The Institute for Radioprotection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) specified in a press release this Thursday, December 19 that no traces of abnormal radioactivity were detected on the site, following a fire that occurred on December 11, 2024. , on the Orano site, in Bessines-sur-Gartempe (Haute-Vienne.)
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The IRSN first recalled the results of the measurements carried out on December 12, 2024, the day after the incident, on the center site. of innovation in extractive metallurgy of Orano. These latter “did not reveal any trace of abnormal radioactivity. The activities measured were part of the normal fluctuation of the local radiological environment, with significant variability taking into account the nature of the soil and the past activities of the site.”
The reason for the incident is explained by a “malfunction of the thorium nitrate solidification process, intended for medical use. Thorium is a radioactive element present in the natural environment, which emits radiation of different types”.
Also read: Incident at the Orano industrial site: smoke, but “no sign of seriousness”, according to its director
Smoke emanating from one of the buildings on the Orano site was seen towards 11:35 a.m., December 11, 2024. The location was then evacuated. There were no injuries or release of radioactive material.
The day after the incident, an IRSN team carried out “ambient gamma dose rate measurements, as well as soil smears and samples.” The organization also “read the filter of a sampling station for atmospheric aerosols from its OPERA-Air network located in the immediate vicinity of the site.”
The samples sent to the IRSN laboratory showed that “the radionuclides of the thorium-232 chain were in equilibrium and within the range of environmental levels.”
Also read: Bessines: Orano, known for uranium extraction, will recycle batteries
The Orano site, formerly Cogema, is now investing in the recycling of end-of-life electric car batteries. This is a market of the future with strategic challenges for France and Europe.
