Commission Opinion of 22 April 2002 concerning the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste from the Socatri decontamination and uranium recovery plant (IARU) at the Tricastin site in France, pursuant to Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty
Date: 2002-04-22
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, internal border of the EU, nuclear safety, radiation protection, radioactive effluent, radioactive waste

24.4.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 99/5

COMMISSION OPINION

of 22 April 2002

concerning the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste from the Socatri decontamination and
uranium recovery plant (IARU) at the Tricastin site in France, pursuant to Article 37 of the
Euratom Treaty

(2002/C 99/03)

(only the French text is authentic)

On 23 October 2001, the European Commission received from the French Government, in accordance
with Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty, general data relating to the plan for the disposal of radioactive
waste from the Socatri decontamination and uranium recovery plant (IARU).

On the basis of these data and clarifications subsequently provided by the French Government, and
following consultation with the group of experts, the Commission has drawn up the following opinion:

(a) The distance between the facility and the nearest border with another Member State (Italy)

is
approximately 170 km, and the closest other Member States are approximately 250 km distant
(Spain) and 420 km distant (Germany).

(b) Under normal operating conditions, the discharges of liquid and gaseous effluents will not cause an
exposure of the population in other Member States that is significant from the health point of view.

(c) Solid radioactive waste from the production operations will be stored or disposed of at approved sites

in France.

(d) In the event of unplanned discharges of radioactive waste which may follow an accident of the type
and magnitude considered in the general data, the doses likely to be received by the population in
other Member States would not be significant from the health point of view.

In conclusion, the Commission is of the opinion that the implementation of the plan for the disposal of
radioactive waste in whatever form from the Socatri decontamination and uranium recovery plant (IARU)
at the Tricastin site in France, both in normal operation and in the event of an accident of the type and
magnitude considered in the general data, is not liable to result in radioactive contamination, significant
from the point of view of health, of the water, soil or airspace of another Member State.

COMMISSION OPINION

of 22 April 2002

concerning the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste resulting from modifications at the site
of the Grohnde Nuclear Power Station KWG in the Federal Republic of Germany, in accordance
with Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty

(2002/C 99/04)

(only the German text is authentic)

On 10 October 2001, the European Commission received from the Government of the Federal Republic of
Germany, in accordance with Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty, general data relating to the plan for the
disposal of radioactive waste resulting from modifications at the site of the Grohnde Nuclear Power Station
KWG.

On the basis of these data, the Commission has considered that the plan concerned modifications to an
existing plan on which an opinion had already been given. The Commission has further taken into
consideration that the intermediate storage facility for irradiated fuel resulting from those modifications
is designed to operate up to 40 years and could remain in operation after decommissioning and
dismantling of the existing plant. Following consultation with the group of experts, the Commission
has drawn up the following opinion: