Earthquake in France, the ASN: "No damage to the Cruas-Meysse and Tricastin plants and the Oran plants".

Yesterday morning, around 12.00, a magnitude 5 earthquake shook the Vallée du Rhône, south east of France. The earthquake, with its epicenter in the Montélimar region, was felt as far as the Italian border.

The French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) has contacted public authorities at national and local level, in particular the Drôme and Ardèche prefectures.

The first findings showed that neither the Cruas-Meysse and Tricastin plants nor the Orano plants would be damaged.

The ASN has asked the EDF, the producer and distributor of energy in France, to verify the possible overcoming of the attention values ​​to which corresponds the need to proceed to further examinations of the plants.

"It is not the case of the Tricastin nuclear power plant - ASN explained - because it is the farthest from the epicenter of the earthquake". On the other hand, the situation at the Cruas-Meysse power plant is different, where as a precaution "EDF has shut down the reactors on this site in order to carry out the necessary checks. The ASN will check that the conditions are in place for these reactors to be able to be restarted ”.

The Inspectorate has signed agreements with neighboring countries and, in particular, with the Slovenian Nuclear Safety Authority (SNSA), Helvetic (ENSI) and French (ASN). These agreements provide for the exchange of information on nuclear safety in general and in case of emergency situations.

Any updates will be announced on the website of the French Nuclear Safety Agency: https://www.asn.fr/

Image taken from the ASN website.