Monitoring of the radiological environmental impact of the AREVA site of Tricastin

Set up at the beginning of the site's operations, in 1962, the monitoring of the radiological environmental impact of the AREVA site of Tricastin has evolved over time to meet more specifically the multiple objectives of environmental monitoring: to prove the respect of the commitments required by the authorities, to be able to detect a dysfunction in the observed levels, to enable the assessment of impacts of industrial activities, to ensure the balance between environmental quality and the use made by the local population and to inform the public of the radiological state of the environment. Thousands of data were acquired on the radioactivity of all environmental compartments as well as on the functioning of local ecosystems. Today, the Network of Environmental Monitoring of AREVA Tricastin goes beyond the requirements of routine monitoring to provide innovative solutions for monitoring the radioactivity (especially for uranium) in the environment. (author)