ANDRA: an overview of the current projects

This article reviews the different projects on which ANDRA (national agency for the management of radioactive wastes) is currently working. The surface disposal site of very low level radioactive wastes (TFA) opened in mid-august 2003, this site is designed to receive packages from dismantling operations, from metal and chemistry industries and from public services (hospitals...). This site will receive 28.000 tonnes a year for 30 years. As for the disposal of graphite wastes issued from the decommissioning of the first nuclear plants (graphite-gas reactors) ANDRA is studying the possibility of storing them in a sub-surface (15 m deep) site. As for the underground laboratory dedicated to the study of the disposal of high level radioactive wastes, the digging works have resumed after a halt period due to the consequences of an accident. The callovo-oxfordian clay layer (420 m deep) will be reached in 2004 and by the end of 2004 an experimental unit will be dug out at a depth of 450 m. The current experimental program involves: 1) experiments in a surface facility with rock and clay samples coming from the different geological layers of the site, 2) performing several vertical drills to study the clay layer over a distance of a few hundreds meters, 3) performing vertical drills in the area in order to collect data concerning hydrology and geology, and 4) experiments in the 'Mont-Terri' Swiss laboratory whose clay layers have similar properties. (A.C.)