The most feared accident stays the nuclear accident, according to French people

The IRSN barometer is an annual survey that assesses the feeling and the expectations of the French society in terms of nuclear risk and its management. The 2017 results, that concern the 2016 year, show a decrease in both proficiency and credibility. Nuclear industry is still considered by the public as a flagship of french industry but various events that occurred in 2016 like the too high concentration of carbon in the steel of the pressure vessel of reactors and steam generators, or the contestation around the CIGEO project or the decision of decommissioning the Fessenheim plant, have damaged its image. The French population has in mind a good image of the reliability of nuclear power plants but they keep on worrying about the sanitary impacts of such installations. Another paradox is the fact that radioactive waste and its management are more feared than the installation itself that has produced them. The survey shows that the less educated the person, the more likely he will fear nuclear energy. (A.C.)