RHONE-ALPES SOLERIEUX Purpose/type: category 2 industrial dumpLocation: Solérieux (Drôme) Operator: SNC Reynaud Period of operation: since 1975 Materials handled: uranium, thoriumSince 1977 Comurhex has stored at the site, a former quarry, calcium fluoride resulting from the treatment of gaseous effluents given off by the conversion of uranium tetrafluoride (UF4) into uranium hexafluoride (UF6). As of 2004 Comurhex had stored a total of 34,230 t of calcium fluoride contaminated with uranium. The calcium fluoride stored since November 1999 is contaminated only with natural uranium. The calcium fluoride stored earlier was contaminated with reprocessed uranium. As of 2004, the site contained 32,000 tons (73 GBq) of calcium fluoride containing "traces" of reprocessed uranium and 2,180 t (4 GBq) of calcium fluoride containing only natural uranium. [Andra 06]. An authorization from the prefecture, dated 22 October1977, allows only calcium fluoride containing natural uranium, not reprocessed uranium, in the dump. However, in 1999 the stored calcium fluoride was found to be contaminated with reprocesssed uranium. M. Lemarchand, director of Comurhex, stated in September 1999 that the calcium fluoride from the treatment of reprocessed uranium had always gone to a site of Andra; but that "because of an incomplete separation" of the treatment paths for natural uranium and reprocessed uranium "the calcium fluoride intended for Solérieux could contain traces of reprocessed uranium." He stated that Comurhex was making the necessary modifications to isolate the treatment circuits for natural uranium and reprocessed uranium and that Comurhex "had temporarily stopped sending calcium fluoride to Solérieux" [CIGEET 27.ix.99]. Dispatches of calcium fluoride were indeed stopped in July 1999 and were resumed in November 1999 after Comurhex had separated the treatment paths for natural and reprocessed uranium. --revised May 27, 2009 copyright © 2001-2007 Yggdrsail; 2008-2009 © EcoPerspectives |