Cigéo Project. Deep geological disposal facility for radioactive waste in Meuse/Haute-Marne departments

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1 Cigéo Project Deep geological disposal facility for radioactive waste in Meuse/Haute-Marne departments

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3 Contents Introduction Waste that will remain highly dangerous for a very long time History of the Cigéo project Why deep geological disposal? Safety at the heart of Cigéo Cigéo s reversibility Facilities at Cigéo How Cigeo operates Integration of Cigéo into its environment Building Cigéo with society 3

4 Introduction The ultimate goal of the Cigéo project led by the French National Radioactive Waste Management Agency (Andra) is the disposal of the most highly radioactive waste, which is also very long-lived, in a deep geological repository on the boundary between the Meuse and Haute- Marne departments in France, to protect humans and the environment over long term from the danger it poses. More than a decade ago, the French parliament identified the principle of deep geological disposal as the safest management solution for this type of waste. France is not alone in opting for deep geological disposal: this is the favoured option at the European and international levels. The Cigéo project is the result of more than 25 years of regularly reviewed research, three laws passed in 1991, 2006 and 2016, and two public debates held in 2005 and It meets the ethical imperative of removing the burden of managing this waste from future generations. What is Andra? Andra is the French National Radioactive Waste Management Agency, a public undertaking. Placed under the supervision of the ministries responsible for energy, the environment and research, it is in charge of implementing and ensuring safe solutions for protecting current and future generations from the risks posed by radioactive waste in France. 4

5 Waste that will remain highly dangerous for a very long time Radioactive waste is generated mainly by nuclear power production, but also by industry and by the health care, research and defence sectors. The vast majority is disposed of at existing facilities: 90% of the total volume of radioactive waste produced in France each year is disposed of in surface disposal at Andra s disposal facilities in Manche and Aube departments (this is very low-level waste and low-level and intermediate-level short-lived waste). However, high-level waste (HLW) and intermediate-level long-lived waste (ILW-LL) cannot be disposed of in surface or near-surface facilities because of the risks it poses and the fact that it remains hazardous for a very long time (tens or hundreds of thousands of years). This waste accounts for a small percentage of the volume and the vast majority of the radioactivity of all radioactive waste. At present, 60% of ILW-LL and 30% of HLW has already been generated. WHAT IS THIS WASTE? HLW is mainly the by-product of reprocessing spent fuel from nuclear power plants. It is mixed with molten glass paste, then poured into stainless steel containers. ILW-LL is more varied. It can be structural fuel assembly components or residues from nuclear facility operation. It is compacted and packaged in metal or concrete containers. HLW 0.2% of the total volume of radioactive waste 98% of the total radioactivity of radioactive waste 30% of HLW has already been produced ILW-LL 3% of the total volume of radioactive waste 2% of the total radioactivity of waste 60% of ILW-LL has already been produced Radioactive waste metal from spent fuel reprocessing 5

6 The Cigéo project is designed to host all the HLW and ILW-LL that has been produced and will be produced by existing nuclear facilities (nuclear power plants, research centres, etc.). Waste that will be produced by nuclear facilities currently being built (Flamanville EPR, ITER and the Jules Horowitz experimental reactor) has also been taken into account. This represents around 10,000 m³ of HLW and 75,000 m³ of ILW-LL, i.e. around 85,000 m³ of radioactive waste in total. This waste is currently stored in surface facilities at the sites where it was produced (mainly La Hague, Marcoule and Cadarache), pending its disposal in Cigeo. AN ADAPTABLE DISPOSAL FACILITY Andra is looking at possibilities for disposing of other waste for which there is no disposal solution or which is currently considered to be a recoverable material rather than waste (e.g. spent fuel). Fuel assemblies used in nuclear reactors The Cigéo project is designed to accommodate appr.: 10,000 m³ HLW 75,000 m³ ILW-LL ILW-LL HLW 6

7 History of the Cigéo project More than 20 years of research In 1991 the French parliament first addressed the problem of managing radioactive waste, passing the Bataille Act on 30 December This Act set the main priorities for research into managing the most highly radioactive waste. Three research areas were identified: partitioning and transmutation, long-term storage (two areas for which the CEA1 was given responsibility) and deep geological disposal, assigned to Andra, which has conducted research using an underground laboratory (see page 8). Andra and the CEA submitted the results of fifteen years research in these areas to the French government in On the basis of these reports, the French nuclear safety authority (ASN) took the following view²: partitioning and transmutation technology was not sufficiently advanced and, in any case, could not be used to eliminate all of this waste; Three avenues of research deep geological disposal was the only permanent disposal solution possible. On the basis of the scientific results, their examination by the ASN and a public debate conducted in 2005, the French parliament in 2006 ratified the choice of deep geological disposal and tasked Andra with designing a disposal facility in the Meuse and HauteMarne departments. Research into partitioning and transmutation and also storage, as complementary waste management options to the disposal facility, continued. Andra CEA Deep geological disposal Partitioning and transmutation This research area was assigned to the CEA, which aimed to study the possibility of reducing the quantity and toxicity of radioactive waste. l ong-term storage did not constitute a permanent solution; CEA Long-term storage This research, conducted by the CEA, aimed to study the surface or near-surface storage of waste for periods of around 300 years. This research area was assigned to Andra, which was asked to identify sites suitable for hosting a deep geological disposal facility and to study its safety and feasibility. 1. French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission. 2. ASN Opinion of 1 February 2006 on research into the management of high-level long-lived waste (HLW-LL) conducted in the context of the Act of 30 December

8 The underground laboratory and the choice of the Meuse/Haute-Marne site In 1994 investigations were carried out at four candidate sites (in Gard, Vienne, Meuse and Haute-Marne) for the purpose of setting up an underground research laboratory for studying the feasibility of deep geological disposal. Preliminary studies showed that the geology of the Meuse and Haute-Marne sites, now merged into a single site, was particularly suitable. In 2000 construction of the underground research laboratory (the Meuse/Haute-Marne Centre) began at this site, on the boundary between the two departments. At a depth of 490 metres, a network of more than 1600 metres of drifts to date of this outstanding research facility has allowed scientific and technological research to be carried out directly within the Callovo- Oxfordian argillite stratum, and led to the conclusion on the feasibility of a deep geological disposal in The laboratory is still used for research and experiments for the design of Cigéo. In 2005 a 250 km² area around the underground laboratory, known as the transposition zone, was defined as having identical geology to that of the laboratory: the argillite formation has been stable for more than a hundred million years and its properties would allow the very long term containment of the radioactivity. In 2009 Andra proposed to the French government an underground area of 30 km² inside the transposition zone: the zone of interest for detailed survey (ZIRA). This zone was defined on the basis of both scientific CALLOVO- OXFORDIAN ARGILLITE The geological stratum chosen as the location of the Cigéo underground facility is an argillaceous sedimentary stratum that is 160 million years old: Callovo-Oxfordian argillite. It is 145 metres thick, lies at a depth of between 400 and 600 metres, and has been stable for more than a hundred million years. Its properties, particularly its stability and very low permeability, make it ideal for a deep disposal facility. criteria related to the safety and geology of the site and criteria identified by the local population during a consultation. The ZIRA was approved by the government after consulting the ASN, the National Assessment Board, elected officials and the Local Information and Oversight Committee (CLIS). If Cigéo is licensed, the underground facility will be built in this zone. Zone of Interest for Detailed Survey Transposition Zone 8

9 Key dates Why deep geological disposal? 1991 : Bataille Act is passed, setting out three research areas for the highest-level radioactive waste : Geological investigations are carried out by Andra to locate suitable geological sites : Meuse/Haute-Marne site is selected by the government for the construction of an underground laboratory. Drift in the underground research laboratory The danger posed by radioactive waste diminishes over time because the radioactivity contained in it decays. However, some radioactive waste will remain hazardous for hundreds of thousands of years. The principle of deep disposal is to confine this waste and isolate it from humans and the environment over these very long time scales. The disposal facility s depth and design, and the type of rock in which it is located, as well as the geological stability, mean that the waste can be isolated from human activity and natural events on the surface (e.g. erosion) over the very long term. Once the facility is closed, it will not require any more human intervention: the safety of the site is described as passive. The geological stratum delays and limits the migration of the radioactive substances (contained in the waste) to the surface. All countries that use nuclear energy have chosen deep geological disposal as a safe, permanent means of managing their most highly radioactive waste in the very long term. ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY Because it offers a safe management method in the very long term, deep disposal meets the ethical objective of not passing on to future generations responsibility for waste produced by activities from which we benefit every day : Construction of Andra s underground laboratory in Meuse/ Haute-Marne begins : Andra concludes that a deep geological disposal facility in Meuse/ Haute-Marne is feasible and safe, in its Dossier 2005 Argile : Public debate on the management of the most highly radioactive waste : Act of 28 June is passed, adopting reversible deep geological disposal as the solution for this type of waste : Studies continue in the underground laboratory to refine the disposal facility design : The government approves the 30 km² underground zone proposed by Andra for studying the location of Cigéo's underground facility : Decree authorising Andra to continue its activities in the underground laboratory until : Presentation of the conceptual design for the disposal facility project, named "Cigéo" : Public debate on Cigéo organised by the National Public Debate Commission : Submission of the Safety Options Report and the Technical Retrievability Options Report to the ASN. Cigéo moves into the detailed engineering design phase : Act of 25 July on the terms of construction of Cigéo and its reversibility. 9

10 Safety at the heart of Cigéo The main purpose of Cigeo is to protect humans and the environment from the danger posed by the most highly radioactive waste, while keeping the burden this places on future generations to a minimum. Cigéo is designed to remain safe during its construction and its operation, which will last for around a century, and after its closure. Cigéo s safety relies to a large extent on the geological stratum in which the underground facilities will be built. This stratum, which has been stable for more than a hundred million years, has containment properties that can slow down the migration of the radionuclides in the radioactive waste to the surface. Its safety also relies on design choices such as: the general layout of the disposal facility, e.g. the separation of nuclear areas from work areas; the facilities and structures, e.g. the methods used for excavating and lining the drifts and disposal cells; the materials used, e.g. non-flammable materials and substances; the requirements concerning package characteristics and inspections; the instrumentation and sensors used for monitoring changes in the disposal facility and also detecting any problems; the organisation of facility operation, e.g. the use of automated and remotely controlled equipment and machinery. To ensure the disposal facility will be safe, Andra based its design on methods and analyses from the nuclear industry but also from sectors that involve underground work (mining, tunnelling, etc.) and international experience feedback. THE SAFETY OPTIONS REPORT In early 2016 Andra submitted a Safety Options Report to the ASN. It presents the main safety choices guiding the project design, which are based on more than 20 years of regularly reviewed scientific and technical research. The Safety Options Report, which is produced in advance of the construction licence application (planned in mid-2018) firmly establishes the principles, methods and main design choices necessary for the forthcoming safety demonstration, which will be examined before the construction licence is granted. The Report is the first step in a process during which Andra will speak as the future operator of Cigéo. Inspection of packages 10

11 The safety of Cigéo in operation For every risk identified during the operational phase, several lines of defence will be included in the disposal facility design to prevent or neutralise that risk. For example, to prevent fire breaking out, the presence of flammable objects in the nuclear zone is kept to a minimum: petrol engines are therefore prohibited. If fire does break out despite these preventive measures, steps have been taken to limit its impact: enhanced monitoring to detect it, extinguisher systems, the organisation of an emergency response, easy evacuation due to the disposal facility layout, fireresistant disposal containers, etc. Another example is that, to prevent the risks associated with coactivity, i.e. excavation work being carried out in parallel with operation, there will be strict separation between the two activities. They will be carried out in physically separate areas, with separate access and independent ventilation systems. CIGÉO S IMPACT DURING ITS OPERATION AND POST-CLOSURE Like any nuclear facility, Cigéo will be a source of radioactive releases. Close to Cigéo, during operation, the impact of these releases will be limited to 0.01 msv per year. This is well below the regulatory limit (1 msv per year) and the impact of natural radioactivity (2.4 msv per year on average in France). Following the closure of the disposal facility, safety assessments have shown that the very long term impact will remain well below that of natural radioactivity, even in a degraded situation (e.g. an intrusion). Cigéo s closure and very long-term safety To ensure waste disposed of for very long periods of time is kept safe without the need for human intervention, the underground structures at Cigéo will need to be closed off. This closure will be carried out gradually, in accordance with a special licensing process. Before the final closure of Cigéo, the initial repository zone closure operations will be carried out: the dismantling of operating equipment and the construction of drift closure structures (backfills, seals) so that the geological barrier can play its containment role. To ensure that the disposal facility will remain safe whatever happens, all phenomena that could degrade its performance and affect its safety are taken into account (earthquake, erosion, intrusion, etc.) and their consequences evaluated. For example, studies have shown that Cigeo would withstand the strongest earthquake that is geologically possible in the stratum where it is located. 11

12 Cigéo s reversibility The Act of 25 July 2016 defines reversibility as the capability of future generations either to continue building and operating consecutive phases of a disposal facility or to review the decisions made in the past and modify the management solutions. Regular assessments and milestones A democratic process The Cigéo project is the outcome of a lengthy democratic process involving the passing of three laws, in 1991, 2006 and 2016, and the holding of two national public debates, in 2005 and 2013, that contributed to collective determination of solutions for managing the most hazardous radioactive waste. Following the public debate in 2013, Andra made a commitment to ensure greater public involvement in decisions about the disposal facility (see page 22 Preparing for Cigéo with local stakeholders and the public ). Since the start of research into deep geological disposal, which was initiated by the Act of 31 December 1991, all the studies done by Andra have been regularly reviewed by French and international safety and scientific authorities. Before construction begins, the project must be examined by the French nuclear safety authority (ASN) and a construction licence must be granted by decree. Permission must also be granted by the ASN for the first radioactive waste packages to be received during the industrial pilot phase. Finally, the Act of 25 July 2016 requires a further law to be passed at the end of the industrial pilot phase. Regular safety assessments will then be carried out by the ASN, and a number of parliamentary approvals will also be required. Research and continuous progress Andra has been conducting research into deep geological disposal and Cigéo for more than 25 years. The R&D, aimed at constant improvement of knowledge, will continue during Cigéo s operation so that scientific and technological achievements can be incorporated into it. Memory Once the disposal facility is closed, safety must be ensured passively and must not require any human intervention. However, monitoring will continue and action will be taken to preserve and pass on a memory of the facility for as long as possible and at least 500 years, in accordance with the ASN requirements. 12

13 An industrial pilot phase at the start of operation Gradual development Because of the length of Cigéo s operational phase (more than 100 years), not all the facilities will be built immediately. Following an initial construction phase, they will be deployed gradually in parallel with the disposal facility s operation. Such approach will contribute to the reversibility of the disposal facility and assist with the integration of any improvements made possible by scientific and technological progress, and experience feedback. The industrial pilot phase will begin during the construction of Cigéo and will continue when operation begins. In particular, it will allow full-scale tests to be carried out and will include inactive operations, such as equipment tests, as well as active operations, i.e. operations in the presence of waste packages (once the licence has been granted). Retrievability Master Plan for Operations (PDE) The Master Plan for Operations presents the inventory and reference progression of Cigéo, the objectives of the industrial pilot phase, and the choices offered by reversibility in terms of managing the project. This document forms the basis for reversibility: it is the document in which changes to the operation of Cigéo decided by future generations will be recorded. In April 2016 Andra produced an initial version of the document, which will be subject to change right up until the construction licence application is submitted, in consultation with the public. From the design phase of Cigeo, technical measures have been included to facilitate the possible retrieval of waste packages during its operation over the course of a century (linings to limit cell deformation, robots for retrieving packages, sensors to monitor changes, testing, etc.), should future generations decide to retrieve them. Beyond that horizon, monitoring of the disposal facility will continue, to assess its behaviour and decide whether or not to extend the retrievability period. Adaptability The facilities at Cigéo will be adaptable so that future generations can, for example, modify existing equipment, build new structures or dispose of other French waste for which no disposal solution exists. 13

14 Facilities at Cigéo Cigéo is the French disposal project for and Intermediate-Level Long-Lived Waste; its key f Safety, both operational and long-term Progressivity and reversibility Cigeo will consist of the surface facilities located in two areas (the Ramp zone and the Shaft zone), and an underground facility with surface-to-bottom connections and disposal sections. This underground facility will be deployed gradually in the course of more than 100 years, at a depth of 500 metres, over an area that would ultimately reach around around 15 km². A Cigéo is now in its detailed design phase: Ramp zone As the next step, Andra will apply for the construction license Cigéo s development will be incremental over 120 years 1 Cigéo fosters regional development: Andra and regional actors prepare the future in consultation with A residents to provide new infrastructure, local investments, housing Provisional timetable for Cigéo IF LICENSE IS GRANTED Documents submitted: Saftey Options Report Retrieval technical options report Proposal for Operations Master Plan Law on Cigéo Environmental impact assessment Licence application Construction authorization decree creation and reversibility BASIC DESIGN ENGINEERING DESIGN LICENSE APPLICATION EXAMINED Site characterisation, preventive archeology and preliminary development CONSTRUCTION OF FIRST PHASE Dummy 14

15 Surface facilities A Ramp zone It consists of a rail terminal for reception of the convoys of radioactive waste, a building for the reception, inspection and preparation of packages, buildings to house workshops and offices, and an open-access area for the public. FUNDED BY WASTE PRODUCERS or High Level Waste B Shaft Zone y features Located are: directly above the repository, this is the zone from which the underground work will be carried out. It will contain infrastructure and buildings associated with the construction, operation and maintenance of the underground facility, and shafts for underground access. Shaft Zone B B Underground facility 2b 1 2a Surface-to-bottom connections: these are ensured by means of a double ramp for transferring packages to the bottom using a ramp transfer system and by shafts for transferring personnel, materials/equipment, and ventilation with local stakeholders and 2 Package disposal sections (disposal cells and ing, education and training access drifts) As part of a responsible approach, funding of the design, construction, operation and closure of Cigéo is provided by current generations so that the burden is not passed on to future generations. This means in effect that provisions are made by the three waste producers concerned (EDF, the CEA and Areva) and are regularly updated. In January 2016 the ministry responsible for ecology, sustainable development and energy set a target cost of 25 billion euro for the project. This figure is based on Andra s costing files and on the views of the ASN and waste producers. The Court of Auditors estimated that the disposal cost was around 1 to 2% of the total electricity production cost over the entire operating life of a reactor. 2a Repository zone for high-level radioactive waste (HLW) 2b Repository zone for intermediate-level longlived waste (ILW-LL) FIRST WASTE PACKAGE DISPOSED OF START OF ROUTINE OPERATIONS CLOSURE OF DISPOSAL FACILITY AND START OF POST-CLOSURE SURVEILLANCE Law authorizing operations Law authorizing final closure of disposal facility Operational tests authorized Assessment of industrial pilot phase PHASE INDUSTRIAL PILOT PHASE Dummy waste packages Operational tests with real waste packages Operational ramp-up OPERATIONAL AND PROGRESSIVE CONSTRUCTION PHASE 15

16 How Cigéo operates Transport of waste packages to Cigéo Packages of HLW and ILW-LL waste will arrive at Cigéo for their final disposal mainly by train from the waste producers sites where they are stored. Only a few types of ILW-LL waste will be brought in on lorries by road. The number of rail convoys will gradually increase to a maximum of five trains per month in the 2050s and 2060s. Bringing the packages in by train requires a rail connection to be built between Gondrecourt-le-Château and Cigéo s Ramp zone. Inspection and preparation of packages The packages will undergo a second inspection before being placed, where necessary, in disposal containers: Packages made of welded steel several centimetres thick for HLW Very thick concrete cubes for ILW-LL Receipt of packages Waste packages will be received at Cigéo in surface facilities where they will undergo an initial inspection and be unloaded from their transport containers. Example for ILW-LL 16

17 Transfer of packages to the underground facility ILW-LL The cask will be put on a ramp transfer system which will take the packages down to the repository. This transport system is designed to be as safe as possible: the motors are located on the surface; if a breakdown occurs, the cart stays where it is; the carts move at low speeds, etc. HLW Example for HLW Emplacement of packages in transfer casks The containers will then be placed in a cask, which will provide radiation protection while they are transferred from the surface to the underground facility. Disposal of waste packages Once it reaches the repository zone 500 metres below the surface, the cask will be transferred to a robotic transfer shuttle, which will take the packages to the disposal cells. HLW packages will be disposed of in cells that are approximately 70 cm in diameter and about a hundred metres long. They will be pushed into the cell one behind another by a pusher robot. ILW-LL packages will be disposed of in tunnels that are a few hundred metres long and around ten metres in diameter. They will be stacked one on top of another, in layers, by a stacking crane. HLW ILW-LL HLW ILW-LL 17

18 Integration of Cigéo into the host environment If a licence for Cigéo is granted, its construction is expected to start in Prior to the start of construction, Andra has begun research to acquire data particularly for the construction licence application, which will be submitted in Andra must also carry out site preparation work in the area where the disposal facility will be located. Local stakeholders, supported by Andra, are already preparing for Cigéo s arrival with the launch of various projects to meet the industrial needs of the future deep geological disposal facility. Data acquisition for the construction licence application and regulatory procedures To put together the construction licence application for submission in 2018, Andra has begun a number of studies of the land: Geotechnical surveys must be carried out at the two surface sites. These surveys consist of drilling boreholes to a depth of around fifty metres to obtain data for calculating the foundations of the future buildings, and installing metre-high pillars to be used as topographical markers. In accordance with regulations, a preventive archaeology campaign must also be conducted on both sites. The purpose of this campaign, led by the French rescue archaeology institute (Inrap), is to check whether the land contains any archaeological remains. To do this, one-metredeep trenches are dug and examined by archaeologists (which may require site clearance). Samples are taken and environmental observations carried out by Andra on the future Cigéo site and in the surrounding area. The data obtained will be fed into the impact study of Cigéo that Andra must submit with the construction licence application. Andra also receives support for the production of this impact study from a facility it set up in 2007, the Perennial Observatory of the Environment (OPE). The OPE is responsible for studying the characteristics of and changes in the environment (water, air, soil, flora and fauna) and proves data for the preparation of an initial environment survey, which is necessary for the impact study. In 2013, through the OPE, Andra began compiling a series of inventories specific to the two areas where the surface facilities will be located, covering the flora, fauna (birds, bats, insects, mammals, amphibians, reptiles) and habitats. Rescue archaeology campaign 18

19 Site preparation To enable the construction of Cigéo to begin immediately once the construction licence has been granted, preparation work has to be done first: preliminary development consists of the work needed to prepare the site to host the first construction companies (site clearance, construction facilities and platforms, services and temporary roads, etc.); to and served by external utilities (electricity, water, sanitation, etc.); preparatory construction work concerns the utilities (electricity, water, sanitation, etc.) and the roads on-site, as well as earthworks in the Ramp zone and Shaft zone. off-site connections mean that Cigéo can be connected Examples of site development work Data acquisition Preventive archaeology Geotechnical surveys Sampling and observation of the environment Off-site connections Connection to external services Transport links (railway track, roads) Construction licence Preliminary development of the construction site Site clearance Fences Earthworks Site platforms Site facilities Utilities required by the site Preparatory construction work on the surface zones Networks and roads within the site Earthworks 19

20 Building Cigéo together and integrating it into the host environment To prepare for Cigéo s arrival, France s Prime Minister has entrusted the Prefect of Meuse (who is coordinating the project for the Meuse and Haute-Marne departments) with drawing up a local development contract in consultation with local stakeholders. On the basis of joint strategic orientations, this contract aims to identify projects to be launched to prepare the Cigéo s arrival, specifying for each project the project owner, the timetable and the associated funding. The projects must meet Cigéo s industrial needs expressed in the technical document produced by Local development contract working groups ROADS TRAVEL RAIL AND RIVER SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC ENERGY WATER CYCLE HABITAT HOSTING OF ECONOMY ACTIVITY Andra in June 2016 on the basis of the basic engineering design studies, entitled Input data for local stakeholders preparing the integration of the Cigeo project. They must also take account of local balance and optimise the economic effects of the project. DIGITAL COVERAGE COUNTRYSIDE, HERITAGE, ENVIRONMENTS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT JOBS AND SKILLS INCLUSION TRAINING HUMAN DEVELOPMENT: JOBS Cigéo represents an opportunity for the development of local employment: there will be an increase in workforce in the period for site preparation. Construction will then require up to 2000 people for five years. The workforce will stabilise at around 600 people during site operation. In addition to this direct employment, Cigéo will also generate indirect jobs (suppliers, contractors) and induced employment (linked to spending by employees working at Cigéo) for more than a century. Work on the local development contract began on 6 July 2016 and now provides a means of coordinating the action of a large number of local stakeholders: the Meuse and Haute-Marne prefectures, decentralised government services, parliamentary representatives of Meuse and Haute-Marne, local authorities, local district councils, the mayors of Bure, Mandres-en-Barrois and Saudron, the development plans (SCOT¹) of the Pays Barrois and Nord Haute-Marne areas, industrial advisory boards, the Objectif Meuse and Haute-Marne public interest groupings, as well as EDF, the CEA, Areva and Andra. To benefit fully from the Cigéo project input data and to make the most of work already done for the interdepartmental development plan, those involved in drawing up the local development contract will form topic-based working groups to discuss transport infrastructure and travel, quality of life and the attractiveness of the area, along with economic development, training and jobs. 1. Territorial coherence chart 20

21 Building Cigéo with society The scale of Cigéo and the ethical issues it raises make it a project of global interest to both current and future generations. For this reason Andra has chosen to pursue an approach of openness to society and has introduced innovations in terms of public dialogue and consultation, seeking to achieve exemplary waste management in terms of environmental democracy. Three laws and two national public debates The Cigéo project is the outcome of a lengthy democratic process involving the passing of three laws, in 1991, 2006 and 2016, and the holding of two national public debates, in 2005 and 2013, that contributed to collective determination of solutions for managing the most hazardous radioactive waste. In 2005 the first national public debate was held on the basis of the first fifteen years of research. Public meetings revealed the need to make an ethical and social choice between two options for managing HLW and ILW-LL: storage and geological disposal. The ASN was of the view that deep geological disposal is the only disposal solution possible¹. On the basis of this debate and the assessments carried out, in 2006 the French parliament opted for deep geological disposal but laid down a requirement of reversibility for at least 100 years. In 2013 a second national public debate was held on the Cigéo project. Because of the difficulty of holding public meetings, the debate was held on the internet, with more than 76,000 visits, 1500 questions and 500 opinions. A citizens conference was also held for the first time as part of a public debate. As part of the follow-up to the public debate, in response to the opinions and expectations expressed, Andra decided to introduce changes to the Cigéo project, particularly by including an industrial pilot phase at the start-up of the facility and fostering greater engagement with the public. In 2016 the French parliament passed a third law (the Act of 25 July 2016) on the terms of construction of Cigéo and its reversibility. 500 opinions expressed 9 debates held 1500 questions asked 1. ASN Opinion of 1 February 2006 on research into the management of high-level long-lived waste (HLW-LL) conducted in the context of the Act of 30 December position papers submitted 2013 public debate 21

22 Preparing for Cigéo with local stakeholders and the public The high level of public involvement is a logical extension of not only the public debates but also of the consultations conducted by Andra in 2009 to define a zone of interest for detailed survey (ZIRA) for the Cigeo project, and in 2014 for the APPRIOS-Eau initiative (aquatic environment quality monitoring in the local area by the Perennial Observatory of the Environment). Various topics at national and local level have been identified as key issues for consultation and involvement. Leading up to the submission of the construction licence application, planned for 2018, Andra will therefore involve stakeholders and the public in its work on: the master plan for the operation of Cigéo: this document will define the main project phases and its rules of governance. the links between the sites: several types of link (by air, road, underground) are being considered between the two surface locations occupied by Cigéo. Andra is hoping to establish a dialogue with local stakeholders on this issue so that their needs can be taken into account; the environment: Andra wishes to bring local stakeholders together as part of a review of environmental excellence to look at different environment-related issues such as choice of energy, and urban and environmental planning. The agency also plan to carry out a consultation with the aim of jointly devising initiatives for managing local and long-term environmental impact. Consultation meeting on the ZIRA 22 22

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24 Andra September B VA DICOD/ Print run: 2000 copies Graphic design: Agence Les Récréateurs Photo credits: Andra, P. D , E. Sutre, A. Rezzoug, D. Delaporte, Studio Durey, Fotolia Imprim Vert certified printing using plant-based inks on partially recycled, FSC-certified paper Free distribution, not for sale