At the request of the French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN), the IAEA convened from 6 to 15 November a team of 7 international experts to review the "Safety Options Dosier" of the CIGÉO Project on the disposal of intermediate level long lived and high level radioactive waste in the Callovo-Oxfordian (COX) formations of Meuse/Haute Marne.
This strategic dossier, part of the CIGÉO project developed by the French Waste Management Organization - Andra, sets out the chosen objectives, concepts and principles for ensuring the safety of CIGÉO.
The review focused on the strategy of research & development, knowledge acquisition, and the approach for defining scenarios for operational and post-closure safety assessment.
It also addressed the approach for post Fukushima actions. The review was carried out against relevant IAEA safety standards and proven international practice and experience.
The team identified good practice as well as recommendations and suggestions to further demonstrate the robustness of the disposal facility.
Full report of the peer review is available here.