Explosion at a France Nuclear Reprocessing Site

[Bradtv]

Evangelia Petit of the Agency for Nuclear Safety said Monday an explosion had taken place but declined to provide any further details.

Explosion at Marcoule nuclear site near Nimes, France
One dead, three injured.
Risk of radioactive release, but no reported contamination.
The Agency for Nuclear Safety said the explosion took place near a furnace.
The site belongs to EDF (wikipedia link due to site traffic)
Part of the site produces MOX fuel for Areva.
Though there are four reactors on site, three were not online prior to the event.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/8757494/Risk-of-radioactive-leak-after-deadly-explosion-at-French-nuclear-plant.html
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/09/12/501364/main20104732.shtml

[thenukeman]

Paris, September 12 2011
Information notice

The event that occurred this morning in Centraco, nuclear installation located near Marcoule site (Gard) is considered as closed.
The explosion of a furnace dedicated for the melting of the metallic radioactive waste triggered a fire that ended at 13h00 (11.00 UTC)
The building where the explosion occurred was not damaged. Injured people do not suffer from any radiological contamination and all measures conducted by the licensee outside of the building have shown no trace of radioactive contamination.
One worker died and 4 others have sustained injuries, one of whom suffered deep burns.
This event does not involve any radiological issue and no protective actions was required for the population.
ASN, the French Nuclear Safety Authority, has suspended its emergency organization; ASN is still in permanent contact with the prefecture of Gard and the licensee Socodei. ASN will conduct dedicated inspections in liaison with Labour inspection in order to analyse the reasons of the accident.
Centraco is owned by SOCODEI. The installation is dedicated to the treatment and conditioning



Colette Tremblay, spécialiste en radioprotection                                                                                                  
Service de sécurité et de prévention


From RADSAFE email

[Frankie Love]

After the event, the French immediately retreated from the area and asked the Brits and the US for assistance in putting out the fire.