Nicolas Solente

Andra

National Circumstances and Approaches: France

D2I/RI/17-0061

1) Waste classification

2) Types of waste by origin

3) Existing disposal solutions

4) Future disposal solutions

D2I/RI/17-0061

Overview of radioactive waste classification

Waste from dismantling operations - NORM Surface disposal

CIRES since 2003

Waste mainly from

day-to-day NPPs’ operation Surface disposal

CSM 1969-94 CSA since 1992

Graphite, TENORM Subsurface disposal

Studies stage in France

SHORT-LIVED WASTE (SL)

PERIOD ≤ 31 YEARS

LONG-LIVED WASTE (LL)

PERIOD > 31 YEARS

VERY LOW

LEVEL

LOW LEVEL

INTERMEDIATE

LEVEL

HIGH LEVEL

Waste from SF reprocessing plants Cigeo Geological disposal facility

to be commissioned in 2025

VLLW

LLW-LL

LILW-SL

ILW-LL

HLW

RW from defense sector

DEFENSE SECTOR: this covers mainly French military and nuclear deterrence

activities, including nuclear-powered ships and submarines, as well as the

associated research activities;

Categories Volume (in m

3 )

(as of 2013)

LL-LLW 17000

SL-LLW 62000

VLLW 42000

ILW-LL 17000

HLW 230

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Volume (in m3 ) (as of 2013)

LL-LLW

SL-LLW

VLLW

ILW-LL

HLW

RW from industry (other than nuclear)

INDUSTRIES OTHER THAN NUCLEAR POWER, including rare earth mining,

manufacture of sealed sources, and various other applications such as weld

inspection, medical equipment sterilization, food sterilization and preservation,

oilfield, water treatment, paper industry, geothermal applications etc.;

Categories Volume (in m

3)

as of 2013)

ILW-LL 170

LL-LLW 12000

LILW-SL 22000

VLLW 11000

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Volume (in m3) (as of 2013)

ILW-LL

LL-LLW

LILW-SL

VLLW

RW from medical sector

MEDICAL SECTOR includes diagnostic and therapeutic activities.

Categories Volume (in m3)

ILW-LL

LL-LLW

LILW-SL 8500

VLLW 6

Volume (in m3) (as of 2013) ILW-LL

LL-LLW

LILW-SL

VLLW

VSLW

Others

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RW from research sector

RESEARCH SECTOR, comprising research for civil nuclear applications (mainly

the research activities of CEA, the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy

Commission), as well as research laboratories in various fields such as medicine,

nuclear and particle physics, agronomy, chemistry and biology

Categories Volume (in m

3

(as of 2013)

ILW-LL 10000

LL-LLW 20000

LILW-SL 200000

VLLW 160000

D2I/RI/17-0061

Volume (in m3) (as of 2013)

ILW-LL

LL-LLW

LILW-SL

VLLW

RW from mining activities (uranium mining)

There are two types of ore processing residues characterized by their

specific activities:

• processing residues from low content ore specific activity of

44 Bq/g (including about 4 Bq/g of radium-226). Residues from

static leaching. About 20 million tonnes) are disposed of in tips, or

in open-cast mines, or used as a first covering layer for dynamic

leaching residue disposal sites;

• processing residues from high average content ore specific

activity of 312 Bq/g (including about 29 Bq/g of radium-226).

Residues from dynamic leaching (about 30 million tonnes) are

disposed of in former open-cast mines with sometimes an

additional dyke, or in basins enclosed by an encircling dyke or

behind a dyke damming a thalweg.

There are two categories of PRODUCTS FROM URANIUM MINING

mine waste which means products consisting of soil and rocks excavated to access the deposits

of interest. The volume of mine waste extracted can be estimated at 167 million tonnes;

• processing residues, meaning products remaining after extraction of the uranium contained in

the ore by static or dynamic processing.

The residues correspond, in fact, to process waste, with a volume estimated at 50 million tonnes.

D2I/RI/17-0061

CIRES: VLLW disposal and Long-Lived waste temporary

storage

Waste disposal at Cires

This VLLW disposal facility is designed to accommodate 650,000 m3 of waste, mainly from the

dismantling of nuclear facilities in France. Its design is based on the hazardous waste disposal

facilities in the chemical industry. Some NORM waste will be disposed at CIRES (2100m3), as well as

some depleted used RA sources

Waste storage at CIRES

Long-lived radioactive waste is stored in a dedicated 2,000m2building, especially intended for

waste not from nuclear power production.

The waste will be progressively recovered for disposal as the disposal facilities are commissioned.

The main types of waste stored at Cires at the end of 2013 are:

• radioactive lightning rods;

• radioactive objects from private owners (radium fountains, radioluminescent objects, etc.) ;

• radioactive medical artefacts used between the two world wars (collector's items such as radium

needles, tubes and compresses);

• waste (e.g. soil, rubble) resulting from cleanup of sites contaminated by radioactivity from long-

lived radioactive elements (radium, thorium).

D2I/RI/17-0061

Sorting & processing of non-electro nuclear waste at CIRES

Various operations

performed in the Sorting &

Processing facility include:

• checking packages

using an x-ray scanner,

• placing solvent, oil-

based or aqueous liquid

waste in containment,

• treating scintillation

bottles and

• disassembling lightning

conductor heads

D2I/RI/17-0061

CSA: LILW-SL disposal – example of disused sources

Sources may currently be disposed of at the CSA, if:

• Only 1 radionuclide is present, and source is solid. Cannot be mixed with

other waste type

• ½ life is < 31years – no neutron source accepted

• Waste package activity is <270TBq (operational safety)

• Each source activity is < a limit fixed with regards to source size, RN,

thermicity, activity [based on human intrusion, and accident scenario:

ingestion, destruction, source kept in pocket].

15% of the 2*106 sources inventoried could be disposed at the CSA (and 83% at

the LLW-LL disp. facility, 0,02% at the CIRES and 2% at Cigéo)

However, Andra was tasked with reviewing the current criteria to assess the

feasibility of disposal of

• A higher activity limit (currently, specific activity limit is 1/10th

of other

waste packages

• Sources with multiple RN

• Acceptance of some neutron sources

• Acceptance of sources containing Tritium

• Acceptance of non-sealed sources (ex: electrodeposited sources)

LW

D2I/RI/17-0061

Waste in legacy disposal sites

In the past, some waste (several ‘000s of tons, added

activity of a few Bq/g) were managed in a way which

would be different today, including:

• disposal in a conventional waste disposal facility

(waste from industry)

• Waste disposed of near production sites

(research centers…)

• Disposal of NORMs not generated by facilities with an

environmental classification (phosphogypsum,

fertilizers, ashes from energy production)

The National Waste Management plans requires the

complete inventory of those sites, and management

strategies for each site.

Some waste were retrieved or used (coal ash from

furnaces) in recovery channels such as cement and

concrete manufacturing, backfill for road construction or

trenches and cavities filling material.

Other materials may have further use, and are

consequently not considered as waste (raw thorium

hydroxides from monazite processing)

Conventional waste disposal sites

Disposal near production sites

D2I/RI/17-0061

Management of mine tailings, residues and other waste

250 Uranium mining sites were in operation from 1948 to

2001. Uranium mining tailings and residues will be managed

in situ. Their disposal sites are monitored and their impact

assessed and limited as far as possible.

Studies are ongoing to :

1. Achieve the sites inventory

2. Better assess Ra and U radionuclides mobility in

tailing and residues

3. Improve the models used for impact assessment

4. Improve the treatment of effluents from mining

sites

5. Improve the assessment of long-term mechanical

stability of dykes used to contain the disposed

waste

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Management of spent radioactive sources and waste

produced by the use of sources

The use of radioactive sources is regulated by the public health code, which stipulates in particular

(Article L. 1333-7) that the supplier of sealed sources must take them back when they are no

longer being used, or simply at the request of the user.

Spent sealed sources waiting for their final disposal solution are stored in appropriate facilities,

which the supplier must possess.

WASTE PRODUCED BY THE USE OF UNSEALED SOURCES

Solide waste: Waste that cannot be managed by decay (half-life longer than 100 days) is sent to an

Andra disposal facility.

Liquid waste: effluents containing radionuclides with a half-life longer than 100 days are collected

and treated by incineration at the Centraco treatment centre. The ash and solid clinker resulting

from the incineration are packaged and then stored in Andra disposal facilities

DISUSED SEALED SOURCES

When DSRS cannot be returned to the producer, alternative solutions are:

• Disposal at one of the disposal sites: CIRES or CSA: conditions are very restrictive. An

assessment of the extension of the acceptance criteria will be performed

• Temporary storage pending disposal at the LLW-LL or HLW disposal facility (storage at owners’

or Andra facilities)

• Future storage in a dedicated facility or in a storage facility for for DSRS and tritiated waste

(Intermed)

D2I/RI/17-0061

Future disposal solutions: LLW-LL

• Disposal in trenches, excavated from platforms at -20m, in clay.

• “reworked” cover (as opposed to “In place”)

• Trenches are 80m * 20m * 6m (slope 45°)

• Operations protected by roofing

• Final cover made of clay

• For disposal of Radium bearing waste (and NPP produced long lived

wastes)

• Detailed safety assessment pending (2018)

D2I/RI/17-0061

Consequences of directive 2013/59/Euratom

• NORMS and TeNORMS: activities ranging 1 to 100Bq/g, potentially above

TFA limits

• directive 2013/59/Euratom requires NORM and TeNORMS are considered

as RadWaste several changes in legal & regulatory framework required

BSS decree expected 2018

• Exemption criteria (VE) will be set for natural RN not used for their

radioactive properties (of fissile/fertile):

• 1Bq/g for U and Th and daughter RNs

• 10Bq/g for 40

K

• It now becomes mandatory for industries producing such NORMs to

measure the waste, materials and residues potentially containing NORMs

• NORMS with an activity above the VE threshold are now considered

Radioactive Substances of Natural Origin, with mandatory radiation

protection measures and control

• A list of industries now required to perform radioactive characterization will be

published

• Waste and residues >VE:

• re-use not possible,

• disposal is regulated (ISDD (dangerous waste) if < 20 Bq/g (TBD),

radioactive waste disposal if >20 Bq/g, with specific requirements

D2I/RI/17-0061

nicolas.solente@andra.fr

D2I/RI/17-0061