French nuclear firm admits uranium leaks at two plants

The French nuclear giant Areva yesterday confirmed there was a radioactive leak from a broken pipe at a nuclear fuel plant in south-eastern France, a week after a uranium spill at another of its plants polluted the local water supply.

The latest incident comes as an embarrassment to the French government as it struggles to contain environmentalists’ anger and reassure residents near its nuclear plants that they are safe.
Earlier this week the government ordered safety tests on the water table around all of France’s 59 nuclear reactors. Areva is at the forefront of President Nicolas Sarkozy’s quest to export French nuclear technology around the world, including to Britain. France is one of the world’s biggest atomic energy nations, generating more than 80% of its electricity from nuclear power.

The newly discovered leak at a plant in Romans-sur-Isere in the Drome region came from a damaged pipe which safety authorities said might have ruptured a number of years ago. Areva, a state-controlled firm which makes nuclear reactors and deals with uranium, said the leak came from a buried pipe transporting liquid uranium and that the crack in the tubing was “several years old”.

France’s nuclear safety authority, the ASN, said the leak did not reach the ground water and that there was no sign of contamination. It said initial tests showed no impact on the environment because the quantity of uranium was very small, around a few hundred grams.

Guardian