LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON MALVESI OTHER PROBLEMS The use of reprocessed uranium posed problems. According to the CFDT "one ended up finding plutonium at the stage of uranyl nitrate treatment, probably two years after its appearance, because of which an apparatus to remove plutonium was set up" [CFDT 80]. The problems continue, although they have only recently been recognized. In September 2006 Crii-Rad obtained two samples of the sludge that had escaped the basins during the break and flooding of 2004-2006. Both contained americium-241, a descendant of plutonium-241 and therefore an indicator of the presence of isotopes of plutonium [Crii-Rad 06]. The inventories of Andra have never mentioned plutonium or americium; but a press dossier from Areva, dated November 2006, refers to the existence in the sludges of traces of "reprocessed uranium from the 1960-1983 period (americium, neptunium, plutonium . . . )." Comurhex has installations that present chemical risks that are "particularly great in regard to the surrounding population" [DRILR 00]. The chemicals are hydrofluoric acid (HF--storage facility for 180 tons); ammonia (NH3--authorization for storage of 95 tons; 3000-4000 tons used per year); nitric acid (HNO3--authorization for storage of 380 tons); hydrochloric acid (HCl--storage facility for 30 tons); "dodécane" (reservoir for 50 tons); and "dodécane"-tributylphosphate, a solvent (overall capacity of 314 m3). The danger of chemical accidents may be at its greatest when the chemicals are being transported and when they are shifted from transport equipment to storage facilities [Bloch 06]. The radioactivity of the sludges exceeds1000 curies (See Concentration of the Ore under Chain). Therefore the site should be classed as and subject to the regulations for a Basic Nuclear Installation (INB), the organizations ECCLA and the Crii-Rad point out [Bloch 06; Crii-Rad 06]. --updated January 25, 2007 Copyright © Yggdrasil 2001-2007 | |||