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Nuclear Transparency Watch

Prevent and anticipate through transparency and participation

Press releases

Open letter sent from NTW to the French government on its safety reform

Thursday 7 March 2024

Here below you will find the open letter sent today by NTW Bureau to the French government to understand why it was considered so urgent to fusion the independent expert with the regulator authority.

Lettre ouverte au gouvernement : Open letter to the French government

In fact, as explained to the Senate or to the Deputies in charge of this reform, NTW, together with most of the actors concerned, starting with IRSN, doesn’t understand the need for such a change and especially so rapidly.

Instead of helping experts and researchers, already overloaded with the current and future activities (RWM in Bure or at La Hague, old nuclear fleet, future reactors planned), this reform risks to destabilize a functioning system of safety governance. 

NTW annual report 2023

In this report you will find a summary of the important contextual changes influencing 2023 (invasion of Ukraine, political decisions and political opinions, nuclear energy development, costs and safety). Then, the situation of Nuclear Transparency Watch in this larger context is detailed (international relations, nuclear safety, transparency and public participation, radioactive waste management, organisation).

“The evolution of NTW is very positive with increasing collaboration at local and international levels, as well as a new Board elected during the General Assembly 2023 celebrating the 10th anniversary of NTW. Also, although communication tools are more diversified and more used, some work still must be done to increase NTW’s presence online (deliverables, webinars, articles…).“

> Annual report 2023

Cross-border consultation on Lifetime extension of Doel-4 and Tihange-3 (Belgium)

Paris, 15 June 2023

Subject: Lifetime extension of Nuclear Power Plants Doel-4 and Tihange-3 in Belgium.

Link to the Cross-border consultation on Lifetime extension of Doel-4 and Tihange-3 (Belgium)

Nuclear Transparency Watch as citizen network on nuclear safety and transparency with organisation, elected and qualified members in the European region (including Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg) based in France has participated in the cross-border consultation regarding the Doel-4 and Tihange-3 nuclear power plants potentiel lifetime extension.

Participating to such consultation is not new for NTW, which as participated in the scope of the Environmental Impact Assessment to other consultation on Lifetime extension such as for Doel-1 & Doel-2 in Belgium as well but also abroad such as in Finland with Loviisa 1 & 2 or in Slovenia with Krsko.

… [Read More]

Press release: Coalition of NGOs and Members of the European Parliament sends open letter with concerns for nuclear safety system in France

PRESS RELEASE

20 March 2023

Coalition of NGOs and Members of the European Parliament sends open letter with concerns for nuclear safety system in France
The nuclear watchdog organisation Nuclear Transparency Watch wrote an open letter together with 11 French and European NGOs and 23 Members of the European Parliament (see the lists below) to the French Ministry of Energy Transition expressing their concerns about the survival of the quality of the French nuclear safety system.
This open letter was sent in the context of the French national debate at the National Assembly regarding a reform of the French nuclear safety system foreseeing the dismantlement of the Institute for Radioprotection and nuclear safety (IRSN), which is the French independent nuclear technical support organisation.
On 15 March, this reform was rejected by the Assembly, in fact this reform was considered unjustified, not being supported by any kind of safety impact assessment and also dangerous in the perspective of a rapid development of nuclear facilities.
As a European network, NTW sees this reform as a potential threat to the nuclear safety culture in Europe with a risk of downgrading the safety standards set by the well-recognised independent and dual French nuclear safety system now in place.

… [Read More]

CALL for a post-Ukraine nuclear stress test process for all European nuclear power stations

After Russia’s shocking invasion of Ukraine last year, the nuclear risk has come back to the forefront in a worrying way.

Indeed, the day after the invasion, on 25 February 2022, the armies of the Russian Federation attacked the Chornobyl power station and a few days later the largest power station in Europe: Zaporizhzhia
👉 find here ENSREG statement

… [Read More]

Evaluation of Czech national programme on radioactive waste and spent fuel management: NTW calls for proper public discussion and participation

On 28.06.2017, a public hearing is held in Prague in the strategic environmental assessment (SEA) procedure on the Update of the National Programme on Radioactive Waste and Spent Nuclear Fuel Management, and the Evaluation of the Czech National Programme on radioactive waste [1].

NTW wishes to express its high concerns on several aspects of this evaluation. Our network supports the position of the Czech organizations the Green Circle (The Association of Environmental Organizations) and Calla – Association for Preservation of the Environment [2].

  • The evaluation process ignores the request from the Czech Ministry of Environment at the conclusion of the SEA scoping procedure “To complement and comprehensively evaluate other realistic (feasible and technically feasible) options for the solution of the spent fuel management and to determine their effects on the environment and public health.”[3]It’s important to stress that no alternatives have been added and no evaluation of those alternatives has been carried out. The complexities of the design concept have not been evaluated; for instance, a zero option in the form of long-term storage in interim storage facilities was not analyzed, neither reprocessing of spent fuel and disposal of the waste from that process were fully evaluated – the SEA processors only investigated the option of a deep geological repository, which should be in operation since 2065.
  • NTW fears an increase in distrust in the population because the impacts of deep drilling which will be carried out on two sites and which will have impacts both on surface and groundwater, are assessed as zero without detailed investigation. Also, socio-economic, air, noise, surface and ground water, soil, nature and landscape impacts later in the stage of the construction of an underground research laboratory and repository, are rated as zero or only slightly negative. Such results are in stark contrast with previous studies like the one made by GeoBariera commissioned by the Radioactive Waste Repository Authority (RAWRA) [4].
  • The evaluated national programme already did not deliver on several of its objectives. Several of the targets for 2015 have not been met. The Working Group for Dialogue mentioned in the programme dissolved in 2016.

NTW calls on the Czech authorities responsible for the evaluation and the national programme itself, to amend the presented material according to comments from the public and the Ministry of Environment and submit it to a proper public discussion.

Olga Kališová of Calla said: “Despite the sweet talk, the reality shows the Czech state authorities do not effectively promote nationwide public participation in decision-making process related to radioactive waste management. Therefore, I welcome the efforts of the Nuclear Transparency Watch to alert to these serious issues. May this public announcement not “only“ capture attention of ordinary people in the Czech Republic and worldwide, but mainly make a positive shift in a mindset of people dealing with radioactive waste management on all levels. Otherwise, the tension will escalate which will not benefit anyone.“

For more information:

Olga Kališová, MSc., Energy Consultant, Member of Nuclear Transparency Watch, Calla–Association for Preservation of the Environment,   +420 720 995 944, o.kalisova@gmail.com

 Notes to the editor:

[1] Notice of public hearing of the “Update of the National Programme on Radioactive Waste and Spent Nuclear Fuel Management” and its Strategic Environmental Assessment”.  (czech version)

[2] Press release by Calla – Association for Preservation of the Environment and the Green Circle dated June 27, 2017. 

[3] Evaluation of the “Update of the National Programme on Radioactive Waste and Spent Nuclear Fuel Management” elaborated according to Act No. 100/2001 Coll., ECO-ENVI-CONSULT, SOM s.r.o. And EKOEX, January 2017.

[4] GeoBariera, Provedení geologických a dalších prací pro hodnocení a zúžení lokalit pro umístění hlubinného úložiště [“Performing geological and other work for assessing and selecting sites for the deep geological repository: Preliminary feasibility study.”]; Prague (2005).

MEPs and NGOs contest EU financial support for lifetime extension of Ukraine’s nuclear reactors

27 Members of the European Parliament have signed a joint letter warning the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Euratom to suspend the loan proceedings for nuclear units lifetime extension until a full transboundary Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and a public consultation are launched and carried out in accordance with international treaties to which Ukraine is a party.

Lifetime extension of nuclear reactors in Ukraine – The EBRD and Euratom are co-financing the EUR 600 million Nuclear Power Plant Safety Upgrade Program to modernise all 15 of the country’s operating nuclear reactors. The reactors 1 & 2 at Rivne have already received a lifetime extension of 20 years beyond their 30 years design lifetime without the implementation of a proper environmental impact assessment (EIA) and a transboundary public consultation process in Ukraine and in neighbouring countries, as prescribed by the Espoo and Aarhus conventions, both signed and ratified by Ukraine and all EU countries. Although such conduct has been assessed by the Espoo Convention implementation committee as a violation of this international treaty, Ukraine does not seem to be approaching the upcoming lifetime extensions differently.

“Spending millions of EU tax payer’s money on keeping open high risk and out-of-date nuclear power stations in Ukraine is utter madness. Ukraine’s nuclear authority (the SNRIU) has a record of ignoring safety risks and cannot be trusted. In 2013, the SNRIU extended the life of a reactor in the South Ukraine Power Plant until 2023, despite independent studies showing that safety limits have been breached by up to 10 times the acceptable levels! With war still raging in Ukraine, the EU approach to extending the lifetime of nuclear power plants in the country is like having a sword of Damocles hang over the heads of all European citizens”, said Dario Tamburrano, Member of the European Parliament (EFDD, Italy).

A joint letter from MEPs – Since this is the matter of European safety, adherence to EU, international rules and transparency, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are convinced that all EU policy makers should be informed and take action. At a meeting with campaigners from CEE Bankwatch Network and Nuclear Transparency Watch (NTW) yesterday in the European Parliament, MEPs from six political groups have decided to join the call for freezing the loan proceedings until a proper transboundary EIA and public consultation are carried out. The joint letter signed by 27 MEPs has been sent today to the representatives of EBRD and Euratom.

“Euratom and the EBRD are also committed to apply the principles, standards and procedures established by international and European laws, namely the Aarhus Convention, the EU Environmental Impact Assessment Directive and the Espoo Convention. When tax-payers’ money is not used as it should have been, we must suspend payments. EU institutions should make sure that rights of its citizens are fully respected. The prolonged operation of nuclear reactors implies an increased risk of a severe nuclear accident with potentially devastating impacts on the environment and the people “, said Michèle Rivasi, Chair of NTW and Member of the European Parliament (Greens/ALE, France).

“Nuclear energy requires the highest levels of safety, and civil society plays an essential role in ensuring this. International rules for transparency should be respected”, added Jo Leinen, Member of the European Parliament (S&D, Germany) and of NTW

Ukraine is not the only country in this situation – Several European examples show that more has to be done to promote increased transparency and strengthen international rules on subsidies in Europe. In Belgium, the legislative proposal of the Energy minister to extend the lifetime of two 40 years old nuclear power reactors breaks the Espoo and Aarhus Conventions by ignoring the right of the public to participate in an environmental impact assessment and a public consultation involving also the neighbouring countries. Another example is Austria, where the government has the intention to take the commission to the European court of justice over state subsidies for UK-based two nuclear reactors at Hinkley Point. These subsidies – which Austria considers to be competition distorting, illegal state aid – are to be funded through levies on consumer bills.

 Download the joint letter 

ANCCLI recommends that ASN appoints an ad hoc pluralistic group of experts

EXAMINATION OF THE CASE CONCERNING THE QUALIFICATION OF THE FLAMANVILLE EPR REACTOR VESSEL Press release by ANCCLI

On 7 April 2015, the French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) has released first information about the manufacturing defect found on the top and bottom caps of the EPR reactor vessel under construction at Flamanville.

More detailed information have since been provided by an information note from the ASN published on 9 April, by a briefing dated 12 April from WISE Paris and an opinion of the Institute of Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) published in the press on 3 April.

 As presented in the opinion of the IRSN, the technical aspects of the case confirm at this stage the seriousness of the problem: – The caps have a manufacturing defect that hasn’t been observed before in the existing reactors in France, – This defect originates from a carbon segregation, which was expected by the process of change selected by the manufacturer and was measurable from the stage of manufacture, – This segregation, exceeding the standards applicable for these parts, leads to lower toughness values than the general regulatory requirements, past or present, as the specific technical requirements for the EPR project.

Under these conditions, the qualification of the cover and the body of the vessel can come only from another justification from Areva in order to comply with the prescribed standards based on the act of conducting new tests. This demonstration is particularly crucial to the vessel body, which was set up in Flamanville and which would, in practice, be very difficult to be replaced.

Finally, the handling of this case has a strong international dimension, since many pieces produced for abroad EPR reactors are concerned. While some pieces are offered for Flamanville-3 qualification needs, others are already in place on the EPR reactor being built in Taishan, which poses a consistency challenge between China and France.

Regardless of a necessary clarification on failures that led to this late detection of the problem, ANCCLI highlights the importance of examining the vessel qualification case in exemplary conditions, for at least three reasons: 1) The case has definitely a national significance. The EPR under construction at Flamanville is the seed of a new model of which the objective was, from the beginning, to present an important step in terms of safety. In the post-Fukushima context, this objective must remain the benchmark for assessing the robustness of the vessel; 2) The examination of this case finds itself under a strong economic pressure, given the interests at stake on completing the EPR itself and the international implications for the nuclear industry. For providing all necessary guarantees, the process must be subject to an exceptional effort in access to information and participation; 3) As pointed out by the IRSN, the offending parts diverged significantly from the area known for the materials of existing vessels, which makes it more difficult to produce a justification for their mechanical strength to an equivalent level of guarantees. The novelty of this technical problem calls for the mobilization of a pluralist expertise.

To address this issue to the needed exceptional level under conditions of confidentiality and serenity of the examination, ANCCLI recommends the establishment of a pluralistic group of experts dedicated to examine this case. This kind of device has proven in the past to deal with matters that, even if the topics and contexts were different, had the same needs of response to complex problems and situations.

Also, ANCCLI offers ASN to explore as soon as possible the possibility of setting up a pluralistic group of experts (its mission, its composition, its effectiveness within existing processes) and on the conditions of access to information and participation associated with this specific process. The next few months should be put to good use for the set up of this group and its capacity to review the results of new tests conducted by Areva, when these one will be available. ANCCLI shall put itself at the disposal of ASN to contribute to this debate.

The Association Nationale des Comités et Commissions Locales d’Information (ANCCLI), (National Association of Local Information Committees and Commissions) is a national association in France that brings together the local bodies that have been set up with the dual roles of providing information and oversight of nuclear installations.

NUCLEAR TRANSPARENCY WATCH WARNS BELGIAN MINISTER TO RESPECT TRANSPARENCY LAWS IN LIFETIME EXTENSION OF DOEL 1 & 2 NUCLEAR POWER REACTORS

The European watchdog organisation Nuclear Transparency Watch(NTW) warned today the Belgian federal minister of Energy Marie-Christine Marghem, that her legislative proposal to extend the lifetime of the 40 years old Doel 1 and Doel 2 nuclear power reactors threatens to break international rules for transparency. If the right of the public to participate in an environmental impact assessment will not be respected, NTW will seek advice on initiating a formal complaint to the Compliance Committee of the Aarhus Convention.

End February 2015, the Belgian Council of State warned the Belgian Energy minister that lifetime extension of old nuclear power reactors cannot be decided without organising an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and a national and transboundary public consultation process, as prescribed by the European Directive 2011/92/EU and the Aarhus and Espoo conventions, both signed and ratified by Belgium.

On 5 and 6 May 2015, the final discussions before the vote on the Doel 1 & 2 lifetime extension will take place in the Economy Commission of the federal parliament. Before these discussions, NTW chair, Michèle Rivasi, sent today a letter to the energy minister to stress the importance of respecting international obligations to organise a full scale EIA and a cross border public participation process in advance of any final decision.

Ms. Rivasi commented: “The environment around Doel has fundamentally changed over the last 40 years and the risk of failure of the reactors increases exponentially over time. Ten years extra lifetime also adds 25% more time in which they are exposed to the risk of terrorist attack. This all on 12 km from the centre of Antwerp. It is important and legally prescribed that citizens get the chance to make sure all environmental concerns are taken into account when such a decision is taken. It would be completely inappropriate to look for loopholes to circumvent this obligation.”

The letter from NTW Chair, Michèle Rivasi to belgian minister of Environment, Marie-Christine Marghem: click here

NTW PUBLISHES ITS ONE-YEAR INVESTIGATION ON EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE IN EUROPE

The current challenges with regard to nuclear safety from the civil society point of view

In the post-Fukushima era, one of the first steps of Nuclear Transparency Watch (NTW) was to establish a working group on Emergency Preparedness and Response (EP&R), which has conducted a one-year investigation of off-site EP&R. This report has been presented today in the European Parliament in the presence of Klaus Buchner, Ana Gomes, Jo Leinen, Michèle Rivasi and Julie Ward.

An independent expertise – Whereas the industry is well organized at the European level, this EP&R report aims to give a different point of view from the civil society and to contribute in increasing the quality of decision -making on safety.

“Civil society has a high valuable expertise which should be taken into account for off-site management of nuclear emergency and post-emergency, which have not been taken on board of the European nuclear stress tests. Furthermore, citizens and citizens’ organisations should be the principal partners in EP&R plans since they are the ones who are affected in a nuclear event.” said Nadja Železnik, chair of EP&R WG from NTW and director of Regional Environmental Center – Slovenia.

Europe didn’t take into account lessons from Fukushima – The NTW report presents a review of EP&R provisions, in the perspective of the main challenges identified in the management of the Fukushima emergency.

“The disaster of Fukushima has shed light on a number of very serious dysfunctions: in one of the evacuated city, Futaba, patients of the hospital have been left on their own for three days because the medical staff had run away. The panic made all plans useless, despite the famous “Japanese discipline”. Besides the unforeseeable reactions (which will lead in any way to chaos), the theoretical plans revealed totally inefficient. There are numerous shocking facts. Some patients were transported to places without any care facilities and the evacuation zone was ill defined and too small (it jumped arbitrarily from 2km to 3km and then to 10 and 20km, whereas the US authorities ordered their expats to leave from the 80km zone). Today, cities all over the world have dwelled and get denser in a way which is not taken into account and poses unsolvable problems”, said Michèle Rivasi, chair of NTW and Member of the European Parliament.

European challenges for EP&R – The heterogeneity of measures in different countries (like the distribution of iodine tablets, evacuation perimeters and zoning) is a crucial transboundary dimension. Vigilance on nuclear safety will remain a key European issue in the future that transcends borders whatever Member states choices will be made on the energy mix.

“There are no borders for nuclear accidents. We should work together on EP&R, whether we are pro or anti-nuclear!”, added Albena Simeonova, member of NTW and Foundation for Environmental Center – Bulgaria.

NTW urges the European Parliament, the European Commission, national governments, regional bodies and municipalities, together with nuclear operators, to provide access to relevant information and to support participation of interested citizens and civil society organisations in the development of better provisions and systematic transboundary arrangements.

Executive summary of the NTW report “Emergency preparedness & Response”

Position Paper of NTW Working Group on Emergency Preparedness & Response (15 pages)

Report of NTW Working Group on Emergency Preparedness & Response (180 pages)

 

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