Dialog with stakeholders

A policy for open dialog

In line with the group's transparency policy, AREVA is committed to promoting information for the public. As the nuclear power industry is often the focus of national and international debate, AREVA Tricastin's management is in touch with a variety of interlocutors representing labor, the general public, economic interests, academia, industry, and science.

This openness finds expression in the regular meetings, communications (written, online, and at organized events), and collaborations with various organizations.

AREVA also enjoys conferring with mayors, deputy mayors, town counselors (officials exercising mandates from local constituencies).

Elected officials, administrations and institutions: local entities of prime importance

Beyond providing regulatory information, the Tricastin nuclear complex meets on a regular basis with  local communities to update them on site activities and keep them informed regarding various events.

This information sharing primarily takes place by participating in meetings held by the CLIGEET (Local information commission on the subject of major energy equipment at Tricastin). Ongoing site activities are presented in detail to the commission during these meetings and the minutes of both the meetings and the presentations can be accessed on the website of the Drôme “Département” General Council.

Site visits are also a way to effectively share information and meet people. In 2009, the Tricastin nuclear complex principally welcomed: 

• delegations from the Pierrelatte, Lapalud and Bollène town councils
• a delegation from the Drôme and Vaucluse prefectures
• the chief of staff/cabinet director of the Vaucluse prefecture
• the environmental and health and technological hazards councils of the Vaucluse and Drôme “Départements” (CODERST)
• a national police force/patrol group located in the Drôme “Département”
• representatives of the Vaucluse general council
• the regional environmental, territorial development and housing department of the Rhône Alpes region
• the regional department of social and health-related affairs (DRASS) of the PACA (Province – Alpes Côte d’Azur) region
• the department of social and health-related affairs (DDASS) of the Vaucluse “Département”
• representatives of the radiation protection and nuclear safety/security institute for activities and installations relating to national defense (DSND), etc.

Local residents: inform and answer questions

The public at large, oftentimes living close to the group’s industrial sites, must be kept well-informed and must feel free to talk with site representatives.

Determined to ensure transparency and maintain open dialogue with local residents, the management of  Tricastin participates in major local events, such as the Bollène fair, the “Atout Tricastin” forum and career and job fairs held at St.-Paul-Trois-Châteaux and Montélimar. The overriding goal is to meet with the general public, explain the site’s activities and answer questions.

To make sure that durable ties are established with local community players, information meetings with neighbors were held at the beginning of January 2009 at the Tricastin nuclear complex. Attended by 75 neighboring residents, the meeting was focused on a detailed update of Tricastin’s current industrial, economic and social challenges and on the progress made in improving the on-site environmental procedures engaged in by AREVA. This dialogue session with local populations was in follow-up to two meetings organized during the summer of 2008.

Public inquiries

In 2009, two regulatory public inquiry proceedings took place:

• The first regarding a design change for the Georges Besse II plant (December 22nd, 2008 through January 30th, 2009)
• The second in relation to a request to make a change in COMURHEX plant operation (April 27th through June 3rd, 2009)

Specific communication actions were undertaken to update the various stakeholders concerned:

• Brochures on these two topics were prepared to provide information and accompany the public inquiries; these were widely distributed to personnel in the town halls of 20 communities surrounding the site, which constitutes an area greater than that covered by the PPI (emergency response plan). Brochures were also given to elected officials during meetings set up with them.
• A presentation of the public inquiries was made to elected officials in the town halls of the communities in proximity.
• The entire public inquiry file was made available on AREVA’s website and was visited by nearly 180 persons during the Comurhex Pierrelate public inquiry proceedings.

The topics of both public inquiries received a favorable response on the part of the inquiry commission.