The project, baptized Cigeo, aim to bury 500 meters underground 85 000 m3 of the most radioactive waste from the French nuclear fleet from 2035.
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The nuclear waste landfill project in Bure (Meuse) received a favorable opinion from the public inquiry commission. The latter estimated, Monday, December 20, that this waste could not remain “in the state of surface storage”. The project called Cigéo, aimed at burying 85,000 m3 of the most radioactive waste from the French nuclear fleet 500 meters underground from 2035 and piloted by the National Agency for the Management of Radioactive Waste (Andra), is “both timely, relevant and robust”. Sour public utility is “proven”, judged in their report the five independent investigating commissioners. This project aims “to ensure the security of future generations”, but he “must continue to be improved in order to guarantee maximum security, in the short, medium and long term”, they added, however.
The public inquiry, a step prior to a possible declaration of public utility for this controversial project, took place from September 15 to October 23. The investigating commissioners reported having received 4,158 notices, the majority of which were online. “It’s a satisfaction, it’s positive, even if it’s only a step”, greeted Patrice Torres, director of the laboratory of Andra de Meuse Haute / Marne, specifying that this opinion was not “an authorization to build Cigeo”. He also rejoiced to “Contributions strongly supported, whether one is for or against: we had the expression of the two feelings”.
Opponents denounced in a press release a “green light of convenience” given to the project and a “a process scandalously influenced by Andra and the State”. They judged very “worrying for our democracy” the report and the conclusions of the commission of inquiry, protested the Collective against the burial of radioactive waste (Cedra).