Nuclear: incidents were “concealed” at the Tricastin plant, denounces an executive – LCI

The Tricastin nuclear power station, one of the oldest in France, would it be in worse condition than what has been declared? An engineer, who claims to be a whistleblower, in any case reported having pointed out various anomalies with his hierarchy without these being declared to the Nuclear Safety Authority.

Others would have been, but so as to “minimize events”, reports the frame. He lodged a complaint against EDF, accusing of having been placarded for having denounced this “policy of concealment”.

He reports in his complaint that he joined EDF in 2004 and became head of a department at the Tricastin nuclear power plant in September 2016, after a “meteoric evolution”. However, the climate is deteriorating rapidly, becoming “particularly tense, in view of the ten-year inspection”, a decisive step in obtaining authorization to continue operating beyond 40 years.

“A number of incidents within the plant have taken place, contributing to the deterioration of relations” between him and his hierarchical superior, he reports as well. The engineer, now 42 years old and on sick leave, explains having pointed out various anomalies – such as an overpowering of reactor n ° 1 in June 2017, an internal flooding on August 29, 2018 on unit n ° 3 – which have not been declared to the Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) or which have been so “minimize events”.

These revelations “are of a totally unprecedented scale. In addition to highlighting very serious dysfunctions in terms of safety and environmental protection, they question the role of the supervisory authorities, including ASN”, the Nuclear Safety Authority, stressed to AFP its lawyers Mes William Bourdon and Vincent Brengarth.

His lawyers filed a complaint against EDF, the site manager and the former production manager for violations of the regulations relating to nuclear installations, the environmental code and labor law, endangering life. others and harassment.

“It is because (he) denounced what amounts to a policy of concealment and that he refused to lend his assistance to operations aimed at maintaining the opacity of certain incidents that he will do so. ‘subject to extremely brutal and unjustified eviction “, they said in the complaint. According to them, their client suffered “reprisals”, “in a climate of very authoritarian management, linked in particular to production objectives”.

Contacted by the daily “The world”, EDF declares that it does not “comment on the comments made by an employee”, ASN denies any cover-up and the management of the Tricastin plant did not wish to react. This complaint arises when, last February, ASN paved the way for the continued operation of the oldest reactors between 40 and 50 years old, including Tricastin. However, the authority had ordered EDF to carry out work to improve their safety.