Blast at French nuclear site kills one

A furnace used to treat low grade nuclear waste exploded at a nuclear site in southern France on the 12 September 2011.

France's nuclear safety authority ASN said there were no radioactive leaks from the explosion at the waste treatment site at Marcoule run by EDF, the operator of France's 58 nuclear power stations.

The accident was likely to amplify concerns over the safety of nuclear power after the disaster at Fukushima in Japan earlier in 2011. Although French public opinion has remained largely favourable to nuclear power, which provides 78% of the country's electricity, polls showed a growing proportion of people questioning the role of nuclear power after the Japanese catastrophe. The International Atomic Energy Agency asked France's nuclear safety authority for more information on the explosion, as was normal in such circumstances.

ESO: Background information: France aims to rebalance its energy mix http://www.europeansources.info/record/france-aims-to-rebalance-its-energy-mix/

BBC News, 12.9.11: France nuclear: Marcoule site explosion kills one http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14883521

The Local.fr, 12.9.11: French nuclear incident 'is over': safety agency http://www.thelocal.fr/1136/20110912/

Website: Autorité de Sureté Nucléaire / French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) http://www.french-nuclear-safety.fr/

ASN: Press Release, 12.9.11: End of the event in Centraco (Gard) http://www.french-nuclear-safety.fr/index.php/English-version/News-releases/2011/End-of-the-event-in-Centraco-Gard-press-release-2

Spiegel Online International, 13.9.11: Accident Highlights Safety Concerns in Fra http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,785922,00.html

France24, 12.9.11: Fatal blast rocks French nuclear waste site http://www.france24.com/en/20110912-fatal-blast-rocks-french-nuclear-waste-management-site-marcoule

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