RADIATIONS: France, contaminated 100 workers the nuclear power station at Tricastin

[Giuseppe]

[Machine Translation - From La Repubblica.it - IOH]

The direction of the authorities and ensure that the incident is not serious and will not have consequences or the employees involved or the environment

France, contaminated 100 workers the nuclear power station at Tricastin And 'the third radioactive leak in the last two weeks

PARIS -

One hundred workers of Nuclear French Tricastin, where some days ago there was a leak of radioactive material have been contaminated "slightly" today by elements fuorusciti by a piping in reactor number 4, subject to maintenance.

What today is the third incident in a French nuclear plant in the last two weeks. A sequence that has sparked controversy around the safety of installations, even in Italy where Berlusconi's government has once again as the nuclear path.

The director of central Alain Peckre, spoke of an incident "not serious", to be classified at level 0 of a scale that reaches 7.

He stated that around 9.30 this morning "a conduit was opened as part of maintenance operations and there was a leak of radioactive dust." The prefecture and the Authority for Nuclear Safety (Asn) were felt immediately.

The same Peckre has reported that 97 employees of EDF and contracting firms were brought in infirmary for medical examinations. The same was done with 32 other workers who had entered into shortly before and there were closer. The spokesman for the Central reported that 129 people on these "100 were slightly contaminated with radioactive elements forty times lower than the annual regulatory limit."

Most, according to the first indiscretions, was contaminated with cobalt 58, a "white metal" which enters the composition of special alloys, tyres and colours but that, when activated to lviello radio, is present in reactors and alone owns 39 percent of all the activity radiant. All employees have been contaminated returned home after the investigations.

Pending the established causes of the accident, the direction of the plant and ensure that the authorities "will have no impact on either the health of humans or the environment."

During the night between 7 and July 8 in central Tricastin, located 200 km from Italy, there was a loss and water containing uranium had poured into rivers in the area. A few days after leaking water contaminated by radioactive elements, "without impact on the environment", were recorded in a plant of Areva in Romans-sur-Isere, in the department of Drome, also in southeast France

(July 23 2008)
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http://www.repubblica.it/2008/07/sezioni/ambiente/francia-blocco-centrale/operai-contaminati/operai-contaminati.html

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[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: _|RADIATIONS: France, contaminated 100 workers the nuclear power station at Tricastin|_

Leak at France's Tricastin nuclear plant contaminates 100 persons

By DPA

Jul 23, 2008, 20:31 GMT



Paris - Inspectors found that 100 people have been 'slightly' contaminated near the French nuclear plant Tricastin, French media reported Wednesday.

The incident is the second incident at the plant this month.

Radioactive elements leaked from a hose. The nuclear regulatory authority (ASN) categorized the incident as level '0', and the director of the plant, Alain Peckre, described the incident as 'inconsequential.'

On July 7, some 75 kilograms of radioactive uranium leaked out of the Tricastin nuclear power plant and into two small nearby rivers. That incident was only reported to the authorities a day later.

Last Thursday, Environment Minister Jean-Louis Borloo called for an inspection of all of France's reactors and the surrounding groundwater.

France is one of the world's most nuclear-dependent countries.

http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/europe/news/article_1419030.php/Leak_at_Frances_Tricastin_nuclear_plant_contaminates_100_persons

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: _|RADIATIONS: France, contaminated 100 workers the nuclear power station at Tricastin|_

New contamination incident at French nuclear site

21:01 - 23/07/2008

PARIS (Reuters) - Around 100 staff at a nuclear power plant in southern France were contaminated with a low dose of radiation on Wednesday, power firm EDF said, the latest incident there after a case of uranium spillage two weeks ago.

EDF said in a statement that sensors detected a rise in the level of radiation while maintenance work was being carried outat the Tricastin site's reactor number four, which had beenshut since July 12.

The rise in radiation prompted 97 staff to be evacuated ataround 9:30 a.m. local time (8:30 a.m. British time) and sentfor medical tests.

"Seventy of them show low traces of radioelements, below one fortieth of the authorised limit," EDF said, adding thatthe incident would not affect the people's health or theenvironment.

A spokeswoman for the company later said the number of people who were lightly contaminated had risen to 100.

The incident follows another which has shaken confidence inthe safety of France's nuclear industry, the biggest in Europeand one which President Nicolas Sarkozy has pledged to expand.

Plant operator Areva said on July 8 that 30 cubic metres of liquid containing non-enriched uranium was accidentally poured on to the ground and into a river at the Tricastin site.

That prompted Environment Minister Jean-Louis Borloo toorder tests at all of France's nuclear power plants to ensuresuch leaks had not occurred elsewhere.

In the wake of the Tricastin incident, authorities bannedfishing and swimming in the affected areas as well as the useof contaminated water.

Nuclear safety authority ASN criticised Areva for itshandling of that incident, notably in the way in which itcommunicated with authorities. It also pointed tounsatisfactory security measures and operational procedures.

EDF said tests were being carried out to determine thecause of the latest incident, adding that the ASN had been informed immediately. Maintenance work at the reactor was also suspended.

http://www.eleconomista.es/empresas-finanzas/noticias/670837/07/08/New-contamination-incident-at-French-nuclear-site.html

[Francoise Ramona]

Re: _|RADIATIONS: France, contaminated 100 workers the nuclear power station at Tricastin|_

Fuite d'uranium au Tricastin: la Socatri (Areva) reconnue coupable en appel


NIMES - La Socatri (Areva) a ?t? reconnue coupable vendredi par la cour d'appel de N?mes du d?lit de d?versement de substances toxiques dans les eaux souterraines ayant entra?n? une modification significative du r?gime normal d'alimentation des eaux, apr?s une fuite d'uranium en juillet 2008.

Dans son arr?t, la cour d'appel a condamn? la Socatri ? une amende de 300.000 euros ainsi qu'au paiement de 20.000 euros de dommages et int?r?ts ? chacune des associations parties civiles, comme Sortir du nucl?aire, Greenpeace, Les Amis de la Terre ou France Nature Environnement (FNE).

Selon FNE, c'est la premi?re fois qu'un exploitant d'une installation nucl?aire est condamn? pour pollution.

/.../

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Uranium escape in Tricastin: Socatri (Areva) recognized guilty in call


NIMES - Socatri (Areva) was recognized guilty Friday by the Court of Appeal of Nimes of the offence of toxic substance discharge in subterranean water having involved a significant modification of the normal mode of food of water, after a uranium escape in July 2008.

In its stop, the Court of Appeal condemned Socatri to a fine of 300.000 euros like to the payment of 20.000 euros damages to each civil left association, like Sortir the nuclear power, Greenpeace, the Friends of the Earth or Natural France Environment (FNE).

According to FNE, it is the first time that an owner of an nuclear installation is condemned for pollution.

It was time that the responsibility for Areva is recognized in this business, reacted in an official statement Yannick Rousselet, charged with nuclear countryside for Greenpeace. The French start to have a vision righter of the nuclear power: an industry dangerous and incompatible with the democracy, it added.

The Sortir network the nuclear power was pleased with such a verdict in an official statement, by hoping that this decision will open the way towards the end of the impunity of nuclear pollution.

The magistrates also condemned Socatri to pour 10.000 euros for moral wrong with ten private individuals, residents of the site which had also gone civil part.

This subsidiary company of Areva had been released in first authority in October 2010 by the court of Carpentras (Vaucluse) of the offence of pollution the waters successor in title a harmful effect on health or damage to the flora or fauna.

The court of Carpentras on the other hand had declared Socatri guilty of the offence of omission of declaration without delay to the nuclear Authority of safety and the representative of the State. She had seen herself imposing a fine of 40.000 euros.

Questioned by AFP, Areva, which can under five days be provided in cassation, indicated that he studied the judgement.

Into the night of July 7, 2008, 74 kg of uranium had been rejected into the environment on the site of Socatri, a treatment plant of waste, following the overflow of a tank.

This rejection had contaminated the rivers temporarily and had around involved the installation of measures of precaution. This very mediatized incident had been classified on level 1 of the scale Ines (international scales of the nuclear events) which in account Sept.

AREVA