Nord-Cotentin Radioecology Group - GRNC. Overall reports produced by the GRNC since its creation and in the framework of its three missions

The existence of a trend towards an excess number of leukemia between 1978 and 1992 in young people (0 to 24 year old) in the Beaumont-Hague Canton (4 cases observed compared with 1.4 cases expected), the relation suggested in 1997 particularly with the consumption of local seafood and time spent on beaches, led public authorities to ask for two types of investigations to be carried out: - firstly, a more detailed epidemiological study which demonstrated that further studies are necessary (reinforcement of epidemiological surveillance, assessment of the consequences of industrial exposure, taking into account other effects of ionizing radiation), even if there is not really an excess in the number of leukemia in the region for a longer period from 1978 to 1997. - secondly, a more detailed radioecological analysis which produces a direct and best estimate of the radiological exposure of the population and uses this estimate to predict effects on health. In the context described above, the objective was to evaluate the theoretical number of cases of leukemia that can be assigned to nuclear facilities and to other exposure sources (medical and natural) for a given population and geographic area. This work was carried out by the 'Nord-Cotentin Radioecology Group' including experts from a wide range of origins (inspectors, governmental experts, operators, experts from non-governmental laboratories, foreign experts). This document is the compilation of the reports produced by the group during its 3 missions from 1997 to 2010. The first mission (GRNC 1: 1997 - 2000) led to: - make an inventory of all liquid and gaseous radioactive effluents of North Cotentin nuclear facilities; - monitor radioactivity in all ecosystems and in the different food chain products; - assess the doses due to both natural and medical exposures delivered to the most exposed populations; - estimate the risk linked with these doses. The second mission (GRNC 2: 2000 - 2002) led to: - carry out a sensitivity and uncertainty analysis on the leukemia risk assessment attributable to the North Cotentin nuclear facilities; - conduct a joint in-depth thinking with the British Comare committee to compare the approaches, the difficulties encountered and the lessons learnt; - evaluate the environmental and public health impact of chemical effluents. The last mission (GRNC 3: 2004 - 2010) aimed at: - analysing Cogema's annual evaluation of the public dose resulting from the Hague plant effluents; - carrying out a sampling and measurements campaign of chemical compounds in the vicinity of North Cotentin nuclear facilities; - processing the information provided by the French navy regarding the Cherbourg Arsenal chemical effluents. The results of these 3 missions are compiled in a voluminous documentation representing 29 volumes published between July 1999 and June 2010.