The Marcoule nuclear site combines a research centre for the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) and the industrial operations of Areva,the French state-owned nuclear energy group involved in the Jaitapur nuclear power project. Speaking to The Indian Express,Pauline Briand,Arevas spokesperson,said: Areva is not involved at the Centraco site (where the blast took place). Its activities are 100 per cent of the EDF subsidiary,where they treat nuclear waste of very low radioactivity. Briand also said what happened at Centraco is an industrial accident,not a nuclear one. EDF too claimed the accident was industrial,not nuclear.
