French regulations on environmental impact assessment of nuclear installations

In the early 1970s, the French government announced plans for rapid expansion of its nuclear power program as a long-range solution to the country's lack of fossil fuel resources. Between 1973 and 1980, orders were placed for reactors representing a total capacity of 32,560 megawatts. By the end of the 1980s, the government 's objective is to have nuclear power be the major source of electricity in France. Much earlier, France had developed specific regulations and established licensing procedures that include the preparation of environmental impact assessment reports for basic nuclear installations (installations nucleaire de base). 1 French legislation classifies as basic nuclear install~tions: nuclear reactors (except those that are a part of some means of transport), particle accelerators (capable of giving particles an energy