Environment

To ensure environmental sustainability, all interventions are designed, implemented and monitored so as to produce no impact, either radiological or conventional, on the environment. Sogin manages an articulated environmental surveillance network and monitors, with continuous and scheduled checks, the quality of air, soil, groundwater and Po river water, river fish, beef and pork, as well as the main agri-food products in the area: lettuce, tomatoes, corn, eggs, milk and fodder. The environmental surveillance network was established, as with other nuclear sites, when the plant was commissioned. Every year, Sogin systematically carries out hundreds of measurements on the food and environmental matrices making up the environmental surveillance network. Arpae Emilia-Romagna carries out similar monitoring and surveillance activities with its own network. Analysis results and discharge formulas have always confirmed a radiologically insignificant environmental impact. Monitoring results are sent to the Italian National Inspectorate for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection (ISIN) and made public, including through our sustainability report.

The decommissioning of the Caorso power plant is subject to the requirements of the Italian Decree of Environmental Compatibility (MATTM Decree No. 1264 of 31/10/2008), which requires the constant monitoring of the environmental compatibility during all activities, as well as the issuance of annual reports to verify the environmental status of the components considered in the environmental impact study, in relation to the progress of activities.

Tutte le informazioni sullo stato di avanzamento dei lavori e sui dati dei monitoraggi ambientali sono disponibili sul RE.MO. portal

The Caorso power plant is part of the ALMERA (Analytical Laboratories Measuring Environmental Radioactivity) network coordinated by the IAEA, within which the Site participates in international inter-comparisons on laboratory measurements of environmental matrices, in order to test the laboratory's response under both normal and emergency conditions.
Sogin's Environmental Management System is certified according to ISO 14001. In April 2015, Sogin obtained the EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) registration certificate for its activities at the Caorso power plant. The last renewal was obtained in September 2023.
EMAS is a voluntary environmental management tool sponsored by the EU, allowing private and public companies and organisations to assess and improve their environmental performance and to share relevant information with the relevant stakeholders.
The latest update of the Environmental Declaration of the Caorso power plant is available in the Reporting section.

 

ACCREDIA LAT n° 77 Calibration Laboratory

The ACCREDIA LAT n° 77 laboratory is operational at the Caorso site, allowing specialised technicians to perform calibrations of radiation protection instrumentation with gamma and X-ray beams. The Laboratory carries out its activities both for Sogin and for third parties, issuing certificates that are valid in all countries that have signed the Mutual Recognition Agreements. The calibration activities carried out within the Centre guarantee the reliability of radiometric measurements. On average, the laboratory issues between 700 and 800 calibration certificates. Activities for the renewal of the accreditation are currently underway.

More information can be found by visiting the ACCREDIA website.
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