RHONE-ALPES TRICASTIN/PIERRELATTE IV. FRANCO-BELGE DE FABRICATION DE COMBUSTIBLES ( WHICH BECAME A SUBSIDIARY OF AREVA NP) Fuels manufacturing plant -uranium operations shut down Purpose : manufacture of uranium oxide fuelPeriod of operation : 1984-1999 (end of use of uranium)Process : dry method, adapted for production of hydrofluoric acidRaw material : Enriched UF6 from EurodifNominal capacity : 400 tons/yr of uraniumActual production : 400 t/yr of uranium ?During the autumn of 1997, the FBFC decided to transfer its fuel production from the Pierrelatte plant to its two others, at Romans and Dessels, because the demand for fuel was insufficient for the continued operation of three plants. Thus, the Pierrelatte plant has no longer handled uranium since March 1999, and the procedure for the final shutdown and dismantling of uranium handling equipment has been set in motion [DSIN 99, 00]. The FBFC requested two permits for the Pierrelatte plant: in 1998, for the manufacture of standard radioactive sources; and in 1999, for the creation of a storage installation for industrial and TFA wastes. An ICPE for "source manufacturing" was authorized in 1999. According to Vincent Join-Lambert of Framatome, "Cerca has committed itself to furnish standard radioactive sources the manufacture of which will take place at a new plant at Pierrelatte" [RGN viii-ix.99]. In 2000 an installation for storing industrial wastes and TFA wastes was authorized [DSIN 00]. The FBFC presently performs two non-radioactive activities: the "manufacturing of all of the support grills for fuel rods" and the "manufacturing of the components for MELOX assemblies" [CIGEET 23.xii.99]. LIQUID EFFLUENTS The effluents coming out of the FBFC are not treated by the Cogema Stec. So it seems that the FBFC must have it own means of treatment, but we have no information on this subject. Some indications of pollution of underground water by tretrachlorethylene have been detected at FBFC [HC 98]. |