Several associations announced on Tuesday the filing of a complaint against EDF, accused of environmental protection offenses at the Flamanville nuclear power plant (Manche).
"The plant is the scene of a dangerous neglect in terms of environmental protection", believe these NGOs, including the Sortir du Nuclear Network and France Nature Environment, authors of this appeal filed for "breaches of nuclear regulations and environmental ”.
36 violations of the environmental code pointed out by NGOs
The complaint has been received by the court in Cherbourg, and is being examined, prosecutor Yves Le Clair said on Tuesday.
The Flamanville plant, which experienced seven level 1 incidents in 2019 and five in 2018, was placed under “enhanced surveillance” last September by the Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN). It has been shut down since 2019, reactor 2 for maintenance, and reactor 1 due to corrosion problems. Their restart is scheduled for October 31.
In their complaint, the NGOs accuse EDF of 36 violations of the Environmental Code and of the regulations relating to nuclear installations, "likely to cause pollution and endanger those working on the site".
A complaint based on an ASN report
The text is based in particular on an inspection report produced by ASN in 2019. In December, the Institute for Nuclear Safety (IRSN), ASN's technical arm, still considered the situation of the plant to be "very worrying" given the "major deviations on different safety equipment". However, he considered that “the increased surveillance by ASN and EDF's action plan would improve the situation”.
This dossier concerns reactors 1 and 2 at Flamanville, and not the reactor under construction, of the EPR type, which is also experiencing other technical setbacks and additional costs.
Contacted by AFP, EDF did not react immediately.
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- Environment
- Nuclear
- Nuclear plant
- EDF
- Flamanville
- Society