Tonight, on TV, a documentary details the recycling of nuclear waste around the world. The authors claim that part of the French waste is stored in Siberia.
Arte will broadcast at 20:45 p.m. a documentary directed by Laure Noualhat, journalist for Liberation, and Éric Guéret, co-director, entitled Waste, the nuclear nightmare. A survey of the nuclear waste circuit around the world. And which is already making noise.
The authors dispute the figure of “96% of recyclable radioactive materials as announced by the nuclear industry. In fact, only 10% is recyclable, ”says Éric Guéret.
Today, just over 850 tonnes of spent fuel from EDF power plants are reprocessed each year at La Hague (Manche). The Areva plant separates radioactive materials in three forms: plutonium (1%), part of which is transformed into a new fuel, Mox; unusable ultimate waste (4%); and, above all, reprocessing uranium (the remaining 95%). This uranium is theoretically recyclable.
However, a large part (85%) of the reprocessed uranium is stored at Pierrelatte (Drôme). "EDF has chosen a strategic reserve of raw materials, the famous 'woolen socks'," explains Christophe Neugnot, communications director for the Areva de la Hague plant. Another part is sent to Russia, to the Tomsk-7 atomic complex, in Siberia. Information already revealed by Greenpeace, in 1984, during the sinking of the freighter Mont-Louis, which was carrying a cargo of French uranium from reprocessing bound for Russia.
France cannot do
In Siberia, this material is enriched to be reused, because France does not have the technology to do it. Problem: "There is only 10% of this material that returns to France to be reused," says Éric Guéret. The rest, depleted uranium, is stored in Russia. This waste then becomes the property of the Russians. "
Areva announces for 2012 the installation at Pierrelatte of the Georges-Besse II plant, which will allow this uranium to be enriched. Will it end transport in Siberia? “We are only service providers, specifies Christophe Neugnot. It will be up to the electrician to choose if he will use this service, since EDF is the owner of these materials. "
Éric Guéret wonders: “If EDF chooses woolen stockings, why, then, send part of this uranium to Russia, since so little material returns to France to be reused. Why not keep everything at Pierrelatte, when you know the significant cost and the risks involved in such transport? "
Rusted Sabrina.
west france news source