Physical Protection Philosophy and Techniques in France

Acts of malevolence have always been a major concern in the nuclear industry. Potential threats and their consequences include: • Sabotage of nuclear facilities can cause severe: - economic damage: Nuclear facilities are costly and repairs would be time consuming, difficult, and in the worst cases, even impossible. - radiological damage: If barriers are broken, radioactive contamination can occur both on the site and in the environment. • Sabotage of highly radioactive materials during transportation may have a more direct impact on the environment and the population. • Theft or diversion of nuclear materials may have even greater significance if strategic materials are involved since blackmail against the government or the population of a country is at stake. In any case, the psychological impact through the media would be huge. For forty years, France has been developing nuclear energy applications to the highest degree. The share of nuclear-generated electricity in the national production reached 70% in 1986. The industry has utilized all steps of the fuel cycle. France is fully aware of the risks in using nuclear energy and has taken technical and regulatory precautions to prevent malevolent acts, yet is prepared to deal with them should they occur. Physical protection measures in France to prevent sabotage and theft of nuclear material are reviewed briefly on the following pages.