Commission Opinion of 4 May 2010 relating to the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste arising from the final dismantling of the Brennilis Nuclear Power Station in France, in accordance with Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty
Date: 2010-05-04
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: France, health risk, radioactive effluent, radioactive pollution, radioactive waste, storage of waste, waste management








C_2010116EN.01000101.xml










5.5.2010   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 116/1





COMMISSION OPINION
of 4 May 2010
relating to the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste arising from the final dismantling of the Brennilis Nuclear Power Station in France, in accordance with Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty
(Only the French text is authentic)
2010/C 116/01
On 30 October 2009, 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 arising from the final dismantling of the Brennilis Nuclear Power Station.
On the basis of these data and additional information requested by the Commission on 26 November 2009 and provided by the French authorities on 6 January 2010, and following consultation with the Group of Experts, the Commission has drawn up the following opinion:






1.


The distance between the power station and the nearest point of a neighbouring country, in this case the Channel Islands (British Crown Dependencies), is 150 km. The distance to the nearest Member State is 207 km for the United Kingdom.










2.


During normal dismantling operations the discharges of gaseous effluents will not cause an exposure liable to affect the health of the population in another Member State or in a neighbouring country.
Discharges of liquid effluents are not authorised.










3.


Solid radioactive waste is temporarily stored on site before being transferred to licensed treatment or disposal facilities located in France.
The Commission recommends that the residual activity concentration checks, carried out to confirm the conventional nature of the solid waste after decontamination, be such that compliance with the clearance criteria laid down in the Basic Safety Standards (Directive 96/29/Euratom) is ensured.










4.


In the event of unplanned releases of radioactive effluents 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 another Member State or in a neighbouring country will not be liable to affect the health of the population.




In conclusion, the Commission is of the opinion that the implementation of the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste in whatever form arising from the dismantling of the Brennilis Nuclear Power Station 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 of the water, soil or airspace of another Member State or a neighbouring country.

Done at Brussels, 4 May 2010.


For the Commission

Günther OETTINGER

Member of the Commission