Inside NIRMA Fall 2018 FINAL

Issue # 03, Fall 2018 

Leading the way in Nuclear Information and Records Management 

Inside 

magazine 

Visit us at: NIRMA.org 

The 2019 

NIRMA Board Members 

P.28 

NRC, The ODD Solution for the Digitization 

of Operator Licensing Records P.5 

ST Imaging, Efficient and Accurate Microfilm 

Conversion P.6 

Bentley, Immersive Digital Operations for 

Improved Safety & Asset Performance P.10 

NIRMA Conference Pictorial P.12

Contents 

Feature Articles 

5 The ODD Solution for the 

Digitization of Operator 

Licensing Records 

By Mackenzie Stevens, NRC 

6 Efficient and Accurate Microfilm 

Conversion 

By Matt Anderson, ST Imaging, nextScan 

8 Chronicles of NIM: A 

Retrospective on Information 

Management in Nuclear Power 

By Eugene Yang, Kismet Consulting 

10 Immersive Digital Operations 

for Improved Safety & Asset 

Performance 

By Leslie Robins & Sandra DiMatteo, Bentley 

12 NIRMA Conference Pictorial 

in every issue 

FROM YOUR PRESIDENT—22 

VICE PRESIDENTS REPORT—23 

MEET THE NIRMA BOARD—24 

SECRETARY NEWS—25 

RIMBU NEWS—26 

PDBU NEWS—27 

TREASURER’S REPORT—27 

M&MBU NEWS—28 

INDUSTRY NEWS—29 

NOMINATING COMMITTEE—30 

Inside NIRMA NIRMA.org Fall 2018 3

Rich Giska and Sarah Perkins receiving recognition from NIRMA President, 

Michelle Smith for their support of the ANSI Audit Project. 

2018 NIRMA Annual Conference Stats: 

 

 

 

 

23 First Time Attendees 

29 Educational Sessions 

5 Keynote Speakers 

14 Vendor Exhibits 

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with NIRMA! 

 

 

 

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Thanks for reading. 

Keep in touch! 

4 Fall 2018 NIRMA.org Inside NIRMA

n October 2015, the Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission’s Office of Nuclear Reactor 

Regulation (NRR) approached the Office of the 

Chief Information Officer (OCIO) for help 

building a system that would automate the operator 

licensing (OL) process. The OL process for new 

candidates can take two years or longer: the candidate 

must complete an accredited training program certified 

by the National Nuclear Accrediting Board and pass 

exams that are specific to the site(s) for which a 

candidate is seeking to be licensed to operate. As one 

can imagine, there is quite a bit of tracking and 

managing of the candidates throughout the process, and 

a lot of paperwork! 

The OL Assistants, who’ve been invaluable to the 

Operator Digitized Docket (ODD) project, are 

inundated with creating packages for management 

signature, then scanning and profiling these documents 

into the Agencywide Documents Access and 

Management System (ADAMS), as well as performing 

their other job duties. Based on a study conducted in 

2014, it was estimated that there were 385 new operator 

licenses issued across the agency, which accounted for 

approximately 1,540 files that were packaged, scanned, 

and profiled for more than 460 hours of work! That is a 

lot of paper and a lot of time! The new solution, ODD, 

delivers the secure, time and cost saving solution to the 

digitization endeavor! The system is basically a 

workflow of actions that comprise the OL process. 

The Electronic Information Exchange (EIE), 

which provides direct input to ODD, allows for the 

timely, secure, and cheap electronic delivery of OL 

documents to the agency and the transmittal of these 

documents back to the candidate or licensee. Without 

the interface to EIE, licensees would continue to mail 

THE ODD SOLUTION FOR 

THE DIGITIZATION OF 

OPERATOR LICENSING 

RECORDS 

By Mackenzie Stevens, NRC IT Specialist 

documents to the agency via the U.S. Postal Service. 

Because ODD and ADAMS are hosted on the 

same platform, after the OL documents are delivered 

electronically to the NRC, the documents are 

electronically profiled and added to ADAMS directly 

from the ODD system. 

ODD also interfaces with the Reactor Program 

System (RPS), which is the authoritative source for OL 

data. ODD uses a capture tool to extrapolate data from 

candidate licensing applications sent via EIE, and sends 

the data to RPS. Prior to this interface, the OL 

Assistants keyed in the data after receiving the hard 

copies from the licensees. 

One of coolest features of ODD is the ability to 

electronically sign OL documents. Exam graders and 

Branch Chiefs at the NRC electronically approve the 

various OL documents and, upon using the “Sign” 

function, an image of the signature is imprinted onto the 

document in the appropriate box. After approval, the 

documents are auto-profiled (with the exception of a 

few properties) and added into ADAMS without manual 

intervention. This is a tremendous time saving from 

having to populate each document property by hand 

after scanning the documents into ADAMS. 

The interfaces and features of ODD make the 

system an innovative solution for the digitization of OL 

records. At the time of this writing, ODD is completing 

pilots with all four NRC regional offices and can only be 

used to manage new operator licenses. However, once 

other licensing workflows are implemented in the 

system, it is projected to save the agency around 

$276K annually … and there’s nothing ODD about 

that! 


EFFICIENT AND ACCURATE 

MICROFILM CONVERSION 

By Matt Anderson, Vice President of Marketing 

n previous issues of the NIRMA newsletter, we 

have covered best practices for microfilm 

conversion. Those topics have included speed, 

accuracy, image quality, as well as quality control. 

One topic overlooked is how effective the scanner is at 

detecting individual frames of data. Two common 

techniques 

available today are 

edge detection and 

complete ribbon 

scanning, one 

using last century’s 

technology and the 

other defining the 

way we capture 

microfilm in the 

digital age. 

Before deciding 

on which scanner 

is best for you, ask 

your vendor what 

type of frame 

detection their 

product supports. 

This is the most important element that affects capture 

accuracy and overall conversion efficiency. 

Most entry-level film and fiche scanners were 

originally designed for on-demand use. They employ 

what is commonly known in the industry as “edge 

detection.” This technology utilizes the camera and 

software to detect a gap between frames, indicating the 

end of one and the beginning of another. Unfortunately, 

there is no way to know if every image was captured or if 

any were missed without checking each frame 

individually. 

Ribbon scanning technology is a digital scanning 

technique applying a line scanning technology that 

captures all the data from an entire roll of microfilm, 

from top to bottom, beginning to end. The system does 

not rely on edge detection and does not miss a single 

frame. This technique guarantees everything on the roll 

was captured and allows for 

expedited quality control. 

Using perfect film, for example, in Exhibit A (which 

has the same size and orientation of images with perfect 

spacing and blips from beginning to end) reveals that 

there is a 90% 

chance you can 

get accurate 

results from any 

scanner using 

edge detection 

and you will likely 

have some 

rescans before 

you can fully 

digitize a roll. 

If your 

film is like 

Exhibit B and 

similar to most 

collections in the 

world (different 

size, different 

spacing, skew, light, dark, etc.), there is 0% you can get 

accurate results from any scanner using edge detection, 

and you will likely have many rescans before you fully 

digitize a roll. 

All nextScan scanners, including FlexView, apply the 

ribbon scanning technique. The task of conversion is too 

important to rely on edge detection. Regardless if your 

film looks like A or B, the only way to guarantee 100% 

reliable and accurate captures every time is by using 

ribbon scanning technology, creating a full digital 

duplicate of each roll. 

We want you to have an easy and successful 

conversion. Get your conversion project started 

correctly by requesting a demo or have sample scans 

created with your film so you know what to expect. Do 

not forget to ask your vendor if their scanner supports 

21st Century ribbon scanning or still uses 20th Century 

edge detection. 


FLEXVIEW 

MICROFILM SCANNER 

IN-HOUSE, COST EFFECTIVE AND PROFESSIONAL 

MICROFILM CONVERSION 

The new FlexView, though small in size, is mighty 

when it comes to converting rolls of microfilm. 

With dimensions that allow for the scanner to be 

placed on a desktop, the FlexView delivers the 

high-quality images you have grown to expect 

from the nextScan family of scanners. It’s fast 

too! Able to scan at up to 300 FPM, the FlexView 

is the professional, portable microfilm conversion 

scanner you have been waiting for! 

Visit www.nextScan.com for more details and to download a brochure. 

Call 208-514-4000 or email sales@nextScan.com for more information. 

Capable of scanning: 16mm, 35mm and Blipped Film 

NextStar PLUS Software 

FlexView operates with NextStar PLUS Software 

providing optimum speed and functionality 

reducing overall conversion costs

A Retrospective on Information 

Management in Nuclear Power 

By Eugene Y. Yang, Principal Consultant, 

KISMET Consulting, Inc. 

One of the frequent questions I get is, “how did all of this 

electronic records stuff get started?” I have been fortunate to 

have implemented or consulted through the “golden age” of 

managing electronic records. I’m usually somewhat conflicted 

in describing this sea change in the nuclear power industry – 

was it either an evolution...or a revolution? So, I’ll answer 

this question in a two-part series. 

Part 1: Moving to a Revolution? 

The Basis 

Of course, you need to go back to the regulatory 

foundation. As the civilian use of nuclear material and 

technology is controlled and regulated, the United States 

Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) requires a 

quality assurance program. Such a program is necessary 

to provide reasonable assurance of adequate protection 

of public health and safety and to protect the 

environment. The requirements for records 

management appear in 10 CFR 50, Appendix B, 

“Quality Assurance Criteria for Nuclear Power Plants 

and Fuel Reprocessing Plants,” under Criterion 17, 

“Quality Assurance Records.” 

The Response 

Through guidance from the NRC (Regulatory Guides 

1.28, 1.88), the nuclear power industry developed 

standards for implementation of a QA program: ASME 

Nuclear Quality Assurance, ASME NQA-1, “Quality 

Assurance Requirements for Nuclear Facility 

Applications” or the ANSI N45.2, “Quality Assurance 

Program Requirements for Nuclear Facilities.” With 

Appendix B, and these standards, the nuclear industry 

was compelled to develop and maintain a rigorous 

program for managing quality assurance records. 

The Result 

Paper, lots of paper. Overflowing. “Raiders of the Lost 

Ark” rows of file cabinet after file cabinet. Paper boxes 

piling up – and this was just in the vaults! Then there 

were the record copies in satellite locations, information 

needed (as part of a controlled documents program) by 

the various departments. And not just the 8 ½ x 11 

variety (A-size), but the other alphabet soup of paper 

sizes (B, C, D, E, F…). 

The Solution 

Solution 1: Better paper storage. 

Cubic stacking of boxes, mobile 

shelving, bigger file cabinets, the use 

of offsite storage. More file cabinets 

in the various departments. 

However, this approach was soon 

defeated by the continuing waves of 

paper. 


Solution 2: Microfilm! The business use of microfilm 

didn’t really gain traction until World War II, as the 

military used it for espionage as well as for “normal” 

applications. Then, between the banking industry and 

the libraries, microfilm really took off and eventually 

found another home in the nuclear power industry. 

NIRMA, in the early 80’s, was on the forefront in the 

implementation and use of various microfilm formats, 

documented through its technical guidelines (e.g., 35 

mm, 16 mm, aperture cards). Mainframe computers 

emerged to offer capturing of records indexing 

(metadata) information, and then providing online 

search and lookup. By the mid-80’s, a hybrid appeared 

called “computer automated retrieval”, where a search 

would be performed using a mainframe terminal, and 

then when the appropriate document was selected, it 

would communicate with a microfilm reader to scroll to 

the appropriate frame number. (Woohoo!) 

South Texas Project initiated this request to the NRC: if 

the technology exists to scan a record, store it in a way 

to protect its integrity, and then retrieve it via a 

computer screen, why not make the electronic version 

THE record? In 1988, the NRC issued Generic Letter 

88-18, “Plant Record Storage on Optical Disks,” which 

allowed quality assurance records to be stored in the 

electronic optical disk medium. Several electric utilities/ 

plants soon jumped on this technology. If a plant could 

demonstrate that its implementation of electronic 

records was compliant to the eight quality controls listed 

in the generic letter, the NRC allowed this method for 

managing QA records. 

But is this where the story ends? Was optical disk the 

only way to go? What if a plant couldn’t cost-justify 

such a system, but wanted to move to electronic 

recordkeeping? Stay tuned, same NIM column, different 

Magazine issue! 

Eugene has been a member of NIRMA for over 32 years. At 

the time he joined, NIRMA had only been in existence for 11 

years. He would love to hear about stories and anecdotes from 

others, so please email him at: 

eugene.yang@kismetconsulting.com. 

Solution 3: Electronic indexing AND storage of 

records. As new plants were being built and looking 

to go operational in the latter part of the 80’s, there 

arose an opportunity to challenge the notion of 

“keeping paper” or film as the official record medium. 


IMMERSIVE DIGITAL OPERATIONS 

FOR IMPROVED SAFETY AND ASSET 

PERFORMANCE 

By Leslie Robins, Asset Performance Consultant & 

Sandra DiMatteo, Director Asset Performance 

Leslie Robins 

he nuclear industry is asset-intensive, and with 

the inherent safety concerns of working in 

hazardous areas of plants it’s especially useful to 

be able to “see” what’s going on without gearing up and 

sending workers to physically inspect some assets unless 

it is necessary. In addition, most people are visual 

learners, absorbing and understanding information 

better when information is presented graphically rather 

than in text. Visualizing the plant enables an intuitive 

approach to asset and operational performance that data 

and documents alone can’t provide. 

A virtual view of your assets 

Immersive digital operations technology allows you to 

work within a 3D or reality model of your nuclear 

Sandra DiMatteo 

facility. Visually display the facility and click on an asset 

to display asset, structures, system, component data, the 

reliability program, plus associated documents, records, 

requirements, people, and processes linked to the asset. 

Immersive digital operations enables you to establish 

line of sight, so you can navigate through the facility, 

observing equipment and structures, and access the 

information you need for operations. 

For example, you can examine a component to 

determine whether it should be repaired or replaced 

during a refueling outage. By simply clicking on that 

asset in your model, current information related to it like 

design basis requirements, schematics, manuals, piping 

and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs), and other 


associated documents can be displayed. The model can 

also be queried to display underlying data including GIS 

geolocations, elevation, current asset condition and 

operating context, configuration state, maintenance 

history, and reliability data. 

Immersive digital operations adds value when planning 

brownfield modifications and decommissioning. 

Planned assets can be added to the system and evaluated 

to determine impact of change, compliance with design 

basis requirements, and clash detection. Complimentary 

operational analytics technology provides configurable 

dashboards and reports, presenting trend analysis and 

KPIs for operational decision support, which can be run 

to optimize equipment and operational specifications. 

Simultaneously, 

decommissioning is an integral 

part of the lifecycle. Assets, 

records, requirements and other 

information objects can be 

flagged for advance planning 

activities, and to outline the 

steps for dismantling and remediation. 

Start anywhere, anytime 

Benefits can be derived at any point in your facility’s 

lifecycle. 

Step 1: Model your facility or network 

If you don’t have current digital models, there are many 

solutions available to create them. 2D imagery, point 

clouds, and reality mesh can be aligned in a 3D georeferenced 

space to create 3D models. The same 

technology may be used to update existing models to 

ensure the current state is represented and for 

comparison to previous states. 

Step 2: Leverage your common data 

environment (CDE) 

It is critical that all relevant information be accessible 

across operational disciplines. This requires a common 

data environment that allows you to collect, manage, 

and share information. Interoperable solutions, rather 

than proprietary closed systems, are critical to gaining 

timely access to data from information technology (IT), 

operational technology (OT), and engineering systems 

(ET). Correct decisions can only be made when you 

have the right data, information, and insights. 

Make informed decisions that 

improve asset and operational 

performance, safety, security, 

and compliance. 

Step 3: Identify and validate the accuracy of 

relevant asset information 

Ideally, your asset information system captured design 

data, and was managed with configuration management 

best practices through project delivery and asset 

commissioning for operational readiness and continues 

to be the single source of truth for asset information in 

operations. If validation occurs during operations, use a 

system that can track asset changes and configuration 

for best return on investment. 

Step 4: Select the right immersive digital operations 

solution 

A robust digital operations solution will either 

incorporate or access an asset 

lifecycle information 

management solution (including 

change and configuration 

management), and capabilities 

for operational analytics and 

asset reliability, such as drilling 

down to failure modes to know 

why you are doing the work you are doing. Holistically, 

these capabilities will deliver a complete view of asset 

information and digital line of sight to help manage and 

improve asset and operational performance. Attract the 

next generation of engineering professionals using 

technology that accesses digital models visually and 

positions you to improve decision support, productivity, 

reliability, and efficiency. 

Step 5: Optimize operational processes 

Once your digital operations solution is deployed, 

leverage the visibility of asset condition (for example, 

flashing alarms on a 3D model or map that links to 3D 

model). Access underlying data including the 

maintenance history, geospatial coordinates, condition 

degradation trends, and forecasted end of life. Make 

informed decisions that improve asset and operational 

performance, safety, security, and compliance. 

Bentley’s AssetWise includes immersive digital operations capabilities 

that help you optimize asset performance and support an asset strategy of 

regulatory compliance, operational efficiency, and risk mitigation. Built 

on a hybrid cloud-computing platform that leverages a common data 

environment, AssetWise facilitates the interoperation of multiple data 

sources, providing operations, maintenance, and engineering with accurate 

and reliable information, when it is needed, to make informed decisions, 

from capital planning through proactive asset maintenance. 

For additional information about AssetWise, visit: 

www.bentley.com/AssetWise 


Six of the 23 1st Time Attendees at the New Attendee Orientation 

“The exhibits were a great 

opportunity for vendors to 

showcase their products and 

services and get to know more 

about how they help the 

nuclear industry become more 

lean and efficient.” 

Kyle Nase 

Software Engineering Supervisor 

Rolls-Royce plc 

“I appreciated all the information I received 

on basics like retention, organization, 

software but most importantly, advice from 

seasoned RMs who encouraged starting RM 

practices ASAP, as many plants are having 

issues with paper/records/files from more 

than a decade ago.” 

Celeste Mieles 

Operations Coordinator 

Kairos Power 

“The speakers covered a wide range 

of topics and it was nice that it 

wasn’t all specific to nuclear 

industry and included DOE, Canada, 

Japan, etc. It helps to see that the 

issues are present across the board 

and everyone is working on creative 

solutions .” 

Adrienne Hall 

Sr. Records Administrator 

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory 

“I found the networking 

sessions to be very 

valuable. I also 

benefitted from the 

demonstrations of new 

technology and software 

from some of the 

vendors.” 

Amanda Haug 

Document Control Analyst 

DTE Energy – Fermi 2 

1st Time Attendee Presenters: Rebecca Wessman and Eugene Yang 


Modern Records Management Specialist 

Jesse Wilkins, AIIM 

Managing Electronic Records with Microsoft SharePoint® 

Bruce Miller, RIMtech 




˄ NIRMA President, Michelle Smith welcoming attendees & 

providing opening remarks 

˄ Keynote Speaker Tim Powell, President & Chief 

Executive Officer, STP Nuclear presenting Building a 

Strong, Sustainable Future 

˂ Sadamaro Yamashita, Chairman, Nippon Records 

Management Co Ltd, with assistance by Shoko 

Arai, presented Current Situations of Nuclear 

Power & New Challenges to Records Management 

in Japan 

˄ Susan Zimmerman, Exelon Nuclear presenting Document 

Control & Configuration Management Fundamentals 

˄ Ellen Ryan, Technology Services Group presenting 

Compliance in the Cloud 


˄ Ben Johansson, Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, with 

Anita Beren, presenting Decommissioning Playbook for the 

Nuclear Industry 

˄ Hyeong Tae Kim, NSE Technology, Korea, presenting 

How to Reconstitute Design Bases Documents for CM 

Equilibrium 

˄ Christine Adcock, PMP, MPM of Technology Services 

Group discussing Series of RM Case Studies 

˄ Meg Milligan, Federal Employee, ENTP, discussing 

The Road to Automagic Categorization of Records 

˄ John Ellis Enterprise Architect of CBTS and Odis 

McFadden from South Texas Project IT, present 

Disaster Recovery Using Cloud Services 

For complete list of 

speakers, visit: 

www.nirma.org/annual-conference/ 






From the President 

Michelle M. Smith 

STP Supervisor of Electronic Records Management & Automation 

t this year’s Nuclear Information and 

Records Management Association 

(NIRMA) conference, the information 

presented was very impactful and 

beneficial. Our diverse and dynamic group of speakers 

and panelists provided in-depth insight on innovation 

and technology, as well as, actionable and practical tools 

to use in information and records management. This 

year’s keynote speakers were: 

Tim Powell, STP President and CEO, presented 

pertinent information on “Building a Strong 

Sustainable Future” in the nuclear industry. 

Lou Rofrano, Vice President of Sales, AMS Store 

and Shred, LLC, ended his presentation with two 

powerful words “If Only.” This can be applied to 

all aspects of our life. 

 

 

 

Mark Diamond, President for Contoural, Inc., 

challenged the audience to think outside the box 

with records retention and information 

governance best practices. 

Mr. Sadamaro Yamashita, Chairman Nippon 

Records Management, provided the organization 

with “Current Situations of Nuclear Power & 

Challenges to Records” in Japan. 

Ralph Hill, Owner and Consultant for Hill 

Engineering Solutions, created a synergy between 

NIRMA and ASME. 

The most important aspect of this organization is you; 

our members. We had 23 new attendees this year, which 

is a significant improvement. We value every member 

and ask for your continued participation in this 

organization to ensure it remains viable. 

Our vendors and sponsors are additional sources to 

the success of this event. Their presence helped to make 

this event a great success and their enthusiasm and 

positive spirit helped make the time spent together both 

productive and fun. They are: 

• Exelon 

• Southern Nuclear 

• STP Nuclear Operating Company 

• Bentley Systems 

• Nippon Records Management Company (Japan) 

• ibridge 

• CBTS 

• Technology Service 

Group 

• AMS Store and Shred 

• Bentley Systems 

• BMI Imaging 

• E-ImageData 

• Feith Systems and Software 

• Scanning America 

• Savantx 

• ICRM 

• Iron Mountain 

• NSETEC 

• ST Imaging / Next Scan 

• Technology Services 

Group 

Looking forward to the 2019 

NIRMA Conference, Waco 

Bankston, STP General Manager of 

Corporate Services and a yearly 

speaker at the Nuclear Digitalization 

Conference, will discuss strategies 

around Cyber Security and 

implementation at STP. He will also Waco Bankston 

share his knowledge on initiatives he 

has helped lead with the Nuclear Promise campaign. 

Waco provides oversight to Information Technology, 

Cyber Security, Human Resources, Electronic Records 

Management, and Automation, Document Control and 

Support Services. 

Now is an exciting time! In order to make next year’s 

conference even more successful, we request that you 

send us your 2018 post-NIRMA feedback to 

mmsmith@stpegs.com or visit the website 

nirma.nirma.org. We thank you in advance for your 

comments and we assure you that each suggestion will 

be given consideration so that future conferences will be 

even more successful. 

As NIRMA President, I am very proud to serve this 

organization and thankful to be traveling on the path to 

the top alongside you. Thank you for your continued 

dedication and support. 


GAME ON FOR 

NIRMA 2019 CONFERENCE 

By Janice Hoerber, NIRMA Vice President 

he JW Marriott in Summerlin, Nevada served 

up a beautiful backdrop for the educational 

and networking opportunities of the August 

2018 NIRMA conference. Following two high caliber 

training course offerings on Saturday, we launched 

Sunday with a lineup of distinguished Keynote speakers 

who challenged our thinking and set the bar for the rest 

of the conference. The Technical Sessions covered 

relevant topics and provided great takeaways for 

attendees to bring back to their workplace. Great job to 

all the speakers and facilitators! 

A big THANK YOU goes out to 

our NIRMA Lifetime Members 

who continue to step up for the 

organization and provide support 

in many ways including this year's 

conference. Our special thanks go 

to Eugene Yang, Margie Janney, Rich Giska, and Frank 

Kocsis. 

Eugene Yang 

Margie Janney 

Rich Giska 

Frank Kocsis 

The 2018 conference feedback was positive and 

enables us to start planning for the 2019 event. The 

subtle changes we made to the format of the 2018 

conference were well-received and reduced cost to stay 

within budget. These included a Sunday keynote-only 

day (eliminating audio/visual costs for two breakout 

rooms Sunday) and Marriott chef menus endorsed for 

each day-of-the-week cost savings. The NIRMA Board 

will continue to look at "the way we've always done 

things" and strive for innovative changes that bring value 

at reduced cost. Sound familiar? It is a common theme 

being asked of all of us in the workplace. 

The message of "Delivering the Nuclear Promise" has 

driven many successful initiatives focused on process 

changes to reduce cost and complexity in the U.S. 

commercial nuclear power industry to remain a viable 

energy option. The message goes beyond the 

commercial nuclear power business. Margie Janney, 

CRM/NS/FED facilitated the Government 

Benchmarking session at the conference. She conveyed 

a comprehensive plan in motion for reforming the 

Federal Government. This includes eliminating funding 

for programs that are unnecessary, outdated, or not 

working. 

Now is OUR opportunity in the 

information & records management 

areas to innovate ourselves, our 

mindsets, and how we work. NIRMA 

2019 Conference can help – This 

should be in our wheelhouse. Are you 

up for the challenge? Game On! 

The 2019 Nuclear Information Management 

Conference can play in this space, bringing people 

together to benchmark and share real 2019 examples of 

innovating ourselves, our staff, and making real changes 

in the work we do. Mark your calendars to attend the 

2019 NIRMA conference next August, held at the JW 

Marriott in Summerlin, Nevada. 

We invite you to participate as a speaker for the 2019 

NIRMA conference! Consider your experience, your 

lessons-learned, or expertise to share with peers. Please 

submit a 100-150 word abstract to me at 

jhoerber@ameren.com. 


n this edition, we will meet Sheila Pearcy. Sheila is the 

Central Characterization Program (CCP) Records Manager 

at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), a U.S. 

Department of Energy (DOE) project providing safe, 

compliant, and efficient characterization, transportation, and 

disposal of defense-related transuranic (TRU) waste. She started 

as a records clerk for the WIPP site and worked her way up into 

the position she holds today. As the CCP Records Manager she 

is responsible for the operating and oversight of the CCP Records 

Center which holds all active characterization project records. She 

has over twenty-seven (27) years of records experience. Sheila is a 

Certified Records Analyst (CRA) from the Institute of Certified 

Records Managers (ICRM). 

Sheila has been a member of NIRMA since 2007. She stepped 

into the role as Director of the 

Membership and Marketing Business 

Unit (M&MBU) five years ago and this 

year was elected to the Board of Directors. 

She has stepped into the Director of 

Infrastructure immediately since there was 

a vacancy on the Board due to a 

resignation 

Q: What impact has NIRMA 

had on your career? 

Sheila: When I came to NIRMA back 

in 2007, I was so glad I did. It has 

allowed me to professionally grow and 

participate in ways I might never have had 

the opportunity otherwise. I have learned 

so much from the amazing members of 

NIRMA at each conference and 

throughout the year. If I had a question 

to resolve it was a great resource to reach 

out and help me get possible answers from 

the experience of fellow members. When I 

got the opportunity to be more involved 

with the NIRMA organization it 

allowed me to give back to NIRMA and to learn so much. Now 

being on the Board will bring so many more opportunities – I am 

so very excited. 

Q: Do you have a favorite hobby? 

Sheila: I am a runner and love it. I have run at some level for 

over 42 years. I started running when my girls were babies and 

realized that this was my alone time and stress relief. Once my 4 

kids grew up and left home I decided to try to run a full 

marathon. I wasn’t sure I had that 

kind of endurance in me but to my 

surprise I completed my first marathon 

in 2010 and to date have run 7 full 

marathons. My dream was to run the 

New York City and Boston marathons. 

Three years ago I got the opportunity to 

run in the NY City Marathon. It was 

amazing! I qualified last December to 

run the Boston Marathon. There are so 

many runners who enter in the Boston 

that unfortunately I did not make the 

cut for this year – bummer for me. I will 

try to register again next year as my 

qualified status lasts for two years. 

Q: What do you enjoy doing 

in your free time? 

Sheila: I have taken up quilting. I 

really love making something that will be 

loved by ones who receive one of the 

quilts made for them, mostly my family 

members. I also spend anytime I can get 

away with my wonderful family. I have 

4 beautiful children; Nicole, Morgan, Tyler and Gage and 8 

amazing grandchildren that are my blessings in life. I love 

spending time with them as they are my joy. They live in 

California and Idaho so when I get time off – that is where I go. 

Sheila and her Grandson Brady after Sheila 

had just finished running the California 

International Marathon at Sacramento, CA 

to qualify for Boston. 

Sheila, husband Mark and 7 of their 8 grandchildren. 


News from the 

Secretary 

Nuclear Information Records Management Association. 

What is Information Records 

Management? 

What it WAS 

isn’t what it IS, and won’t be 

what it WILL BE. 

campaigning for IT attendance today – don’t wait until 

next August to start. Likewise we anticipate having 

more solution vendors that are IT based such as one of 

our new vendors at the 2018 conference - CBTS. CBTS 

is one of the South Texas Project (STP) IT vendors that 

is making improvements in how STP approaches 

Disaster Recovery as a Service – Using Cloud 

Services to Protect your Business. 

NIRMA Business 

In our industry the walls between IT (information 

technology), RM (records management), and DC 

(document control) are blurred and ever evolving. We 

are dealing with implementations that support the 

Nuclear Promise. Its Digital, Electronic, Automation, 

Cloud based, Virtual, Cyber … and the list goes on. 

No telling what it will be in the future. 

To survive in our industry we must be up to date 

and relevant. We must be efficient and economic. We, 

NIRMA, as the standards and guideline authoring 

organization, is expected to be the authority on 

providing the standards and guidelines that ensure we 

are meeting our regulatory requirements. 

We need more membership from our IT 

departments. I am throwing out a challenge to all 

members – bring your IT folks. We are fully expecting 

to have more IT sessions in 2019. So go out and start 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2018 Accomplishments: 

Revised AP06 and AD01 

AP13 revised and redlined to support the ANSI 

Audit 

Revamped the NIRMA website 

Board appointed Chris Boudreaux to the position 

of NIRMA Board Technical Advisor 

NIRMA launched Twitter account 

(@NIRMAorg) 

NIRMA implemented Constant Contact as our 

method of communication 

TG05 and TG 16 approved 

August 2018 held our Annual Conference 

• 16 CMP Credits awarded 


Regulatory Information 

Management Business Unit 

(RIMBU) News 

By Chris Boudreaux, RIMBU Business Unit Director 

he Regulatory Information Management 

Business Unit (RIMBU) team members met 

at the close of the annual NIRMA 

Conference for the Summer Meeting on 

August 8-9, 2018. RIMBU Meetings are a great 

opportunity for NIRMA Members to participate in the 

efforts of the team to discuss emerging topics for our 

industry and develop technical guidelines to establish 

best practices. In addition, this is a great opportunity to 

network with peers in the nuclear industry, to exchange 

ideas around technology and process, and perhaps find 

some new ideas that would work for your company. 

The main topics of discussion at this year’s Summer 

Meeting were: Electronic Signature, Automation of 

Processes, Cloud Migration and Storage, Storage of the 

“Future” Record, and Tech Innovation in Nuclear. 

New RIMBU Members 

We want to welcome our new RIMBU members to 

the team and thank them for volunteering to help the 

NIRMA Organization and the Nuclear Industry as a 

whole. This year we were pleased to have Otis 

McFadden, Lori Roddy, Lacey Green, Ronnie Trujillo, 

Amanda Haug, Kathy Padilla, and Phaedra Champagne. 

Welcome and thank you again for your support. 

Electronic Signature Position Paper 

The RIMBU team members have been hard at work 

finalizing the document referencing NIRMA’s position 

on Electronic Signature. The document will reflect on 

the flexibility of electronic signature methods 

recognizing that there are many factors that will 

determine the solution such as retention, process, or 

purpose. The team will continue efforts to finalize the 

document while also cross checking the product with 

Department of Energy and American Nuclear Insurers 

reference information. We expect the delivery of the 

position paper within the next couple of months. 

Automation of Processes 

The RIMBU members had an open discussion 

during the Summer Meeting on Delivering the Nuclear 

Promise focus around automation solutions which was 

an exciting discussion to be part of. Many topics were 

covered such as: workflow of procedures, daily 

operational focus, site work management systems, and 

electronic work packages. The members captured a 

great amount of detail on the subjects and lined up 

some contacts to further benchmark these efforts in the 

near future in hopes to bring new automation ideas to 

all stations. 

RIMBU Spring Meeting Location Selected 

Palo Verde and Arizona Public Service have 

volunteered to host the RIMBU Spring Meeting for this 

coming year. This will be a two-day meeting taking 

place in March 2019 with the exact dates to be 

announced along with travel details in the near future. 

During the Spring Meeting, we will continue our efforts 

in providing industry guidance via Technical Guidelines, 

White Papers, and Position Papers. 

We will also demo some new technology with 

the help of Bentley Systems and Microsoft and 

how that technology can enhance our 

Electronic Work Packages. 

Please make plans now to join us in March as we will 

continue adding more exciting items to the Spring 

agenda. 

Interested in Joining RIMBU? 

For additional information on joining RIMBU or 

the RM/IT benefits for NIRMA Conference 

participation, please contact me at 361-972-4058 or 

cmboudreaux@stpegs.com. 


Professional Development 

Business Unit News 

By Tammy Cutts, PDBU Director 

he 42 nd Annual NIRMA conference has concluded, 

and as always, was an information-packed event. 

On Saturday, Jesse Wilkins of AIIM presented the 

Records Management Masters course while Bruce 

Miller of RIMtech led a session on Managing Records in 

Microsoft SharePoint. The pre-conference workshops are a 

standard offering at the NIRMA conference and new ones 

will be offered in 2019. 

Mitch Farbstein of Feith took advantage of Monday to 

create a track for attendees consisting of two Shop Talk 

forums for attendees to share concerns and achievements 

about specific records management topics in a small group 

setting. 

In a dedicated track on Tuesday, Margie Janney, Bruce 

Walters and Rae Lynn Haliday presented the Institute of 

Certified Records Managers (ICRM) workshop. This 

workshop covered exam prep for the Certified Records 

Analyst (CRA) and Certified Records Manager (CRM) as well 

as the special designations of Federal Specialist and Nuclear 

Specialist (NS). 

Both CRMs and CRAs are 

eligible to earn the special 

designation of NS, but the Federal 

Specialist is only available to CRMs. I encourage you to 

consider first attaining a professional certification, then sit for 

one of more of the special designations. This year Andrew 

McGavin and his PCC team revised the NS Study Guide and 

also completed work to provide electronic access to the Part 

7 NS exam through the Pearson-Vue test centers. 

For those who signed up to participate in one of NIRMA’s 

Business Units (BU), thank you. As I said at the conference, I 

encourage each member to consider their professional goals 

and offerings and then evaluate whether volunteering for a 

BU based on your goals and interests. NIRMA runs on the 

work of its volunteers and all assistance is welcome. 

Information about next year’s conference training and 

development offerings will be available after the first of the 

year. Thank you to all who attended the conference and I 

look forward to seeing you and others at the 2019 

conference! 

Anita S. Beren 

NIRMA Treasurer 

NIRMA President, Michelle Smith with 

international delegates. 

L-R: Hyeong Tae Kim (NSE Technology, Korea), Michelle 

Smith, Sadamaro Yamashita (Chairman, Japan’s Nippon 

Records Management Co Ltd.), and Shoko Arai (Japan’s 

Nippon Records Management Co Ltd.). 

Financial Holdings as of: 

10/11/2018 

Checking Account $ 22,119.35 

Investment Account $ 134,804.87 

TOTAL $ 156,924.22 


MEMBERSHIP & MARKETING (M&M) 

Business Unit News 

By Bruce Walters, M&MBU Director 

The 2019 Board of Director election 

results were communicated at the 2019 

Annual Business Meeting on Day 3 of the 

Conference. 

2019 NIRMA Board of Directors: 

discussion with his colleagues. If we 

can identify more Records, 

Document Control, and IT people to whom we can 

market NIRMA, we can increase our visibility which can 

translate into increased conference attendance. 

Something each of us can do is submit names of 

colleagues in our own facilities or offices in key roles to 

whom NIRMA would offer value (email me at 

bruce.walters@aecom.com.) We may know the 

Document Control Manager, but not the IT or Records 

Manager. Consider helping us in this way. 

L-R: Lona Smith, Janice Hoerber, Sheila Pearcy, Anita Beren, 

Rebecca Wessman, and Michelle Smith 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

President: Michelle Smith 

Vice President: Janice Hoerber 

Treasurer: Anita Beren 

Secretary: Lona Smith 

Director of Technical Programs: Rebecca Wessman 

Director of Infrastructure: Sheila Pearcy, CRA 

2019 Business Unit Directors: 

Membership & Marketing Business Unit (M&MBU) 

Director: Bruce Walters, CRM/NS 

Co-Director: Stephen Hurst 

Professional Development Business Unit (PDBU) 

Director: Tammy Cutts 

Co-Directors: TBD 

Regulations and Information Management Business 

Unit (RIMBU) 

Director: Chris Boudreaux 

Co-Director: Ben Johannsen 

As usual, we are already in the planning phase for the 

Conference next year. The M&MBU sent some talking 

points to the Chief Nuclear Officer, Tim Powell, of STP 

that he agreed to share with his fellow CNO’s at a 

meeting in August, discussing the value of NIRMA, 

asking to identify key records and IT individuals at each 

site, and to budget for their attendance at NIRMA 2019. 

We are hopeful for big results as a result of Mr. Powell’s 

Something that helps your management understand 

how the Conference benefitted you and your 

organization is to report back about how much you got 

out of the 2018 NIRMA Conference and that you want 

to continue to come. Show them their Return on 

Investment with you! We hope to see all of you, and 

others, next year. 

For those of you who did not fill out the Business 

Unit app at the Conference, know that you are welcome 

to join the M&MBU for the upcoming planning year. I 

will be sending out call-in instructions for our monthly 

conference calls to be held the 1 st Wednesday of each 

month, and will gladly add you to the list. We are 

excited for all the ideas and opportunities to help make 

NIRMA grow and be more dynamic through this year 

and at next years 43 rd Annual NIRMA Conference. 

NIRMA’s newest and most seasoned members 

connected at the 42nd Annual NIRMA Conference. 

Celeste with 8 months in the nuclear industry and 

Frank with 51 years. 


Southeast Nuclear 

Plants Respond to 

Hurricane Florence 

WASHINGTON, D.C.— 

Hurricane Florence is the latest 

significant weather event to test 

America’s nuclear energy facilities. In 

total from Georgia to Virginia, 20 

nuclear reactors at 11 sites took action 

in preparation for Florence, with 17 

continuing to run at 100 percent power 

through the storm. Two nuclear reactors 

at the Brunswick Nuclear Plant in 

North Carolina powered down in 

advance of Florence per safety procedures 

outlined by the Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission. Unrelated to prevailing 

weather conditions, another reactor at 

McGuire Nuclear Station in North 

Carolina went offline prior to the storm 

for scheduled refueling. 

History has shown that U.S. nuclear 

plants can maintain safety and 

withstand major storms – most recently 

seen as the South Texas Project kept 

running at 100 percent power through 

Hurricane Harvey. The following is a 

statement regarding the nuclear 

industry’s response to Hurricane 

Florence from Maria Korsnick, the 

Nuclear Energy Institute’s president and 

chief executive officer: 

Carolinas and Virginia. In the 

aftermath of the hurricane, nuclear 

plants across the southeast stood 

able and ready to quickly power 

hospitals and other services critical 

for emergency personnel and first 

responders. 

“As these communities begin to 

recover, the nuclear fleet is ready to 

provide electricity to homes and 

Ameren drones are now branded 

with a company logo, just like their 

trucks and other resources, to let 

customers know when the utility is 

working in their community. With 

more than 800,000 poles in Ameren 

Missouri's service territory, the 

company uses drone technology to 

inspect lines and other structures to 

maintain their energy infrastructure. 

businesses and bring a sense of 

normalcy back to the lives of 

residents. This further demonstrates 

nuclear energy’s value to the grid 

and proven resilience during 

extraordinary weather 

phenomena.” 

Article reprinted with permission of 

Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI). Read 

full article here. 

Ameren Uses Drones to 

Inspect Lines and Other Structures 

The company says that using drones 

instead of traditional ground 

methods is cost-effective, it reduces 

the risk of injury to co-workers, 

helps crews reach remote locations, 

and provides a superior view of the 

equipment – thereby improving the 

overall reliability of the service 

provided to their customers. 

“America’s nuclear power facilities 

continue to prove their structural 

strength, safety and ability to 

withstand extreme weather events. 

These robust facilities once again 

stood up to the test as Hurricane 

Florence brought record rainfall 

and catastrophic winds to the 


Bipartisan Nuclear 

Energy Legislation 

Passes Out of 

House 

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. 

House of Representatives passed the 

Nuclear Utilization of Keynote Energy 

(NUKE) Act (HR 1320), introduced by 

Reps. Kinzinger (R-Ill.) and Doyle (D- 

Pa.). The following statement can be 

attributed to Beverly Marshall, vice 

president of governmental affairs at the 

Nuclear Energy Institute: 

“The bipartisan NUKE Act sets in 

motion well-justified and timely 

steps to reform some of the U.S. 

Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s 

outdated and inefficient regulations, 

including the archaic funding 

structure developed nearly 30 years 

ago. Establishing a more 

transparent fee process and 

initiating common-sense reform will 

lift the burden of unnecessary 

regulations by the NRC. 

Furthermore, it ensures electricity 

customers are not bearing the backend 

financial burdens of this costly 

overregulation. 

“We want to thank Representatives 

Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) and Mike 

Doyle (D-PA) for their leadership 

on this bill. We look forward to 

working with the Senate on seeking 

a pathway to advancing this 

legislation.” 

NRC ruling boosts SMR build prospects 

at disused coal plants 

A new favorable ruling on Tennessee 

Valley Authority's safety methodology 

for re-sizing emergency zones could open 

up SMR build opportunities on retired 

coal sites and closer to population centers, 

Dan Stout, Senior manager, SMR 

technology at TVA, told Nuclear 

Energy Insider. 

Last month, Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission (NRC) staff 

concluded that safety 

methodology submitted by 

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) 

could be used to determine the 

size of emergency planning zones 

(EPZs) required for Small 

Modular Reactors (SMRs). 

SMR developers believe enhanced 

safety features of their designs 

warrant smaller EPZ 

requirements. TVA included the 

EPZ methodology in exemption 

requests for its Early Site Permit 

(ESP) application for new SMR 

capacity based on light water reactor 

(LWR) technology at its Clinch River 

site. 


Nuclear Energy Insider. 

Read full article here. 

Nominating 

committee 

NIRMA’s nominating committee 

for 2019 is Kathy Padilla and 

Lacey Green. Please contact 

Kathy or Lacey if you are 

interested in running for a Board 

position or if you would like to 

identify someone that they could 

approach regarding running. 

Kathy Padilla 

KDPadill@SouthernCo.com 


Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI). 

Read full article here. 

SMR developers see disused coal plants and 

industrial sites as key siting opportunities. 

(Image credit: David Lachapelle) 

Lacey Green 

llgreen@stpegs.com 


Click here to join NIRMA today. 

Editors 

Neal and Sandra Miller 

DevereauxInc@outlook.com 

Advertising 

Neal.F.Miller@gmail.com 

NIRMA Headquarters 

Sarah Perkins 

NIRMA Administrator 

245 Sunnyridge Ave., #41 

Fairfield, CT 06824 

nirma@nirma.org

Inside NIRMA Fall 2018 FINAL

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