the southwest of France.

PROTECTION
IN HEALTHCARE
Ion microbeam: characteristic
example of new radiotherapy
techniques
Under a partnership agreement with the
Bordeaux Gradignan Nuclear ResearchCenter, IRSN has decided to develop
MIRCOM, an ion microbeam that should
be coupled to the AMANDE facility. Its originality lies mainly in the variety of ions available (from protons to oxygen) and theirenergy levels (up to 10 MeV). MIRCOM will
be used to irradiate, with micrometer precision, cellular or subcellular components
with a deﬁned number of charged particles,characteristic of the radiation induced by
new radiotherapy techniques (proton therapy or hadron therapy, for example).
In the field of radiation protection andlow doses, MIRCOM will make it possible
to study “local” intercellular phenomena in
the presence of complex radiation.

tions. Results obtained in vivo showed that
PAI-1 is involved in the radiation-induced
death of endothelial cells, which make up
blood vessels. In vitro studies conﬁrm theinvolvement of PAI-1 in the radiosensitivityof endothelial cells.
In the second Ph. D. Thesis, tissue samples
taken from patients treated by radiotherapy
for cancer of the rectum revealed that theseverity of radiation-induced lesions wascorrelated to an increase in the number of
certain immune cells, known as mast cells.
Furthermore, the harmful role of mast cells
and their involvement in radiation-induced
intestinal inﬂammation were conﬁrmed on
an experimental model of intestinal inﬂammation. All of this research suggests thatthe early damage associated with tissue

In 2010, IRSN analyzed the initial datacollected as part of a study to compare
the impact of exposure to scans on thedevelopment of cancer and leukemia in acohort of children with that observed in
the general population. The children concerned were exposed before the age ofﬁve for a non-cancerous disorder requiring examination by scanner. The study was
conducted in association with the FrenchSociety of Pediatric and Prenatal Imaging
with the support of the National AntiCancer League. The incidence of cancer
in these children is monitored using thenational pediatric registers. By the end of
2010, 19 French university hospitals hadprovided IRSN with information aboutscans performed on 30,000 children during the period 2000-2006. The initial datacollected shows that 42% of the children
were less than a year old at the time of
their ﬁrst scan, and that they had received
an average of 1.5 scans A scan of the skull isthe most common, accounting for 63% of
all scans, followed by the thorax (21%), theabdomen and pelvis (8%) and other partsof the body (8%). The dosimetric reconstruction carried out by IRSN revealed thatthe most exposed organs were the brain
and the crystalline lens.

How radiation-induced
intestinal damage is caused
IRSN is developing a research program withthe aim of identifying the mechanisms
behind complications associated withradiotherapy in order to ﬁnd therapeutic
methods for the prevention and treatmentof this type of lesion. Two Ph. D. Thesis, bothcompleted in 2010, helped identify the roleof certain biological “agents” in these earlyand late effects.
The first Ph. D. Thesis revealed the keyrole of a protein, called PAI-1, in triggering radiation-induced intestinal complica-80

Q IRSN’s research activities are aimed at learning more about the side effectsof radiotherapy.

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ACTIVITIES01

ORGANIZATION I SUMMARY AND STRATEGY I ACTIVITIES I EFFICIENCYQ The EPOPA
project monitors
patients who
suffered fromoverexposure
during theradiotherapy
accident in Epinal.

Monitoring overexposed
patients
At the request of the Ministry of Health,
IRSN and AP-HP, the Paris public hospitalsystem, are collaborating on the EPOPA
project, which involves clinical and scientiﬁc monitoring of 425 patients who were
overexposed during radiotherapy at Epinal
Hospital in northeastern France.
In 2010, a centralized clinical databasebuilt after a standardized assessment of
the severity of the complications of thepatients involved, together with a “bank”
of blood samples, were set up for the purposes of EPOPA study. Initial results indicate that, to date, 82.5% of patients havedeveloped complications above grade I (ona scale of I to IV). In other words, several
years after being overexposed, more than
60 patients are still suffering from severe
grade III/IV radiation-induced inﬂammation of the rectum (radiation proctitis).
In the case of 133 patients, the Instituteis currently supplementing this databasewith details of the assessment of the doses
actually delivered to organs at risk.
Two studies have also been launchedfocusing on the blood samples collected.
The ﬁrst is a broad-spectrum (proteomic)
analysis, aimed at identifying new biological markers for radiation proctitis, whichmight be able to predict severity. The second sets out to measure variations in theexpression of more than 20,000 genes,
with the aim of identifying one or moregenes that characterize the most radiosensitive patients. All data collected on thesepatients undergoes statistical analysis todetect any correlation between certain
clinical symptoms, the actual doses delivered to patients and one of the biologicalmarkers identiﬁed.

Doing more to optimize patient
exposure
In October 2010, IRSN published a summary of dosimetric data relating to diagnostic imaging procedures (radiology, CT
scanning, and nuclear medicine) submitted
by health professionals for the period 20072008. The summary is the second since theOrder of February 12, 2004, which set upa system establishing national diagnostic
reference levels (DRLs) for commonly performed diagnostic procedures. Following
analysis of the data collected since 2004,
IRSN has identiﬁed the need and the potential for progress in the optimization ofpatient exposure by adjusting the DRLs. The
results submitted must allow the nuclear
safety authority to deﬁne any regulatorychanges required. In particular, proposals
were made to update reference values forcertain types of examination, based on
IRSN’s analysis of doses delivered during
radiology procedures and of activity levels
administered in nuclear medicine.
Although it is increasing, there is still plentyof room for improvement in the reporting rate of X-ray and CT scan centers. Thisis detrimental, since centers that are outof the mainstream do not compare theirpractices against the national references To
improve reporting rates, IRSN has developed an application for health professionals to facilitate online registration of their

dosimetric data and real-time comparison
with the national DRLs.
Furthermore, as part of efforts to monitor
medical exposure of the French population
connected with imaging examinations fordiagnostic purposes (ExPRI project), IRSN
and the French national institute for healthsurveillance (InVS) conducted a survey of
50 radiology departments in the public hospital sector in 2009. The following year, theInstitute analyzed the dosimetric data collected over a week in each department, forall types of X-rays and CT scans performed.
Considerable variation was observed in
the doses delivered for the same type of
examination and for patients showing
similar morphologies. The results were also
used to compare clinical practices against
national reference protocols, from a dosimetric point of view. Furthermore, basedon the data collected, a dose indicator was
linked with each type of examination performed on adults, and the average dosesdelivered to organs during the examination
were also determined. The average effective
doses associated with these examinations
were calculated in order to supplement andupdate the medical exposure data used in
the ExPRI project which, until now, wasestimated from the reference protocols. Q

www.irsn.fr

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ACTIVITIESEMERGENCY AND POST-ACCIDENT SITUATIONSIRSN boosts
its emergency and long-term
response capability
IRSN endeavors to prevent nuclear and radiological accidents and, if such an accident were to occur, tolimit the potential impact on human health and the environment. It is in the second area that the Instituteis working to improve its emergency response organization – speciﬁcally to be able to perform reliablemeasurements and analyses of contamination and exposure in an emergency – and evaluate strategies
based on the administration of stable iodine to prevent the risk of thyroid cancer.
In 2010, at the request of the public authorities, it was involved in preparing methods for predicting theradiological and dosimetric impact of any post-accident situations and quantifying the contamination of
the areas concerned, as well as the doses received by the exposed population.
The Institute also pursued its work in developing tools to centralize and provide access to environmental
measurements carried out during an emergency, and completed the renovation of its mobile responseunit.

Q Preparing emergency
exercises
To enhance its readiness for nuclear emergencies, IRSN continues to prepare its laboratories to perform emergency radioactivity
measurements on samples that exhibit
particularly complex forms of contamination. External laboratories have also been
invited to take part in this preparation forthe ﬁrst time.
The Institute has also issued recommendations aimed at standardizing stable iodine
prophylaxis in the event of a nuclear reactor accident.

Exercises opened up to external
laboratories
In 2010, the Hubert Curien Multidisciplinary
Institute (CNRS) became the ﬁrst non-IRSN
laboratory to take part in a measurement
exercise organized within the metrology
network that groups together IRSN’s radioactivity measurement laboratories.
In this respect, with the development in2010 of a speciﬁc gamma-spectra simulation tool capable of simulating realistic
accident scenarios, IRSN continued its

82

3

actualequipment of
the Emergency
Response
Center.
(4 in 2009)

efforts to prepare all its metrology laboratories to respond in an emergency or postaccident situation. In this type of situation,
samples must be analyzed rapidly, as measurement results are mainly intended forvalidating the assumptions in the models
used to determine the dispersion of radionuclides in the environment. Wherever possible, gamma spectrometry is the preferredmeasurement technique.
Through such exercises, the Institute’s
laboratories are able to improve their performance in complex gamma spectrum
analysis.

Report on stable iodine
prophylaxis
In response to a European Commission callfor tenders, IRSN wrote a report in 2010
presenting the latest research ﬁndings on
the preventive administration of stableiodine, as well as a description of current
practices in the European Union, the UnitedStates and Japan.
In the event of a nuclear reactor accident,
radioactive iodine isotopes can be released
to the atmosphere, exposing the population

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ACTIVITIES01

ORGANIZATION I SUMMARY AND STRATEGY I ACTIVITIES I EFFICIENCYEvacuation zone

Population
Population
protection
protection
zone
zone
Reinforced
Reinforced
monitoring
monitoring zone
zone

Q Schematic
illustration of
post-accident
zoning proposed
by CODIRPA.

to a risk of thyroid cancer if received doses
are large. To minimize this risk, stable iodine
tablets can be administered to saturate thethyroid gland with non-radioactive iodine,thus preventing the absorption of radioactive iodine by this organ.
The ﬁrst part of the IRSN report is based ona bibliographic review, and the second on
a questionnaire completed by the national
authorities responsible for radiation protection. The report makes recommendations
for harmonizing the various aspects of stable iodine prophylaxis (levels of response,
administration pathway, dosage, informing the public, communications between
neighboring countries). Q

populations and manage contaminatedareas.
The second report deals with the assessment methods and radioactivity measuring
instruments that could be used in a nuclear
post-accident situation, in order to quantify the area contaminated and the QQQ

national nuclear
emergency exercises
excluding defenserelated activities.
(5 in 2009)

IN THE WORDS OF…

Addil Sellam, radiation protection engineer, RaMsEs Group, Hubert
Curien Multidisciplinary Institute, UMR 7178 CNRS-University of Strasbourg

Q Work of CODIR-PA
IRSN is a member of the post-accident
steering committee (CODIR-PA) set up by
the public authorities to prepare the management of the post-accident phase of a
nuclear accident.

Radiological and dosimetricimpact of a post-accident
situation
Two working groups, led by IRSN as part ofthe steering committee in charge of managing the post-accident phase of a nuclear
accident or radiological event (CODIR-PA),
submitted their ﬁnal reports in 2010.
The first report proposes a method formaking predictive assessments of radiological and dosimetric impact in a nuclear
post-accident situation. These assessments
would be particularly intended for the public authorities responsible for deciding on
and implementing measures to protect

5“In June 2010, our laboratory
took part in a gamma-spectrum
analysis intercomparison
exercise, organized by IRSN, forthe ﬁrst time. This involved three
gamma spectrometry specialists
from the group interpreting a
gamma-ray spectrum within
a limited timeframe. An exercise
like this is important for two

reasons. It makes us aware thatcarrying out relatively simple
tasks is more complicated underpressure and in an emergency!
It also got us thinking about ways
to speed up spectrum processing,by developing a code or computer
program that would do someof the preparatory work.
This was a really positive
experience for us, because
it conﬁrmed our expertise in thisarea and opened up new avenues
for improving our processing andanalysis techniques.”

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6

national nuclear
emergency
exercises
involvingdefense-related
facilities.
(3 in 2009)

8(1)

4
2

2008

2009

2010

Dose
assessments
by biologicaldosimetry.

(1) 8, including 6 forthe Feursmétal incident.

doses received by individuals exposed. The
two reports supplement the contributions
made by other working groups in which
IRSN has actively participated.
Now CODIR-PA is continuing to develop anational policy for managing a nuclear postaccident situation, speciﬁcally by drawing
up guidelines for the public authorities andstakeholders. In addition to these reports,
IRSN has compiled:Qa draft national emergency response
guide, which has been sent to ASN. It
has been distributed by ASN and the
Directorate for Civil Security to the prefectures of three pilot areas: Haut-Rhinfor the Fessenheim site, Vienne for the
Civaux site and Drôme for the Tricastinsite. The prefectures in question must
test its operational implementation in
their offsite emergency plans and makesuggestions as to how the guide can be
improved.
Qa good practices guide for laboratories measuring radioactivity in a postaccident situation. This document isintended for all radioactivity measurement laboratories likely to be called upon
in a post-accident situation. It aims toencourage these laboratories to produce
reliable analysis results within a timeframe appropriate for an emergency
conditions. Q

www.irsn.fr

Q Developing tools
In order to be able to assess the impact of aradiological accident on the population andthe environment as accurately as possible,
IRSN is developing modeling tools for its
Emergency Response Center and is renovating its mobile response unit.

Centralizing and providing
access to environmental
measurements in an emergency
A CRITER system prototype was tested
for the first time during an exercise at
Cattenom in northeastern France in April
2010. Developed by IRSN, this system will
be used to centralize and provide access toenvironmental measurements carried out
in the event of an emergency. To ensure
consistency and resource-sharing, it incorporates tools developed for the national
network of environmental radioactivity
measurements.
Based on feedback from ﬁve exercises organized in 2010, CRITER has been improved
and is now reliable enough for use on aroutine basis at the Institute’s Emergency
Response Center. It effectively meets therequirements of the Interministerial Orderof November 29, 2005 on the performanceand processing of environmental radioactivity measurements in the event of an incident leading to a radiological emergency.
Under this order, IRSN is responsible forcentralizing and processing all analyses, aswell as deﬁning the format of results andhow they are communicated to the various stakeholders (public authorities, ASN,etc.).
The CRITER system was also used in 2010
to map out the results of samples takenfrom the ground water under the Tricastinsite in southern France.

www.irsn.fr
Completion of renovation
work on the IRSN mobile
response unit

Q CRITER in use at the operational command post during an emergency
response exercise.

84

In 2010, IRSN acquired its ﬁrst two trucks,
shelter-type response vehicles as part of its
plan to renovate its mobile response units.
The vehicles in question are containers
equipped with ten whole body counters anda secure satellite communication system.
They complete the Institute’s renovatedﬂeet of mobile response units dedicatedto evaluating internal contamination in an
emergency, adding to the four small mobile
facilities and two large mobile facilities thatcan be mobilized in the event of radiologicalaccidents or malicious acts involving radioactive materials for in vivo measurement.

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ACTIVITIES01

ORGANIZATION I SUMMARY AND STRATEGY I ACTIVITIES I EFFICIENCYQ In 2010, IRSN acquired heavy-duty response vehicles to make up its mobile response facilities.

The shelters can be transported by road,rail, sea or air to respond to any emergency.
Various qualiﬁcation tests to improve or
validate the operation of this new measuring facility for measurements have beensuccessfully completed.

EDF acquires IRSN’s C3X
platform
In 2010, IRSN signed a contract to install
C3X, an operational platform it has developed to compute radiological impact, at
EDF’s national emergency centers.
C3X comprises several modules for rapidly
assessing atmospheric dispersion of contaminants, soil deposition and potential
impact on human health and the environment in the event of an accident leading
to the release of radioactivity. A mapping
module enables the results to be displayedon a map.
Under the terms of the above contract,
IRSN will provide EDF with C3X platform
software, as well as ScenarX software forpreparing and conducting emergency exercises. It will also provide maintenance services and the necessary training to help EDF
employees familiarize themselves with theplatform. Q

MORE ABOUT

OPAL: a mapping tool
for raising awarenessof post-accident issues
In 2010, IRSN and the post-accident advisorycommittee of ANCCLI (the French national
association of local information commissions andcommittees) worked on deﬁning a tool for raisinglocal stakeholders’ awareness of post-accident
management following accidental release ofradioactive material.
Known as OPAL, the tool will allow local informationcommittees to select a site, a type of accident andcertain environmental parameters (e.g. weather)and will then display maps showing the post-accident
impact of a radioactive release.
OPAL will cover the main types of accidents likely
to occur in French nuclear facilities.
The data provided by the tool can be usedby a geographical information system, and cantherefore be cross-referenced with informationon contaminated areas held by local bodies.
The local information committees will then be able
to prepare maps to make the various stakeholders
more aware of the issues involved in post-accident
management in their region.

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2010

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PARIS, FRANCE I OCTOBER 18-20, 2010

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04

IRSN and CEA organized the second Multidisciplinary European Low Dose
Initiative (MELODI) workshop in Paris. The event brought together more than
200 scientists and specialists in exposure to low-dose ionizing radiation, from allover the world, to achieve a multidisciplinary scientiﬁc consensus on the choices
underpinning Europe’s future strategic research agenda in this area.

EFFICIENCYCONTROL AND OPERATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 88
PROPERTY ASSETS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 89
HUMAN RESOURCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 90
HEALTH, SAFETY ANDENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 92
QUALITY POLICY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 93

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EFFICIENCYCONTROL AND OPERATION

Enhancing efﬁciency
After several years spent developing control and operating tools, IRSN took action in 2010
to enhance its efﬁciency, in line with its commitments to the French Government during
the preparation of its Contract of Objectives for 2010-2013.

Optimization of support
functions
To enhance its efﬁciency through excellent human resource and administrative
management practices, IRSN has set up
a program called AMELIS to optimize its
support functions. The speciﬁc aims areto make these support processes simpler,smoother and clearer, to match humanand ﬁnancial resources to the objectives
set, and to change the organizational structure accordingly.
Six deﬁning projects were thus deﬁned witha view to drawing up sector-based actionplans in the following areas: human resources, information systems, purchasing, termsof payment for suppliers, sales, and management control.
This led, for example, to a review of how
training is organized, and the formation of
an investment committee responsible forvalidating signiﬁcant investment projects.
Lastly, the creation of a “dosimetry” business unit in January 2010 met the objective of adapting this service contracts sales
activity to the competitive market in which
it operates. This unit is now an independent proﬁt centre, strategically managed
by a board that includes representativesof IRSN’s General Management, the operational division, and the support divisions
involved in dosimetry. In 2010, it focusedon improving the effectiveness of its customer relations and the quality of customer service.

Preparation of the Contractof Objectives for 2010-2013
The year 2010 was devoted to drawing up theGovernment/IRSN Contract of Objectives(COB) for 2010-2013, under which IRSN’scommitments to the Government are deﬁned for a period of four years. The second
contract conﬁrms the Institute’s credibility
and provides the framework for its national88

and international activities aimed at driving
progress in safety, security and radiation
protection.
IRSN’s commitments center on four strategic areas of improvement::Qresearch and scientiﬁc excellence,Qsupport for the public authorities andcustomers,
Qpromoting transparency and openness
to society,Qcontributing to the promotion of a safety,
security and radiation protection culture
in Europe and around the world.
Action in these areas can be broken down inoperational terms in IRSN’s different ﬁeldsof expertise and its success relies on efﬁcient management of the Institute:Qsteering programs and tailoring ﬁnancial
resources required to maintain a properbalance between research and consulting
activities;
Qan attractive HR policy to ensure IRSN
has the skills in-house to accomplish its
tasks;Qoptimized economic, ﬁnancial and asset
management in a restricted institutional
context;
Qcontrolled, visible governance in the interests of continuous improvement. Q

03

Q

02

04

Q

PROPERTY ASSETSEFFICIENCY

01

ORGANIZATION I SUMMARY AND STRATEGY I ACTIVITIES I EFFICIENCY

Rational, economical
and reassuring property
management
In order to plan the management of its property assets, IRSN has drawn up a multiyear Property Master Plan that programs action to be taken in the short and medium terms.

Q View of
the Institute’s
new buildingin Fontenayaux-Roses.

The multiyear Property Master Plan, prepared by the Institute and submitted to its
supervisory ministries and its own Board of
Directors, has three objectives: to enhance
the safety of its activities and personnel,
optimize IRSN facilities, and reduce operating costs.
Written in 2009, the plan made provision
for renovating a number of buildings andbringing them in line with safety regulations. It also provided for the acquisitionand construction of buildings with a viewto grouping together various units andfreeing up buildings, in keeping with theGovernment’s property policy.
In 2010, IRSN had to review the multiyear
Property Master Plan to bring it in line withdecisions made by its supervisory authorities during the year:Qa project was selected for the demolition
and reconstruction of two buildings at
Fontenay-aux-Roses, near Paris, this work
being funded by a loan;
Qthe transfer of CEA and IRSN teams totheir respective sites was postponed;
QIRSN’s activities on its Le Vésinet site
in the Paris region were moved back to

occupy the former OPRI site; the space
made available will allow the development project (construction of a sustainable district) planned by the local
authority to go ahead.
The revised Property Master Plan led to thestart of a new “program” in documents in2010, in line with the above decisions. This
will be submitted to the Institute’s Boardof Directors in mid 2011. Q

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2010

89

04

EFFICIENCYHUMAN RESOURCES

Skills and careers
management at a timeof full employment
for the Institute
IRSN’s human resource management policy is designed to anticipate and meet the Institute’s
future skills needs to enable it to fulﬁll its tasks. It also seeks to encourage the developmentof individual skills and provide career guidance in an effort to improve employees’ working
conditions.

For the ﬁrst time since it was founded, theInstitute had all vacancies ﬁlled and a fullcomplement of staff, having recruited 180
employees on permanent contracts overa period of two years (2009-2010). Thissituation was mainly the result of IRSN’s
highly proactive recruitment policy in thepast few years, reﬂected in its participa-tion in various job forums and the development of exchanges with institutions ofhigher education to promote its work andachievements. It also stems from a raft ofmeasures to improve working conditions
at the Institute and increase staff loyalty.
For instance, all employees enjoy the same
employment status within the organization
and are eligible for company-wide remuneration schemes (company savings plan,
proﬁt-sharing, collective retirement savingsplan, etc.).

Ongoing initiative to forecast
staff and skills requirements

Age pyramid25(en % par sexe)

22%

Men

20
17% 17%
15
13%
12%

Women

16%
14%

14%

12%
11%
11%
11%
10%

10

7%
5
3%

4%

4%

2%

0
Under
25

90

25
to 30

31
to 35

36
to 40

41
to 45

46
to 50

51
to 55

56
to 60

Over
60

The GPEC initiative launched by IRSN toforecast staff and skills requirements has
two aims: to create tools capable of anticipating the skills needed in the medium tolong term, and to offer employees clearly
identiﬁed career paths to give them a better idea of the various options open tothem. In this context, 2010 was devoted
to completing the task of mapping careersand skills: more than 150 careers weredeﬁned, a directory of associated skills
was created and employees were divided
up into the various careers.
The Institute now has a complete mapof employment that it can use to determine its future strategy and priorities, asdeﬁned in its Contract of Objectives for
2010-2013. The map will also help bringmedium- and long-term planning in linewith this second Contract of Objectives.

€

1.67

million spenton training.
(1.99 in 2009)

5,547

participants in training
courses.
(4,181 in 2009)

03

Q

02

04

Second internal opinion
barometer

IN THE WORDS OF...

In September 2010, IRSN conducted its
second staff opinion barometer. The survey, sent by e-mail to the Institute’s staff,
contained more questions relating to working conditions and working environment
than the ﬁrst barometer in 2007.
With a response rate of 57% (as against
52% for the previous survey), the main
results show some progress since 2007.
Strong points are still direct management,
working conditions and training opportunities. Signiﬁcant improvement can be seenin employee perception of remuneration(47% of respondents satisﬁed as against
32% in 2007) and the Institute’s strategy
and external image both nationally andinternationally. Conﬁdence in IRSN has also
considerably increased. One area where
respondents were less satisﬁed, however,concerned careers, and questions persist as
to the general organization of the Institute,particularly regarding the distribution ofroles between the “line organization” sector, the “expert” sector, project managers
and “quality process” managers.

IRSN’s Director of Human Resources

Agreement on the collectively
agreed wage structure for nonmanagerial staff
An agreement on the collectively agreed
wage structure for non-managerial staff
was signed with all of the trade unions
on December 2, 2010. This agreement,
which provides coherent wage structures
for managerial and non-managerial staff,
is based on the principle of individual
measures for all employees, calculated on a
yearly basis. Employees now enjoy a higher
monthly salary, due to the fact that theincome bonus equal to an extra month’ssalary is paid in monthly installments andthe productivity bonus has been incorporated; transitional measures have also been
set up, backdated to January 1, 2010.
Lastly, special measures have been taken to
improve the situation of employees recruited before June 2003 whose career development, under the CEA arrangements inforce at that time, was less favorable thanthat provided for in the IRSN companylevel agreement signed the same year.

Agreement on stress prevention
and quality of life at work
On December 3, 2010, a second agreement,
relating to stress prevention and quality oflife at work, was unanimously approved. The
agreement demonstrates the commitmentof IRSN trade union representatives and“Regarding human resources,
we began 2010 witha full complement of staff:
a full-employment situationis unprecedented for such ayoung institute and entails a
few changes in human resource
management. While our main
aim up to now has been to
ﬁll vacancies either by hiringexternally or from within,
we must now give priority tointernal recruitment and ensurethat staff movements within
the Institute are consistent
with the future developmentof programs.
In this respect, our humanresources policy is a key part of
IRSN’s strategy and it was withthis in mind that we planned
the implementation of the
GPEC policy to forecast staff
and skills requirements. In 2010,
we also pursued a project tocreate an internal university; theﬁrst module on safety analysis

management to work together to improve
working conditions and organization. Someof the actions already under way include
a charter for good relations at work; thecreation of an observatory responsible formonitoring changes in quality of life andstress based on various indicators and proposing individual or collective preventive
measures; management training; efforts topromote greater staff awareness; and a sur-Q

Patricia de la Morlais,

EFFICIENCY

01

ORGANIZATION I SUMMARY AND STRATEGY I ACTIVITIES I EFFICIENCY

should be tried out in 2011.
At the same time, we developed
new tools, which will beavailable early in 2011.
The aim is to offer employees
tailored appraisals at each stageof their career so that theyreceive support appropriate
to their particular project.
Last but not least, 2010
ended with the signing of
two important unanimous
agreements, one aimed atharmonizing the Institute’s
pay policy for managerial andnon-managerial staff, and theother paving the way for a joint
approach to stress and qualityof life at work.
All these initiatives enable us
to build on and sustain IRSN’s
human resource development
policy and to imagine theInstitute of the future.”

vey prepared by the Institute’s occupational
health physician. The agreement, which has
been signed for a three-year period, will bean opportunity to assess the situation sothat the systems in place can be adapted,
if necessary. Q

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2010

91

04

EFFICIENCYHEALTH, SAFETY AND SECURITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Consolidating security
and sustainable development
In the area of health, safety and security and environmental protection, policies on
information protection, information system security and sustainable development wereformalized in 2010.

Information protection andinformation system security
Much of the information handled by IRSN,
whether scientiﬁc, technical or personal,
is sensitive, which means that divulging it
could seriously harm not only the Institutebut also its partners and other parties.
To guarantee conﬁdentiality and the integrity of its computer systems, IRSN formalized existing practices in this area ina new information protection policy in
February 2010.
This speciﬁes the principles to be observed
as well as the procedures to be used whenbrieﬁng personnel required to have accessto sensitive information.
IRSN’s information protection policy has
two prongs: information protection andinformation system security.
Each deals speciﬁcally with the protection of sensitive information and systems,
national defense-classiﬁed or otherwise.
Under the revised information systemsecurity policy, new procedures have beendrafted.
These provide, in particular, for a security risk analysis to be performed on any
new IT projects at IRSN, and for the development of an approval mechanism forsystems dealing with national defenseclassiﬁed information.
Each year, new recruits receive training
in how to protect sensitive information,national defense-classiﬁed or otherwise,and existing employees undergo refresher
training to remind them about potential
threats and the protection rules.
Similarly, as part of a campaign to bring
the security culture in line with the measures provided for under the policy on
information system security, IRSN organized 60 training sessions for all membersof staff in 2010.

92

Q IRSN tightened its information system security policy.

Setting up the sustainable
development policy
Having spent 2009 completing an analysis of the sustainable development
situation at IRSN, the Institute developed
and formalized its policy in this area in2010. The sustainable development discussion group prepared a draft version
based on the directions determined: skills,
employment and training; how each person relates to his/her job and employee
participation, involvement and motivation; the environment and pollution; andpurchasing policy. The draft was submitted to staff for approval and approved by

65% of respondents. Some suggestions
were also made and taken up, such as aninter-site relocation plan, energy saving,
preservation of biodiversity, and integration of environmental and social aspects
into purchasing policy. Following thiswork, a sustainable development policy
document was drawn up and approvedin December.
The document describes IRSN’s responsibilities and reﬂects the commitment of
the Institute and its employees to sustainable development in areas such as theenvironment, risk control, social advocacy,
and responsible purchasing and sales. Q

03

Q

02

04

Q

QUALITY POLICYEFFICIENCY

01

ORGANIZATION I SUMMARY AND STRATEGY I ACTIVITIES I EFFICIENCY

Driving the work of IRSN
The purpose of IRSN’s quality policy is to help the Institute perform the tasks entrusted toit and achieve its objectives through a continuous improvement process.

ISO 9001 certiﬁcation renewed
Having been certiﬁed in compliance with
the ISO 9001 standard in 2007, IRSN was
evaluated in 2010 with a view to renewing
its certiﬁcation. In June, auditors from thecertification authority LRQA met withIRSN teams from Cadarache, in the southof France, and from Le Vésinet, Saclay and
Fontenay-aux-Roses, near Paris, to assess
compliance of the Institute’s total quality
management system processes with the2008 version of ISO 9001.
The auditors detected no cases of noncompliance, concluding that: “The system
is functional. It is used as a true control
tool. We observed a marked improvement
since 2007 in the use of the system by thepeople we interviewed.”
As a result, IRSN’s ISO 9001 certiﬁcation
has been renewed until July 2013.
This result comes after a great deal of preparatory work involving all IRSN departments,
aimed in particular at taking into accountthe changes between the 2000 version andthe 2008 version of the standard.

ral improvements to be made. The second
part focuses on making the transition fromthe current system to a “quality, safety andenvironment” management system in themedium term, incorporating sustainable
development in particular.
As part of its commitment to listen to its
customers and meet their expectations,
IRSN conducted its ﬁrst satisfaction survey among its internal customers in May
and June 2010. The survey covered IRSN’s
support processes and was sent by e-mailto 99 managers: the response rate was 50%,
with an average satisfaction score of 83%.
The results highlighted some possible areasof improvement that should be addressed
starting in 2011. Q

10ISO17025-accredited
laboratories.
(10 in 2009)

Improved management system
On October 18, 2010, during a meeting of
the total quality management committee,
IRSN validated the different aspects of its
new “quality project”. The current system
will be simpliﬁed and its efﬁciency improved over the period 2010-2014. The aim
is to make the total quality management
system an effective tool for managing
internal and external changes, now andin the future. To achieve this, the 20102014 project is divided into two parts. The
first, called processes for the benefit of
the Institute’s customers and to enhance
performance, prompted efforts, in 2010,
to develop a general procedure for listening to the Institute’s external customers.
This must make it possible to gauge customer satisfaction with the Institute as awhole rather than with individual units, andobtain an overview of any necessary gene-

Q The Institute’s ISO 90041 certification was renewed until July 2013.

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 201093

GLOSSARYAAERES: French agency for the evaluationof research and higher education.
Alpha radiation (symbolized as “Į”):
A highly ionizing form of particle
radiation with low penetration consistingof helium-4 nuclei. A simple sheet ofpaper can prevent its propagation.
AMANDE: Accelerator for dosimetry
metrology and neutron applications(Cadarache).
ANCCLI: French national associationof local information commissions
and committees.
ANDRA: French national radioactive
waste management agency.
ANR: French national research agency.
ASAMPSA2: Advanced Safety Assessment
Methodologies: Level 2 Probabilistic
Safety Assessment.
ASN: French nuclear safety authority.
ASTEC: Accident Source Term Evaluation
Code.
ASTRID: Advanced Sodium Technological
Reactor for Industrial Demonstration.
A planned prototype sodium-cooled fastneutron reactor (SFR).

B
BECARRE: Tests on control rod
degradation phenomena induced byboron carbide and on the related release.
Becquerel (Bq): Ofﬁcial international
unit of measure used for radioactivity.
The becquerel is equal to one
transformation per second.
Bel V: Technical safety organizationof the Belgian Nuclear Safety Authority.
Beta radiation (symbolized as “ß”):
Radiation consisting of electrons with apositive or negative charge. Propagation
can be stopped by leaving a space ofa few meters around the source orproviding a barrier using a simple sheetof aluminum foil.
BRGM: French geological survey.

C
CABRI: CEA test reactor used by IRSN
to study nuclear fuel safety.

94

CATHARE: Thermal-hydraulic computercode used to study the behavior ofpressurized water reactors during
accident situations.
Cesium (Cs, atomic number 55):
Toxic rare metal with characteristics
comparable to those of potassium.
CLIGEET: Local information committee
on the major energy facilities at Tricastin.
CLI: Local information committee.
Corium: Agglomeration of fuel andstructural elements from a nuclear
reactor core, melted and mixed together
following a major accident.
Criticality (risks): Risks associated withuncontrolled ﬁssion phenomena in ﬁssile
materials.

D
DSND: Representative in charge of
Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection
for Defense-related Activities andFacilities.
DOE: Department of Energy (USA).
Double-strand break: Complete breakin a DNA molecule.
Dosimetry: Determination of the doseof radiation (radioactivity) absorbed
by a substance or an individual throughassessment or measuring.
DRL: Diagnostic reference level.

E
Effective dose: A physical variable usedin the ﬁeld of radiation protection, where
it serves to assess the impact of exposure
to ionizing radiation on biological tissue.
It takes into account the sensitivityof the affected tissues and the type ofradiation. The sievert (Sv) is the unitof effective dose.
ENEA: Italian national agency for new
technologies, energy and sustainableeconomic development.
ENVIRHOM: Research programthat studies the processes involved
in radionuclide accumulation andthe biological effects induced bythis accumulation in ﬂora, fauna andhumans in a chronic exposure situation.

ENSTTI: European Nuclear Safety Training
and Tutoring Institute.
EPICUR: Experimental program on iodine
chemistry under radiation.
EPR: European Pressurised-water Reactor.
ERMSAR: European Review Meetingon Severe Accident Research.
ETSON: European Technical Safety
Organisations Network.
EURATOM: European Atomic Energy
Community.
ExPRI: Long-term information systemon the medical exposure of patients
to ionizing radiation.

F
Fuel assembly: Bundle of fuel rods
assembled in a metal structure, usedin nuclear reactors.
Foundation raft: Thick, reinforced
concrete foundation providing stablesupport.
FP: European Union Framework
Programme for research andtechnological development.

G
Gamma radiation (symbolized
as “Ȗ”): Electromagnetic radiation withhigh penetration but low ionization,
emitted during the transformation ofradionuclides. Protection is provided
by concrete or lead screens.
GRS: Gesellschaft für Anlagen- undReaktorsicherheit (German technicalsafety organization).
GWd/t: Fuel burnup unit. Gigawatthours per metric ton of fuel. Commonlyused unit of measure giving the level ofirradiation of fuel assemblies, expressedas energy output by the assembly inthe reactor per ton of the initial uranium.

H
HILW-LL: high level and intermediatelevel long-lived waste.
HFDS: Ministry of Energy Senior Defense
and Security Ofﬁcial, the authority
in charge of nuclear material protection
and control in France.

I

N

T

IAEA: International Atomic Energy Agency.
ICRP: International Commission
on Radiological Protection.
ICSBEP: International Criticality Safety
Benchmark Evaluation Project.
IFREMER: French research institutefor exploration of the sea.
InVS: French national institute for healthsurveillance.
IPPE : Russian Institute for Physics
and Power Engineering.
IRPhE: International Reactor Physics
Experiments Evaluation.
Isotopes: Elements whose atoms have thesame number of electrons and protons,
but a different number of neutrons.
Designated by the same name, they
display the same chemical properties.
There are currently 325 known natural
isotopes and 1,200 artiﬁcial isotopes.
ISTC: Russian International Scienceand Technology Center.
ISTP: International Souce Term Program.

NRC: United States Nuclear
Regulatory Commission.
NSC: Chinese Nuclear Safety Center.

TAREF: Task Group on Advanced Reactor
Experimental Facilities.
TELERAY: French national automatic
gamma air monitoring network. It alsoemits a warning in the event of unusuallyhigh ambient dose rates.
TSO: Technical Safety Organisation.
TSN: French act relative to Transparency
and Security in the Nuclear Field.

J
JAEA: Japan Atomic Energy Agency.
JNES: Japan Nuclear Energy Safety
Organization.

KkV: kiloVolt.

M
MELODI: Multidisciplinary European Low
Dose Initiative, a European governanceinstrument set up to organize research intorisks relating to low-dose radiation exposure.
MOX: Fuel made from (natural or
depleted) uranium and plutonium oxide.
mGy (milligray): Unit of radiation
absorbed dose used in the international
system.
mSv (millisievert): Unit of effective doseused in the international system.
MWe: Megawatt electric, unit of electric
power produced. In a pressurized water
reactor, the thermal power released
is about three times greater.

O
OECD: Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development.
ONERA: French national aerospaceresearch center.

P
PICSEL: Research program on the
propagation of solid fuel ﬁresin laboratory and plant environments.
PRISME: Research program on ﬁrepropagation in elementary multipleenclosure scenarios.
PSA: Probabilistic Safety Assessment.
PUI: On-site emergency plan.

R
Radioelement: Natural or artiﬁcial
radioactive element.
Radionuclide: Radioactive isotopeof an element.

S
SARNET: Severe Accident Research
NETwork of excellence, a European
research project to study core meltdown
accidents on water reactors.
SCANAIR: Computer systemdeveloped by IRSN for analyzing
injection reactivity accidents.
SFR: Sodium-cooled fast reactor.
SNETP: Sustainable Nuclear Energy
Technology Platform.
STUK: Finnish nuclear safety authority.
SYMBIOSE: “System approachfor modelling the fate of chemicals
in biosphere and ecosystems”,
a software platform used to simulate
the impact of environmental radioactive
contamination on human health.

U
Unsaturated zone: Portion of thesubsurface above the groundwater table.

V
VVER or WWER: Vodo-Vodianoy
Energetichesky Reactor ou Water-Water
Energetic Reactor, Russian-designed
reactors that operate in a similar way
to western pressurized-water reactors.

W
WHO: World Health Organization.

X
Xenobiotic: a toxic chemical compoundthat is foreign to a living organism.

Z
ZIRA: Zone of interest for detailed
geological reconnaissance.

For further information, consult
the glossary on the IRSN website at:www.irsn.fr

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2010

95

EDITORIAL AND PRODUCTION COORDINATION
Strategy, Development and Partnerships Division,
with support from Anne-Marie GIRARDIN (TroisCube)STEERING COMMITTEE
Michel BAUDRY
Bernard CHAUMONT
Patrice DESCHAMPS
Denis FLORYEmmanuelle MUR

François ROLLINGERNathalie RUTSCHKOWSKY
Édouard SCOTT de MARTINVILLE
Véronique ROUYER
Sylvie SUPERVILEDITORIAL COMMITTEESupervision and coordination: Valérie MARCHAL
Jocelyne AIGUEPERSE
Marie-Pierre BIGOT
Françoise BRETHEAU
Stéphanie CLAVELLE
Patrick COUSINOU
Véronique DELACOURT
Aleth DELATTRE
Didier DEMEILLERS
Arielle DREYFUSS

Agnès DUMAS
Dominique FRANQUARD
Bernard GOUDALJean JALOUNEIX
Valérie MARCHAL
Pascale MONTI
Jean-Luc PASQUIER
Christine THARAUD
Jean-Luc SCHWALLERWRITTEN BY
IRSN, with support from Camille Jaunet (La Clé des mots) and Jean-Christophe Hedouin (HIME)This Annual Report was approved by the IRSN Board of Directors on March 30, 2010.
GRAPHIC DESIGN AND PRODUCTION

TRANSLATION
Provence traduction
PRINTED BY
Valblor
PHOTO CREDITS
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pages 28, 39, 41, 47, 52, 59 – Areva/Jean-Marie Taillat: page 63 – IStock: page 32 – Jean-Pierre Copitet/IRSN: page 34 – Ludivine
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57 – Thinkstock: page 35 – EDF-Mediathèque/ Fabrice Arfaras: page 39 – EDF-Mediathèque/Alexis Morin: page 40 – Luc Benevello:
pages 6, 7, 9, 16 – Cyrille Dupont: page 16 – RA Port Minimes Yves Ronzier: page 75 – IRSN: pages 10, 43, 61, 65, 67, 71, 73, 74,
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Head office31, avenue de la Division Leclerc
92260 Fontenay-aux-Roses
RCS Nanterre B 440 546 018
Telephone+33 (0)1 58 35 88 88
Mailing address
BP 17
92262 Fontenay-aux-Roses Cedex
Websitewww.irsn.fr

Enhancing nuclear safety

2010

FINANCIAL REPORTQ

FINANCIAL REPORTQCONTENTSMANAGEMENT REPORT P. 05
BALANCE SHEET P. 10
INCOME STATEMENT P. 12
INCOME STATEMENT SUBTOTALS P. 13
BUDGET VERSUS ACTUAL REPORT P. 14

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2010

3

Q

FINANCIAL REPORTQManagement Report

GENERAL OUTLOOK
Signiﬁcant events in 2010:
Q the public service grant paid by the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable
Development, Transport and Housing (MEDDTL) under budget program 190 was increased by €7 million. Of this amount, €5.2 million
is intended to cover the rising cost of dismantling operations, and€1.8 million to the cost of renovation work on the CABRI experimental reactor, which has exceeded budget forecasts;
Q the current economic climate led to an increase in the Institute's
self-generated revenue, largely stemming from industrial and commercial operations at home and abroad;Q after several years of tough job-market competition with operatorsin the nuclear sector, IRSN reached a situation of full employment;
Q the cost of work on the CABRI facility overshot the budget estimate by €7.3 million in the June 2010 budget revision (budget
amendment no. 2), and a €2 million loss was recorded in EDF revenue
owing to delays in the project;

Q the Institute was ordered to pay the cost of decontaminating its
LeVésinet site, following an environmental accident, for an estimatedcost of €2.5 million. A provision has been set aside for several years
to cover these costs, the contribution for 2010 being approximately€1.5 million;
Q €9.1 million was paid out from the special dismantling fund tocover the cost of works carried out in 2007, 2008, and 2009.
Budget execution in 2010 involved a vast investment program totaling €46.7 million, after incorporation of operations carried overfrom the previous year, including, in particular, the ﬁrst phase of
the Institute's property project, which was funded through a €16.7
million loan.
Not all of these investments were completed during the ﬁscal year,
and a proposal to carry over €19.2 million for operations in progress will be put forward in the projected revenue and expenditurestatement for 2011.

Q the Institute might have to pay some of the costs – currently
estimated at €15 million - resulting from an incident that occurredat the Feursmétal industrial site. A €5 million provision was booked
for this purpose in the accounts for 2010;

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2010

5

BUDGET BALANCE
Exécution(in €M)

2008 (1)2009 2010

Difference
2010/2009

Total
resources255.2 283.0 316.4+ 11.8%

Total
expenditure281.2 301.8 312.9+ 3.7%BALANCE– 26.0 – 18.8

3.5

– 118.7%(1) Fiscal year 2008 shows an exceptional reductionof €15 million, corresponding to reconciliation ofthe €20 million VAT adjustment on one hand, anda special contribution of €5 million added to thedismantling fund on the other.

Budget execution in 2010, as in previous
years, shows a budget balance that appears
to be amplified by the €19.2 million in
investments carried over. Furthermore,incorporating investments carried over fromthe previous year reduces the budget execution speciﬁc to the year. Appropriate recalculations give the following results:
Recalculated
execution (in €M)

2009

2010

Actual balance– 18.8

3.5

2008 carryover

10.2

–

2009 carryover– 14.5

14.5

2010 carryover–– 19.2

RECALCULATEDBALANCE– 23.1– 1.2

The year 2010 can be characterized asfollows:
Q results match the balance ﬁgures givenin the projected revenue and expenditurestatement approved by the Board of
Directors;
Q a budget execution rate of 93.5% (compared with 93.6% in 2009), i.e. a differenceof €21.6 million, of which €19.2 million
corresponds to an offset in the executionof certain investments. If these offsets
were excluded, the budget execution ratewould be 99.3% compared with 98.1%
in 2009.

INCOME STATEMENT ANALYSIS
Revenue
Execution(in €M)

2008

2009 2010

Sale

31.8

37.7

39.2

+ 4.0%

Grant

195.5 216.5 230.6+ 6.5%

Other
operatingincomeOperatingincomesubtotal

Difference
2010/20098.1+ 6.8%

231.2 261.8 277.9+ 6.1%

4.0

7.6

Investment
income

3.7

1.4

0.3

– 76.1%

Extraordinary
revenue

6.4

9.1

11.2

+ 22.1%241.3 272.3 289.4+ 6.3%TOTAL

Overall, the income recorded by the Instituteduring the year rose by 6.3%:
Q Operating income rose by €16.1 million (+6.1%) compared with the previous
ﬁscal year, with:– €225.8 million from the public service
grant paid by the Ministry of Ecology,
Sustainable Development, Transportand Housing (MEDDTL). The total ingovernment grants received for Budget
Program 190 amounted to €243.8 mil-

6

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2010

lion, of which €18 million was recorded
as a capital grant;– €3.4 million from the agreement
signed with the Ministry of Defense aspart of Budget Program 212, €0.3 million
up on the previous year;– €1.4 million from other grants, including from local government authorities,€0.5 million up on the previous year;– €39.2 million of self-generated revenue from consultancy services, cofunding of research programs, or otherservices, representing a 4.0% increaseover the previous year;
The main differences observed between
2009 and 2010 are as follows:
Execution(in €M)

2008 2009 2010

Difference
2010/2009

Catalog
services

9.5

10.9

11.7

+ 7.5%

R&D andco-fundedresearch

10.0

13.6

11.7

– 13.5%Services andnon co-funded
research

6.2

7.1

10.0

+ 40.4%

Other services

6.1

6.2

5.8

– 5.8%

TOTAL

31.8 37.7

39.2

4.0%

– for catalog services: dosimetry activity(up by €1 million to €9.3 million in 2010),– for co-funded research: EDF contribution
to the CABRI project (down by €2 million
to €3 million in 2010),– for services and non co-funded research:
international services (up by €2.4 million to€3.7 million in 2010),– other services: invoicing for seconded personnel (down €0.6 million to €5.2 million).
– €8.1 million in other operating income,compared with €7.6 million in 2009. This
amount mainly includes fees paid for industrial property (€0.1 million, steady), otheroperating income (€0.6 million, steady) representing adjustments made from previous
years, as well as write-backs on depreciationand provisions (€7.3 million, up by €0.5 million compared with 2009).

Execution(in €M)

2008 2009 2010

Difference
2010/2009

Purchases

116.2 132.8 136.6+ 2.9%

Personnel

113.6 120.0 124.2+ 3.5%

Taxes

9.2

12.8 13.3+ 3.7%

Depreciation

17.5

22.8 23.1+ 1.1%

Provisions

1.4

2.3

6.3

+ 173.9%

Other operating
expenses

1.2

1.6

2.2

+ 38.6%259.1 292.2 305.6+ 4.6%

Operatingexpenses
subtotal
Financialcharges

0.7

0.5

1.2

+ 141.2%

Extraordinary
charges

0.3

0.4

0.5

+ 37.3%260.1 293.1 307.3+ 4.8%TOTAL

With a 4.8% increase, expenditure rose lessthan income in 2010:
Q Operating expenses for the year
amounted to €305.6 million, an increaseof €13.4 million or 4.6%. This variation wasconcentrated mainly in purchases and provisions, and breaks down as follows:– Personnel expenses rose by 3.5% toBreakdown ofDifference
outside expenses 2008 2009 20102010/2009(in €M)
Purchases

63.0

72.0 74.8+3.9%

Outsideservices

35.4

40.8 41.6+1.8%

Other outsideservices

17.8

20.0 20.2

+1.2%

TOTAL

116.2 132.8 136.6+2.9%

lion. Purchases, Outside services, and Other
outside services were up by 3.9%,1.8%, and1.2% respectively.
This variation was concentrated mainly inpurchases and provisions, and breaks down
as follows:
Q Financial charges rose sharply by 141%(or €0.7 million), from €0.5 million to€1.2 million. Interest payments on loans
accounted for much of this amount. The
increase in these charges was mainly due tothe new loan taken out to fund the Triangle
building, for which interest payments began
in 2010 (€0.5 million). Other loans running
concern funding for the head ofﬁce and new
dosimetry technology.
Q Extraordinary charges rose by €0.1
million.

RESULTS AND FINANCING
Results andﬁnancing(in €M)

2008

2010

Difference
2010/2009

Proﬁt “+” /loss “–”recorded– 18.7 – 20.8 – 17.9

– 13.8%2009

Cash provided
by operations – 9.3 – 10.2“+” / “–”– 5.6

– 45.6%

Variation in– 26.0 – 18.8
working capital+ 3.5– 118.7%

The balance ﬁgures at year-end can be characterized as follows:
Q The net balance for the year 2010 showeda deﬁcit of €17.9 million, which is close tothat recorded for the previous years (deﬁcitof €20.8 million in 2009 and €18.7 million
in 2008).The difference between the revised
forecast in the second budget amendment,
predicting a deﬁcit of €16.9 million, and theaccounts at closing on December 31, 2009was €1 million, which can be explained bya favorable balance between:– a growth in income estimated at €3.4
million,– an increase in charges estimated at €4.6
million.
Q The deﬁcit in cash provided by operations,budgeted at – €4.2 million in the second
budget amendment, reached – €5.6 million, i.e. a negative difference of €1.7 million.
This deﬁcit was compensated by the portion of the public service grant paid by

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2010

7

FINANCIAL REPORT

Q

Expenditure€124.2 million. The average number of
employees over the year 2010 was 1691
(full-time equivalent worked) for a budgetof 1,679.5. The Institute was momentarily
overstaffed at the beginning of the year but
the excess was gradually absorbed to reach
1,676.3 (full-time equivalent) at the end of
the year, which is below the job ceiling.
– Taxes amounted to €13.3 million, up by€0.5 million.
– Depreciation expenses were up slightly by €0.3 million - to reach €23.1 million.
Provisions, allocated mainly to the employee
proﬁt-sharing plan and contingency provisions, rose by €4 million compared with
2009, to reach a ﬁgure of €6.3 million. Thiswas mainly due to a €5 million provision
set aside in connection with the incident at
the Feursmétal site.
– Purchasing of goods and services rose by€3.8 million (or 2.9%) to €136.6 million.
This was essentially due to the higher thanplanned cost of work on the CABRI experimental reactor.
– Other expenses represented €2.2 million,
compared with €1.6 million in 2009. Fees(€1.4 million) accounted for much of thisamount .
124.2 million. The average number of
employees over the year 2010 was 1,691(full-time equivalent worked) for a budgetof 1,679.5. The Institute was momentarily
overstaffed at the beginning of the year but
the excess was gradually absorbed to reach
1,676.3 (full-time equivalent) at the end of
the year, which is below the job ceiling.
This table breaks down the year’s outside
expenses, which amount to €136.6 mil-Q

Q Investment income, which amounted to€0.3 million, was much lower than in 2009
(down by €1.1 million), reﬂecting a drop ininterest rates on ﬁnancial markets.
Q Extraordinary revenue rose to €11.2 million, compared with €9.1 million in 2009.
Capital grants of €9.7 million, recorded in
the income statement, accounted for mostof this amount.

the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable
Development, Transport and Housing
allocated to capital grants (€18 million),an above-forecast reimbursement by the
special dismantling fund, and a €16.7
million increase in ﬁnancial charges forfunding the ﬁrst phase of the Institute's
property project. This deﬁcit was com-pensated by the portion of the public service grant paid by the Ministry of Ecology,
Sustainable Development, Transport andHousing allocated to capital grants (€18
million), an above-forecast reimbursement by the special dismantling fund,and a €16.7 million increase in ﬁnancial
charges for funding the ﬁrst phase of theInstitute's property project. The resulting
total resources paid for jobs and a €3.5
million contribution to the working capital against a planned withdrawal of €20.1
million in June 2010. This variation was
mostly due to a sum of €19.2 million
carried over as part of the investment
program.

MANAGEMENT BALANCES
The following table shows the variation in working capital, cash, and working capitalrequirements:
2010
actual

DM2
2010

2009
actualContribution to or withdrawal
from working capital

3.5– 20.1– 18.8

Variation in working capital requirements

3.9

– 7.9

– 19.0Cash variation– 0.4– 12.1

0.2

Level of working capital

25.3

1.7

21.8

Level of working capital requirements– 59.7– 71.5– 63.6

Cash level

85.0

73.2

85.3

– Preﬁnancing of special fund

3.4

–

8.6

– Recalculated cash level

88.3

73.2

93.9

In €M

Variation in working capital
The projected variation in working capital in June 2010 was due to a withdrawalof €20.1 million, broken down as follows:– withdrawal from CABRI
working capital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.5 €M– PHEBUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.0 €M– investments carried overfrom 2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12.2 €M– write-back on proﬁt-sharing
provision 2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3 €M– write-back on sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.1 €M
The contribution to working capital at
the end of 2010 amounted to €3.7 million, an increase of €23.8 million compared with June 2010 forecasts.
The difference can be broken down as
follows:– investments not completed
in 2010, proposed to be carriedover to 2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . + 19.2 €M– provision for proﬁt-sharing
plan 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . + 1.1 €M– difference in funding
via special fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . + 2.9 €M

8IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2010

– other operating savings . . . . . . . . + 0.4 €M
Expenditure relating to investments andspeciﬁc projects not completed in 2010is the subject of a carryover proposal forthe 2011 budget. The payment of dismantling expenses via the special fundis delayed because of the way the fundworks (expenditure is reimbursed after
the event on presentation of documentary evidence).
In view of the above, the level of working capital at December 31, 2010, estimated at €1.7 million according to thesecond budget amendment, is actually€25.3 million.

Cash variation
LThe cash level stood at €85.0 million
at the end of 2010, compared with the€73.2 million projected in June 2010.
It was almost stable compared with theyear-end level for 2009 (€85.2 million), due to the combined effects of theincrease in working capital and the variation in working capital requirements.

Like the working capital, cash wasaffected by the delay in reimbursing
the cost of remediation and dismantling operations via the special fund. Thus
€6.2 million in expenditure projectedin the second budget amendment for2010 concerned PHEBUS dismantlingcosts. Of this amount, €3.4 million was
executed but will only be reimbursedby the special fund on presentation of
documentary evidence when the 2011budget is executed.
Because of the way in which the special
remediation and dismantling fund works,
IRSN must bear the cost of pre-ﬁnancing
dismantling operations out of its cash
and working capital.

Variation in working capitalrequirements
Working capital requirements stoodat -€59.5 million at the end of 2010,
compared with a projection of -€71.5
million. The €3.9 million increase inworking capital requirements compared with 2009 can be explained by
the fact that operating assets (especiallyaccounts receivable, see point 6.2 below)rose more rapidly than operating debts(+€7.4 million compared with +€3.4
million).

Q

FINANCIAL REPORTBALANCE SHEET ANALYSIS

Q With a recorded loss of €17.9 million, the net position dropped to €37.5
million, compared with €55.4 million
in 2009. The capital grant saw an €8.2
million increase, rising from €67.3 million to €75.5 million. Furthermore, contingency and loss provisions fell by €1
million, reaching the ﬁgure of €71 million on December 31, 2010. This drop
was the result of two opposing trends,
namely an increase in contingency provisions (up by €5 million) to account for aprovision set aside to cover the incident
at the Feursmétal site, and a decreasein loss provisions (down by €6 million).
The Institute's long-term capital dropped,
falling from €194.7 million in 2009 to€184.1 million in 2010.

Q Debt saw a signiﬁcant rise, climbing
from €119 million in 2009 to €135.4
million. This was due to the combined
effect of increases in debts not only inthe short term, but also – and especially– in the medium and long term. Thesechanges break down as follows: trade payables (up by €3.2 million), tax and social
liabilities (up by €1.3 million, other liabilities (down by €1.1 million) and longterm debts (up by + €12.9 million), which
consolidate capital reimbursements oncurrent loans to the amount of €3.7 million, and a new loan with Crédit Agricole.
This loan, for €16.7 million over a periodof 25 years, has been taken out to fundworks on property at the Fontenay-auxRoses site and the acquisition of the
Triangle building.

Assetsenue and expenditure statement stoodat €0.6 million (write-back on sources).
Deferred expenditure of €20.3 million
must be added to this amount, representing €1.1 million for the employee
proﬁt-sharing plan and €19.2 million
for carryover of investment projects inprogress.

The available balance of €4.5 million
covers the ﬁrst provision set up to meetthe consequences of the incident at the
Feursmétal site. To this end, €2.1 million
will be paid at the beginning of 2011,
further to a ruling of the Paris court ofﬁrst instance on January 25, 2011.

Q

Liabilities

Q Fixed assets fell to €182.9 million(down by €1.2 million), due to depreciation expenses (up by €22.9 million)
progressing faster in 2010 than fixed
assets acquisitions (up by €21.7 million).
Q Current assets rose to €136.6 million (up from €129.6 million in 2009),
due mainly to a €4.8 million increase inaccounts receivable. Furthermore, liquidities fell very slightly from €85.2 million
on December 31, 2009 to €85 million
at year-end, 2010.

CONCLUSION
The 2010 budget was executed within
the forecast budget balance presented
to the Board of Directors.
A €3.5 million contribution was paid
into the working capital, which stoodat €25.3 million at year-end 2010.
The withdrawal from working capital for2011 provided for in the projected rev-

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 20109

Balance sheet

ASSETSIn euros

2010

2009

2008

Gross

Depreciation andprovisions (to be
deducted)

Net

Net

Net

Intangible assets

20,741,718.26

15,339,630.63

5,402,087.63

5,152,254.53

3,254,384.31

Tangible assets

299,015,905.44

130,784,936.07

168,230,969.37

166,660,722.33

127,259,750.21

Financial assets

9,273,132.97–

9,273,132.97

12,264,531.14

5,115,702.80

Fixed assets

329,030,756.67

146,124,566.70

182,906,189.97

184,077,508.00

135,629,837.32

–

–

–

–

–

128,584.85–

128,584.85

626,921.85

431,094.07

51,504,408.85

27,331.59

51,477,077.26

43,650,599.73

46,709,534.13

customer receivables

34,830,393.58

27,331.59

34,803,061.99

28,411,055.33

30,497,436.91

related receivables

16,674,015.27–

16,674,015.27

15,239,544.40

16,212,097.22

–

–

–

3,689.80

3,689.80

Investment securities

76,706,174.36–

76,706,174.36

77,925,874.35

75,854,958.53

Cash

8,244,314.03–

8,244,314.03

7,403,786.48

9,297,888.40

Prepaid expenses

–

–

–

–

–

Current assets

136,583,482.09

27,331.59

136,556,150.50

129,610,872.21

132,297,164.93

GRAND TOTAL

465,614,238.76

146,151,898.29

319,462,340.47

313,688,380.21

267,927,002.25

Inventory and work in progress
Prepayments and advances on orders
Accounts receivable

Other receivables

AssetsCurrent assets

26%
57%

43%

62%
12%

Fixed assets 182.90 €M
Current assets 136.60 €M

10

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2010

Cash and cash equivalents 84.90 €M
Customer receivables 34.80 €M
Other receivables 16.70 €M

Q

FINANCIAL REPORTQ

LIABILITIES
2010

2009

2008

Allowances

4,183,945.65

4,183,945.65

4,183,945.65

Reserves

90,783,098.42

90,783,098.42

90,783,098.42

Retained earnings– 39,524,209.85– 18,724,287.79–

Fiscal year proﬁt or loss

– 17,930,305.13– 20,799,922.06– 18,724,287.79

Net position

37,512,529.09

55,442,834.22

76,242,756.28

Capital grants

75,534,368.49

67,282,860.81

50,013,274.68

Equity113,046,897.58

122,725,695.03

126,256,030.96

Contingency provision

6,052,933.75

2,666,100.00

1,978,000.00

Provision for taxes due––

177,000.00

Loss provision

64,951,818.22

69,321,702.00

33,294,000.00

Contingency and loss provision

71,004,751.97

71,987,802.00

35,449,000.00

Bank borrowings

24,101,127.54

11,056,525.76

14,429,135.32–

190.50190.50Trade notes and accounts payable

75,129,356.62

71,948,636.59

58,826,534.14

Tax and social liabilities

27,383,713.64

26,111,320.17

24,015,522.27

–

–

–

Trade notes and accounts payable

4,650,730.31

6,045,394.01

7,197,842.14

Other liabilities

4,145,762.81

3,812,816.15

1,752,746.92

Liabilities

135,410,690.92

118,974,883.18

106,221,971.29

GRAND TOTAL

319,462,340.47

313,688,380.21

267,927,002.25

In euros

Various debts and liabilities

Other operating liabilities

Long-term capital

Debt analysis
56%

39%

24%

41%

20%
20%

Capital grant 75.50 M€
Provisions 71.00 M€
Net position 37.50 M€

Trade payables 75.10 €M
Tax and social liabilities 27.40 €M
Other liabilities 32.90 €M

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 201011

Income statement
2010

2009

2008

Research work

11,743,488.82

13,569,471.06

11,165,866.34

Service contracts

21,667,148.27

18,145,983.08

14,937,300.43

Other services provided

5,797,319.53

5,996,863.90

5,720,848.65

Net revenue

39,207,956.62

37,712,318.04

31,824,015.42

Operating grants

230,576,638.37

216,500,738.38

195,447,206.52

Write-backs on depreciation and provisions

7,326,896.29

6,835,490.36

3,270,980.62

Capital grants recorded in ﬁscal year's income statement

9,748,492.32

7,928,749.89

6,286,126.30

Expense transfer

98,755.67

147,682.24

128,863.34

Other income

665,373.17

596,141.76

553,067.57

Operating income

287,624,112.44

261,792,370.78

231,224,133.47

Outside expenses for the ﬁscal year

136,551,172.79

132,765,002.38

116,148,653.80

Taxes, duties, and similar payments

13,264,085.43

12,795,271.46

12,373,634.74

Personnel expenses

124,213,013.06

119,962,166.29

110,426,772.00

Depreciation and provisions

29,385,527.00

25,143,505.80

18,924,712.32

Other expenses

2,205,994.59

1,582,253.46

1,179,411.04

Operating expenses

305,619,792.87

292,248,199.39

259,053,183.90

OPERATING INCOME– 17,995,680.43– 30,455,828.61– 27,829,050.43

From controlled entities

–

–

–

Other interest income

21,153.87

26,886.07

24,566.87

Foreign exchange gains

95,672.34

92,325.73

38,754.50

Gains on sales of short-term investments

208,778.61

1,243,941.94

3,627,624.62

Investment income

325,604.82

1,363,153.74

3,690,945.99

Interest expense

882,065.05

471,602.42

564,466.81

Foreign exchange losses

298,456.82

17,844.88

153,739.95

–

–

–

Financial charges

1,180,521.87

489,447.30

718,206.76

FINANCIAL INCOME– 854,917.05

873,706.44

2,972,739.23– 18,850,597.48– 29,582,122.17– 24,856,311.20

73,040.85

–

–

–

–

46,879.34

In operations

1,339,207.75

1,211,820.71

88,447.78

Extraordinary revenue

1,412,248.60

9,140,570.60

6,421,453.42

In operations

372,640.25

316,223.72

222,636.97

Book value of assets sold and other capital losses

119,316.00

42,146.77

66,793.04–––

Extraordinary charges

491,956.25

358,370.49

289,430.01

EXTRAORDINARY INCOME

920,292.35

8,782,200.11

6,132,023.41

–

–

–

– 17,930,305.13– 20,799,922.06– 18,724,287.79

In euros before tax

Losses on sales of short-term investments

INCOME BEFORE EXCEPTIONAL ITEMS
Gains on sales of assets
Capital grants strictly for the period

Depreciation and provisions

Income tax
FISCAL YEAR INCOME

12

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2010

Q

FINANCIAL REPORT
Q

Income statement subtotals
31/12/2010%

31/12/2009

31/12/2008

Sales

39,207,956.62

14.53

37,712,318.04

31,824,015.42+ Operating grants

230,576,638.37

85.47

216,500,738.38

195,447,206.52

FISCAL YEAR PRODUCTION

269,784,594.99

100.00254,213,056.42

227,271,221.94– Outside expenses

136,551,172.79

50.61

132,765,002.38

116,148,653.80

ADDED VALUE

133,233,422.20

49.39

121,448,054.04

111,122,568.14– Taxes

13,264,085.43

4.92

12,795,271.46

12,373,634.74– Personnel expenses

124,213,013.06

46.04

119,962,166.29

110,426,772.00

OPERATING INCOME BEFORE INTEREST– 4,243,676.29– 1.57– 11,309,383.71– 11,677,838.60+ Write-backs, expense transfer

7,425,651.96

2.75

6,983,172.60

3,399,843.96+ Other income

665,373.17

0.25

596,141.76

553,067.57– Depreciation and provisions

29,385,527.00

10.89

25,143,505.80

18,924,712.32+ Write-back on capital grants

9,748,492.32

3.61

7,845,142.87

6,286,126.30– Other expenses

2,205,994.59

0.82

1,582,253.46

1,179,411.04

OPERATING INCOME– 17,995,680.43– 6.67– 22,610,685.74– 21,542,924.13+ Investment income

325,604.82

0.12

1,363,153.74

3,690,945.99– Financial charges

1,180,521.87

0.44

489,447.30

718,206.76– 18,850,597.48– 6.99– 21,736,979.30– 18,570,184.90+ Extraordinary revenue

1,412,248.60

0.52

1,295,427.73

135,327.12– Extraordinary charges

491,956.25

0.18

358,370.49

289,430.01

–

–

–

–

– 17,930,305.13– 6.65– 20,799,922.06– 18,724,287.79

CAPTIONSINCOME FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS BEFORE INCOME TAXES– Income tax
FISCAL YEAR RESULT

Income (in €M)

Operating income (in €M)
261.79212.44

Operating277.90 income

1.36
0.30
9.14
11.20

MEDDTL
grant

225.80Investment
income

3.12

Extraordinary
revenue

0.95

Mindef
grant

3.40

Other
grants

1.40
37.71

2009

2010

Own
revenue

39.20
7.58

Other

8.10

2009

2010

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 201013

Budget Versus Actual Report
INCOME STATEMENT in euros

2010 Budget

2010 Actual

Service contract sales

43,663,010.00

39,207,956.62

Government grants

228,322,660.00

230,576,638.37

Other operating revenue

1,500,000.00

2,562,941.41

Internal operations

12,207,000.00

17,014,429.46

TOTAL REVENUE

285,692,670.00

289,361,965.86

Personnel expenses

137,953,127.00

124,213,013.06

Other operating expenses

139,684,628.00

153,574,414.93

Internal operations

25,000,000.00

29,504,843.00

TOTAL EXPENDITURE

302,637,755.00

307,292,270.99––

RESULT (LOSS)

16,945,085.00

17,930,305.13

TOTAL INCOME STATEMENT BALANCE

302,637,755.00

307,292,270.99

2010 Budget

2010 Actual– 16,945,085.00– 17,930,305.13–

46,275.15

25,000,000.00

29,385,527.00– Gains from offsetting depreciation––– Portion of grants recorded in result

3,500,000.00

9,748,492.32– Write-backs on depreciation and provisions

8,707,000.00

7,326,896.29– 4,152,085.00– 5,573,891.59

2010 Budget

2010 Actual

CASH PROVIDED BY OPERATIONS– 4,152,085.00– 5,573,891.59

Acquisition of tangible and intangible assets

46,721,442.00

25,013,439.26

Financial assets

6,300,000.00

6,239,901.46

Long-term debt paid

3,815,000.00

3,768,709.08

TOTAL USES OF CASH

60,988,527.00

40,595,941.39

Government capital grants

17,812,440.00

18,000,000.00

Other sources (excl. internal operations)

6,400,000.00

9,302,758.69

Increase in long-term debt

16,705,000.00

16,813,120.36

TOTAL SOURCES OF CASH

40,917,440.00

44,115,879.05– 20,071,087.00

3,519,937.66

REVENUE

EXPENDITURE

RESULT (PROFIT)

TRANSFER OF RESULT TO CASH PROVIDED BY OPERATIONS in euros
RESULT+ Loss on sale of assets+ Depreciation and provisions

CASH PROVIDED BY OPERATIONSSUMMARY STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN FINANCIAL POSITION in euros

CONTRIBUTION TO WORKING CAPITAL14

IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2010

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