Inside NIRMA Fall 2019 FINAL

Inside 

Leading the way in Nuclear Information and Records Management 

magazine 

Visit us at: NIRMA.org 

The End of an Era; 

The Last Operating Unit at 

Three Mile Island Generating Station 

Removed from Service 

Quality Control, the Auditing Process, for your 

Conversion Project, ST Imaging/nextScan 

Chronicles of NIM: A Retrospective on 

Information Management in Nuclear Power, 

Kismet Consulting 

Update on Digitization of Old Microfilm 

Documents, NRC 

Issue # 06, Fall 2019

Contents 

Cover Stories 

4 

7 

9 

10 

The End of an Era; The Last Operating Unit at Three Mile 

Island Generating Station Removed from Service 

Quality Control, the Auditing Process, for your Conversion 

Project 

By Matt Anderson, Vice President of Marketing, nextScan 

Update on Digitization of Old Microfilm Documents 

By Margie Janney, CRM/NS/FED, NRC 

Chronicles of NIM: A Retrospective on Information 

Management in Nuclear Power 

By Eugene Yang, Kismet Consulting 

Other Features 

12 

13 

To CRM or Not to CRM? 

That Could Be, Should Be 

Your Question! 

By Bruce Walters, CRM/NS 

2019 NIRMA Conference Pictorial 

Cover Photo: Exelon's Three Mile Island 

Generating Station in Londonderry Twp., 

PA. Reprinted with permission from 

Exelon Nuclear Corporation. 

2 Fall 2019 NIRMA.org Inside NIRMA

Scenes from the 2019 

NIRMA Conference 

CONTENTS 

in every issue 

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 

TREASURER REPORT—5 

FROM YOUR PRESIDENT—24 

VICE PRESIDENT REPORT—25 

M&MBU NEWS—26 

PDBU NEWS—27 

RIMBU NEWS—28 

INDUSTRY NEWS—29 

Inside NIRMA NIRMA.org Fall 2019 3

Three Mile Island Generating Station Unit 1 

Retires from Service After 45 Years 

Employees and community members 

celebrate its legacy of safe and reliable service 

F 

or the past 45 years, Three 

Mile Island Generating 

Station Unit 1 has been 

safely and reliably powering 

more than 830,000 homes and 

businesses with carbon-free energy. 

That legacy ended at noon, 

September 20, 2019 when operators 

took the TMI Unit 1 reactor offline 

for the final time, setting a site 

record of running 709 continuous 

days, beating the station’s previous 

record of 705 days set in 2009. 

The world-class commercial 

nuclear power facility now enters a 

new chapter. Over the next few 

weeks, workers will remove the 

reactor’s fuel supply and store it 

safely in the station’s used fuel pool. 

After that, workers will begin 

preparing the station for long-term 

decommissioning. 

Final shutdown for Three Mile Island Unit 1 (Image: Exelon) 

“Today we celebrate the proud 

legacy of TMI Unit 1 and the 

thousands of employees who 

shared our commitment to safety, 

Three Mile Island Generating Station (Image: Exelon) 

operational excellence and 

environmental stewardship for 

nearly five decades,” said Bryan 

Hanson, senior vice president and 

chief nuclear officer. “At a time 

when our communities are 

demanding more clean energy to 

address climate change, it’s 

regrettable that state law does not 

support the continued operation of 

this safe and reliable source of 

carbon-free power. It’s critical that 

we continue to pursue policy 

reform to prevent other carbonfree 

nuclear resources from being 

pushed out of the market by rules 

that fail to evenly value clean 

energy resources and at the same 

time allow emitting resources to 

pollute for free.” 


Three Mile Island Unit 1 began 

commercial operation in 

September 1974. Since Exelon 

Generation purchased TMI Unit 

1 in 2000, the plant has offset 

more than 95 million metric tons 

of carbon, the equivalent of 

keeping nearly 20 million cars off 

the road. 

Along the way, it’s estimated 

that the station and its employees 

contributed more than $3.5 billion 

into the local economy, including 

wages, taxes, charitable 

contributions and local 

purchasing. The station has been 

such a landmark in the 

Londonderry Township, PA 

community that a portrait of the 

plant is memorialized on public 

safety vehicles. 

“We salute Three Mile Island 

and its employees for the service 

and partnership they have 

provided to Londonderry 

Township and the surrounding 

communities for 45 years,” said 

Londonderry Township Manager, 

Steve Letavic. “This is a tough day 

for many. However, we look 

forward to maintaining a strong 

relationship with those at the 

facility as it enters into 

decommissioning.” 

About 300 of Three Mile Island 

Unit 1’s employees will be staying 

for the first phase of 

decommissioning. Other 

NIRMA Board and Staff: 

employees are taking on different 

roles within Exelon companies, 

and still others have elected to 

retire or move on to other 

opportunities outside the 

company. 

Thank you for hosting another 

excellent NIRMA conference! The 

conference was well-run, organized, 

and provided information that will help 

me be more effective at work. I really 

enjoyed the keynote speakers and the 

technical sessions, and I was pleased 

to see that our leadership was already 

planning next year's conference 

during the PDBU meeting. The entire 

NIRMA team delivered! 

Sincerely, 

Gil 

Gil Brueckner, CRM/NS 

Lead Engineer - Configuration Management 

GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy 

NIRMA’s Financial Holdings 

As of: September 23, 2019 

Anita S. Beren 

NIRMA Treasurer 

Checking Account $ 46,051.15 

Investment Account $ 124,623.35 

Debit Account $ 102.04 


Quality Control, the 

Auditing Process, for 

your Conversion 

Project 

By Matt Anderson, 

Vice President of Marketing, nextScan 

T 

he ability to scan quickly is 

a key feature of any 

conversion project, but only 

if you can scan accurately 

and ensure that every document has 

been captured digitally. Making sure 

that your conversion project has a 

stage dedicated to Quality Control or 

Auditing is just as critical as scanning 

speeds and image quality. 

Capture in the RAW 

The first step to being able to 

review all of the scans is to capture 

them as a RAW image file. A RAW 

image file is one that contains exactly 

what the data collected without any 

loss from compression, 

interpolation, scaling or other 

interference. This RAW data is key 

to a fast auditing process because it 

is one image file instead of multiple 

image files. It is with this RAW data 

that we can view the entire roll as a 

Ribbon and detect what we have 

captured. 

The QC Process 

The Quality Control, or Auditing 

process is critical. Without being 

able to quickly determine what had 

been captured, a worker would have 

to painfully sort through each 

individual image, adjusting each one 

and outputting the results. Auditing 

Continued on next page. 


software displays 

the entire RAW 

data file as one 

image, detecting individual frames based on 

predefined parameters. The RAW file is key when 

needing to make adjustments to the entire roll. For 

example, an entire roll may have been wound 

backwards and each image requires a mirror 

adjustment. Going through each image individually to 

perform that function would take a long time. With an 

auditing tool a user can make one adjustment and 

reflect that across the entire ribbon of RAW data. 

Similarly, if the original roll was filmed either over or 

under exposed, one quick adjustment will make those 

changes instantly to every frame, instead of adjusting 

each individually. 

The information that 

record managers 

control is vital to your 

facility. During the 

conversion process 

can you afford to miss 

a single image? 

Did You Capture It All? 

Before the final step of outputting the images, one 

last question needs to be asked. Was everything on the 

roll captured? An Auditor allows a user to see the 

entire roll of film or microfiche as a ribbon, including 

data in between frames. Using the Detect Process, the 

Auditor will locate the individual frames on that RAW 

ribbon file and draw a box around each one. Any gaps 

in the film would be easily detected and inspected 

further by the user. Now we can be sure that every 

piece of data on the roll of film was transferred to the 

ribbon which was then digitally spliced into frames. 

Output 

The RAW ribbon file, with adjustments made and 

frames detected, needs one final process - output. 

FlexScan is the industry’s leading 

3-in-1 digitization solution for 

conversion of Microfilm, Microfiche, 

and Aperture Cards. 

Normally run in 

the background, 

the output feature 

converts a fully 

audited RAW 

ribbon file into 

individual image 

file formats 

(TIFF, JPEG, 

etc.). Now an 

individual digital 

file has been 

created for each 

frame on the roll 

of microfilm. 

Additionally, with 

the required 

software, wordsearchable 

PDFs can be created at this time. These 

files can then be transferred to a secure server for 

storage and future retrieval. 

Over the past year, in the NIRMA magazine, we 

have discussed the many challenges to confidently 

convert your microfilm and microfiche to a digital 

archive. Remember, for a true digital conversion of 

your microfilm collection, make sure to use a line scan 

scanner to capture all data on the roll of fiche, 

understand the limitations of certain media – 

specifically microfiche, and to have a process ensuring 

a true digital replica of the data has been completed. 

The information that record managers control is vital 

to your facility. During the conversion process can 

you afford to miss a single image? Don’t leave your 

conversion to chance, Convert Confidently! 

“I really liked the opportunity to 

voice my questions during the 

Benchmarking Q&A Sessions for 

Utility topics and I found the 

chance to meet with various 

exhibitors highly valuable (due to 

my company looking at digitizing 

our records).” 

1st Time Attendee: Lisa Scruggs 

Senior Records & Information Analyst 

Dominion Energy 


Update on Digitization of Old 

Microfilm Documents 

By Margie Janney, CRM/NS/FED 

w 

e’ve started! This image 

(below) is the first 

microfiche document 

that the Nuclear 

Regulatory Commission (NRC) 

digitized as part of the large 

digitization project I wrote about 

in the last edition of Inside 

NIRMA Magazine. You’ll 

notice that it’s the transmittal 

letter for Three Mile Island’s 

Monthly Operating Report for 

the month of February 1979. I 

imagine the next month’s report 

had a little more to say! (You 

may remember the Three Mile 

Island Unit 2 reactor, near 

Middletown, Pennsylvania, 

partially melted down on March 

28, 1979.) 

As of September 23, 

2019, the NRC has scanned 

24,597 microfiche, which 

represents 22.86% of the 

microfiche collection of 

NUDOCS documents in the 

ADAMS Legacy Library. Those 

24,597 microfiche comprised 

504,711 PDFs (records), which 

represents 22.07% of the 

NUDOCS collection. Of those, 

we have successfully added 

97,299 records and existing 

ADAMS Legacy Library profile 

data into the ADAMS Main 

Library. 

We’re on pace to complete 

the digitization of the microfiche 

collection by the end of 2020. We 

will be starting the digitization of 

aperture cards and Atomic Energy 

Commission paper documents prior 

to that date. 


A Retrospective on Information Management 

in Nuclear Power 

One of the best things in my career 

has been crossing paths with great 

people who have a passion for 

information management. In this 

issue, you folks are in for a treat, as 

I’ve invited Bob Larrivee of Bob 

Larrivee Consultancy to be my guest 

in this column. Bob has been around 

a bunch of blocks over his career, 

and always has great stories and 

perspectives to share. Enjoy! 

What’s Old is New 

By Bob Larrivee 

F 

irst, thank 

you to 

Eugene 

Yang for 

allowing me to 

participate with him 

on this article. 

Eugene and I have 

known each other 

for many years now, and at NIRMA 

2019, we were reminiscing about the 

“good old days”. One story in 

particular that really struck home is 

that many years ago when I was 

working at Wang Laboratories, I had 

the privilege of being part of a think 

tank where “proof-of-concept” was 

the focus. At that time, I worked on 

the use of voice recognition, facial 

recognition, digital annotation, and 

much more. We even developed a 

zero PC Footprint cubical 

environment, and believe it or not, a 

mahogany PC for a corporate 

executive. 

By Eugene Y. Yang, KISMET Consulting, Inc. 

One of the many things I 

was privileged to work on was what 

we called the “remote office 

connection” (ROC). In 1987, at the 

Wang User Conference, I 

demonstrated the use of a laptop 

computer in Boston, MA to access a 

PC desktop located in my office at 

the HQ in Lowell, MA. Once 

connected, I accessed the Wang mini 

-computer in my lab that then 

connected us to an application on a 

mainframe computer. Back then, 

communication was done through 

modems over the telephone system 

and it was slow…but effective! 

Many folks were amazed it could be 

done, and at the same time, 

questioning the business value. 

(Remember, this was 1987 when 

remote workers were not even a 

passing thought.) 

Back then, we could only 

imagine how far this would go once 

Wang Laptop 

technology 

allowed more 

flexibility and 

bandwidth. Following NIRMA 

2019, as I was flying home at thirtysix 

thousand feet, I connected to the 

Internet using on-board Wi-Fi. 

While online, I connected to 

OneDrive to access some files I 

required. I then made some minor 

corrections to a document, rather 

than copying it and then having to 

reload it later. Think about what I 

had done: I was now able to do what 

I had demonstrated in 1987, but 

without requiring a landline to 

connect, and from thirty-six 

thousand feet! 

Wang Optical Drive 

In my view, the capabilities 

we have and take for granted today, 

are really works of wonder. In 1987, 

folks thought what I had shown was 

amazing yet could not see value. 

Today, everyone is connected and 

performing as if they were in the 

office next to you, even though they 

are half-way around the globe or 


Take a moment and look around you. Think 

about how much has changed since you were younger. 

For me, smartphones are now processing more 

information than my PC could years ago. Connectivity 

is wireless. Video calls – once considered Jetsonian - 

are available to all. (If you aren’t familiar with the term 

“Jetsonian”, look up “The Jetsons”.) Now we have 

robotics in both physical and software form. Artificial 

intelligence is embedded in many applications and soon 

wearable devices will include contact lenses that serve as 

both a camera and a projector. 

Wang Freestyle 

flying over your head. Technology enables us to 

approach the world very differently and takes on a 

whole new dimension in every part of our lives. Wi-Fi 

and portable/mobile devices enable us to be online 

24/7, communicating and sharing with colleagues, 

family, and friends. If for some reason it is not readily 

available, we get frustrated. 

In the nuclear industry, we will 

see mini- and micro-reactors 

now in development with NASA 

for use in space, but potentially 

here on earth as well. Just 

imagine that you are assigned to 

an interplanetary nuclear power 

project. How will you 

communicate, capture 

information, and manage it? ... 

The time to think about it is now. 

The time to plan on it is now. 

In the nuclear industry, we will see mini- and 

micro-reactors now in development with NASA for use 

in space, but potentially here on earth as well. Just 

imagine that you are assigned to an interplanetary 

nuclear power project. How will you communicate, 

capture information, and manage it? How will 

monitoring the facility be managed? Use of robotics? 

Perhaps. The time to think about it is now. The time to 

plan on it is now. As content curators, you will be faced 

with new, uncharted challenges in managing 

information. Technology is part of the answer. 

Knowing what it is and being able to see the potential in 

your operations is the key. 

It is an amazing universe we live in and an 

amazing journey we are on that is ever changing. Enjoy 

the ride. 

Inducted into the AIIM Company of Fellows in 2019, 

Bob Larrivee is the President and Founder of Bob 

Larrivee Consultancy. With over 34 years in the 

industry, Bob is a recognized expert in the application 

of advanced technologies and process improvement to 

solve business problems and enhance business operations. 

He also serves as a Technology Journalist for Document 

Strategy. 

Eugene has been a member of NIRMA for over 

33 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. 


To CRM or Not to CRM? 

That Could Be, Should Be 

Your Question! 

N 

one of us were born thinking 

that when we are all grown 

up, we want to be a CRM. I 

probably wanted to be a 

major league baseball player. My 

friend Dave, who went on to be the 

President of ARMA International 

and the Institute of Certified 

Records Managers (ICRM), was 

going to play football at Boise State 

and probably would have if only … 

well, that story can be told another 

day (broke his dad’s heart, he did!). 

Bruce Walters addressing NIRMA 

Conference attendees on the importance of 

obtaining their certification 

I’ve heard it said that you have to 

be really smart to get to be a CRM. 

I’ve heard others say the ICRM is an 

elitist club full of snooty people. 

Others have said it is just too hard to 

do. To me, of those options, I will 

admit that studying and passing all 

six of the exams was not the easiest 

thing I have ever done, so the latter 

was closer to my heart. Some even 

suggested that the only reason any of 

us did it was to get a promotion or 

pay raise. I couldn’t disagree more. 

By Bruce Walters, CRM/NS 

Why go to all that trouble? I can 

only speak for myself, and well, it 

was the challenge. I had heard the 

stories, the comments. I didn’t care 

about all of that. I wanted to prove 

something to myself. Not to my 

boss, not to my wife, not to my kids 

(although it was an object lesson for 

my kids). Back in the late 1980’s, I 

decided that I was going to sit for 

the exams. I quickly learned that I 

didn’t know quite as much about 

Records Management as I thought. 

But I also learned that when 

challenged, I was willing to do 

what it took. I studied topics 

where I had no previous 

exposure. I found records 

management friends who 

were willing to share their 

knowledge of what they did to 

help teach me. I read books 

and professional magazine 

articles. Remember, these 

were the dark days of 

civilization … there was no 

internet to explore (gasp!!). 

What I discovered was that the 

process we must go through to 

become a CRM made me a smarter 

records guy. I grew in knowledge 

and confidence. 

Like some other CRM 

candidates, I experienced a few 

bumps in the road. I failed a couple 

sections. It made me mad, at the 

system and at myself, but it 

motivated me to succeed. It took 

me three years, but I did it. I passed 

the exams and 

became a CRM. 

Since then, I have 

helped mentor a number of CRM 

candidates and have graded Part 6 

essay exams. And most recently, 

applying the same rationale, I passed 

the NS exam. 

Now, should you become a 

CRM … or a CRA? Could you 

become one? If you have the 

experience and education to qualify 

for sitting for the exams, then 

definitely yes! If you have 

considered sitting for the exams, 

don’t prejudge and quit on yourself 

before you even begin. Attend 

NIRMA Conference sessions to 

learn about how to prepare for the 

exams. Buy a preparation handbook 

from the ICRM Bookstore (click 

here) and other publications. Speak 

to any of us who are CRMs in 

NIRMA. But it really starts with 

you. Go on, complete the 

application at least. Or else you 

need to look yourself in the mirror 

and try explaining to yourself why 

you shouldn’t. I’d suggest starting 

with the CRA (passing Parts 2, 3 and 

4), like Sheila Pearcy, Director Of 

Infrastructure, has done. Then the 

five-year clock to pass all parts goes 

away. 

If yes is your answer, you will find 

folks in your corner, encouraging 

you and assisting you as your 

challenge begins. Game on! 


Pre-Conference Workshop 

“My boss and I attended the early 

session together “Mapping out a 

Modern Process Flow”. It happened 

that I was in the middle of trying to 

figure out how to use a mapping 

process for a particularly difficult task 

in my job. It was great to have Bob 

there to answer questions and he 

followed up with me later in the week, 

as well. My process mapping was 

completed the next week and allowed 

our project to stay on track.” 

Bob Larrivee presenting the 

interactive pre-conference 

workshop, Do You See the Flow? The 

workshop focused on ways to 

improve the work flow process with 

or without technology by 

understanding the importance of 

process maps; identifying areas for 

improvement; assessing the impact 

of process change; and preparing a 

future state vision. 

First Time Attendee: Tami Ellis 

Supervisor, Records Management 

Framatome 


The 2019 New Conference Attendees 

New Attendee Orientation Facilitators (L-R): Eugene 

Yang, Rebecca Wessman and Rich Giska 

“I think NIRMA puts on a very well put together 

conference, does a great job planning the 

conference (speakers, food, hotel, etc.), and 

seems to have good participation of members, 

especially during the conference. It was also great 

to be so welcomed into the organization as a new 

comer.” 

Quentin Newell 

Engineering Supervisor 

Urenco USA 

“I found it very helpful that I was able to 

take back to my organization the 

information on how I can achieve 

certification(s) and understanding the ICRM 

organization and certification process.” 

Cindy Ehrgott 

Nuclear Facility Specialist 

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory 


KEYNOTE SPEAKERS 

Waco Bankston, General 

Manager, STP Nuclear Operating 

Co. 

Nick Inglis, CIP, IGP, Executive Director, 

Content & Programming, ARMA International → 

Jessica Pacheco, Vice President, External 

Affairs, Arizona Public Service Co. 

Bruce Covert, PMP, CSP, President and Project 

Manager, Nuclear Waste Partnership, LLC 

Rod McCullum, Senior Director, Used Fuel and 

Decommissioning, Nuclear Energy Institute 

(NEI) 


Vendors 

NIRMA greatly appreciates our Conference Vendors and encourages our readers 

to take a look at what each of these vendors have to offer. 



Conference Welcome Reception 



Conference Welcome Reception 


NIRMA President, Michelle Smith 

provides the welcome and opening remarks 

at the 43rd Annual NIRMA Conference 

attendees. 

Eugene Yang (Kismet Consulting) facilitates 

panel discussion on “Information Management 

Force Reductions—Lessons Learned and 

Ramifications. Panel (L-R): Bill Clover 

(Exelon), Shana House (AmerenUE), Robin 

Whicker (Duke Energy), and Lona Smith 

(STP). 

Joe Shepley, VP, Doculabs discusses Content 

Analytics & Information Governance Benefits for 

Nuclear. 


Exhibitor EXTRAVAGANZA 



From the President 

Michelle M. Smith 

H 

ere we are in the last quarter 

of 2019. We had a 

wonderful Conference this 

past August as our 

presenters spoke on issues that are 

relevant to the Nuclear Industry and 

presented us with challenges that will 

help define our future. While the 

nuclear industry continues to evolve, 

our facilities will continue looking 

for efficiencies to drive changes to 

help the nuclear economy. 

A significant part of creating the 

path for the future is ensuring 

alignment with our goals. Each 

board member has been tasked with 

reviewing the 2019 goals and 

providing recommendations to 

develop the 2020 goals. The board 

has identified several things that we 

were able to accomplish this year, 

which directly supported our 2019 

goals: 

• Increase Membership - The 

board with the help of the 

Business Unit Directors were able 

to contact utilities to provide 

awareness and work towards 

increasing NIRMA’s membership. 

• Website Enhancements - This 

year we have continued to 

implement changes to the website 

to ensure a friendlier environment 

for our members. 

• Outreach - This year NIRMA 

offered additional outreach 

through providing training to 

Emirates Nuclear Energy 

Corporation Abu Dhabi. 

Emirates Nuclear Energy 

Corporation is the entity 

responsible for the deployment, 

ownership and operation of 

nuclear energy plants in the 

United Arab Emirates. NIRMA, 

contacted by ENEC polled the 

membership for the right 

candidate to represent NIRMA, 

Mr. Eugene Yang, a lifetime 

member of NIRMA volunteered 

to represent NIRMA. 

Mr. Eugene Yang, recognized for 

his efforts during the NIRMA 

Conference, is a great example of 

how NIRMA members can 

continue to contribute to the 

industry and make a difference in 

the future of NIRMA. 

• Educational Opportunities - At 

the conference Bob Larrivee, a 

long-term partner with NIRMA 

provided pre-conference training 

for our membership. 

• Continue Growth - One 

technique of ensuring the 

continued growth of our industry 

is to share strategies and 

processes with others. This is 

where NIRMA can help; by 

presenting your topic at our next 

conference or making suggestions 

on how we can obtain additional 

information. Sharing information 

with our Industry will provide the 

nuclear industry with ideas and 

techniques to implement value 

added initiatives for the future. 

In the past, we had several vendors 

and utilities attend the conference 

and share information on Mobile 

Work Management. This initiative 

helped drive efficiencies within our 

industry. With the implementation of 

electronic devices in the field, it 

helped to eliminate the use of 

hardcopy documents and save time 

for the maintenance workers. Many 

utilities now utilize a form of mobile 

work management to perform 

maintenance activities. Additionally, 

the Standard Design Process was 

developed to assist nuclear facilities 

to achieve one of the Nuclear 

Promise goals. We now have a 

standard Document Change Process 

that is utilized throughout the 

industry. These are just a couple 

ideas that have made a difference for 

our industry. 

What will be the next hot topic? 

We are counting on our membership 

to continue to share initiatives and 

spread the word. Your colleagues 

throughout the industry would love 

to hear how your plant has 

implemented new processes to drive 

efficiencies. All thoughts, 

suggestions, and ideas can be 

submitted to nirma@nirma.org. 


NIRMA 2019 CONFERENCE: 

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED 

By Janice Hoerber, NIRMA Vice President 

T 

he NIRMA 2019 Conference offered a great 

experience. Based on the feedback we 

received, the networking and good 

conversations for learning and sharing created 

a solid forum. We thank everyone who attended and 

participated to make the conference a success. The goal 

was to provide a platform of learning and engagement, 

to make you THINK in new ways, and to keep your 

passion engaged when you returned to your workplace. 

Mission accomplished! 

studies of innovation, leadership, and lessons learned. 

We are excited to announce that the 

NIRMA 2020 conference will be moving to 

an alternate Palms Conference area on the 

same JW Marriott Las Vegas property, 

August 2-4, 2020. 

Our sincere appreciation goes out to the distinguished 

speakers and keynotes who gave their time to share 

meaningful messages for our careers and industry 

knowledge. We thank the Vendor Exhibitors for 

participating in this year's conference and contributing 

to the technical sessions. Their loyal support is 

invaluable and enables NIRMA to stay current on new 

solutions and technologies. Last but not least, we 

extend our gratitude to the NIRMA Lifetime members 

who joined us -- Eugene Yang, Margie Janney, Rich 

Giska, and Frank Koscis as they continue to devote 

their time and resources to benefit the organization. 

We managed the conference expenses closely this year 

for NIRMA to likely end on a positive financial note for 

2019. This is not a trivial task, but the JW Marriott 

continues to be a great partner to NIRMA with reduced 

room rates, optional resort fee, and discounts on the 

conference food and audio-visual services. 

NIRMA will be changing things up for the 2020 

conference to revitalize the tracks and session topics to 

meet the needs of a broader audience and encourage 

more grass-roots sessions from the industry. The 

feedback from this year's conference desires more 

sessions to hear what went well and what didn't 

(operating experience) with the challenges faced. We 

will soon have a fresh Call for Papers to attract more 

presentation topics so the new attendee might dive 

deeper into the fundamentals if desired, while the 

experienced audience might focus on unique case 

This is a fresh change with modern breakout rooms in 

the Palms Tower having outside light. The Sunday 

"Keynote day" may evolve to a half day if we are 

successful in attracting more technical sessions 

especially presented by attendees with a story to share! 

The way you do business is rapidly transforming 

whether it is through change in processes, people, or 

technology. NIRMA encourages each of you to 

consider what story you have to tell from your 

workplace or company transformation! Take advantage 

of NIRMA's group discount registration next year by 

planning now to bring your colleague, your boss, and 

your Information Technology teammates to present & 

participate in NIRMA 2020. 


MEMBERSHIP & MARKETING 

(M&M) 

Business Unit News 

By Bruce Walters, M&MBU Director 

2020 Board of Directors (L-R): Michelle Smith, Bruce Walters, Anita Beren, Sheila Pearcy, 

Lona Smith and Janice Hoerber 

veterans, which means providing a 

full spectrum of sessions to meet 

your goals. Therefore, what would 

be additionally helpful is for you to 

take a moment and complete our 

2020 Conference Survey that is 

coming out in early October. Again, 

this is your association. We want all 

our members to get the most out of 

their membership, so your input will 

be huge in directing us in how to 

support your needs and wants. 

T 

he 2020 Board of Directors 

election results were 

communicated to the 

attendees at the 2019 Annual 

Business Meeting on Day 3 of the 

Conference in August. Here are the 

Board assignments for next year, as 

follows: 

• President: Michelle Smith 

• Vice President: Janice Hoerber 

• Treasurer: Anita Beren 

• Secretary: Sheila Pearcy, CRA 

• Director of Technical Programs: 

Lona Smith 

• Director of Infrastructure: 

Bruce Walters, CRM/NS 

2020 Business Unit Directors: 

• Membership & Marketing 

Business Unit (M&MBU) 

Director: Kathi Cole, CRM 

 

Co-Director: Denise 

Pickett, CRM/NS/FED 

• Professional Development 

Business Unit (PDBU) 

Director: Tammy Cutts 

Co-Director: Lou Rofrano 

• Regulations and Information 

Management Business Unit 

(RIMBU) 

Director: Chris Boudreaux 

Co-Director: Shana House 

It is never too early to begin 

planning the next conference. The 

Board is appreciative of the feedback 

members provided to our Post- 

Conference Survey. It was very 

meaningful, especially identifying 

where we needed to improve for 

next year. The Board wants the 2020 

conference to meet the needs of the 

novice through the seasoned 

Kathi Cole and Lona Smith will be 

representing NIRMA at the annual 

ARMA Conference in Nashville in 

late October. We will have a booth 

and a new flyer that will promote 

NIRMA to more Records 

Management professionals. 

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. We 

hold monthly conference calls on the 

first Wednesday of each month. 

Email either me or Kathi Cole to let 

us know of your interest and we will 

add you to the call list. 

bruce.walters@aecom.com or 

kathi.cole@lm.doe.gov 

We are excited for all the ideas and 

opportunities to help make NIRMA 

and its members blossom. 


Professional Development 

Business Unit News 

Tammy Cutts, PDBU Director 

T 

he 2019 conference was a 

notable one for the 

PDBU. At the top of the 

list is the announcement 

of a co-director. Lou Rofrano 

of AMS Store and Shred 

volunteered to step into that 

role. Lou has a lot of energy and 

great ideas he’s bringing to the 

role and I’m very excited to 

welcome him as co-director. 

We were 

able to recognize 

three individuals 

at the conference 

as well. Bruce 

Walters of 

Aecom and Gil 

Brueckner with 

GE both achieved 

Additional Andy McGavin was recognized for 

his work in leading 

the review of the NS 

exam and study guide 

content, which must 

be done periodically. 

As a result of his 

team's work on this, 

the NS exam was able 

to be offered to 

Bruce and Gil 

electronically via 

Pearson Vue testing centers. This was a significant 

change from previous exams that had to be taken and 

evaluated by hand. 

Finally, we held a brainstorming session during 

the conference. The session attendees provided great 

feedback and suggestions for PDBU to implement in 

providing opportunities for our members to use for 

professional development. 

the Nuclear Specialist 

(NS) designation to add 

on to their Certified 

Records Manager (CRM) 

certification. NIRMA 

President Michelle 

Smith presented both 

individuals with their NS 

certificates. 


News from the Regulatory 

Information Management 

Business Unit (RIMBU) 

T 

he Regulatory Information Management 

Business Unit (RIMBU) team members met 

following the 43 rd Annual NIRMA Conference. 

Major topics covered during the Summer 

Meeting were: Cloud Storage of Records, Video as a QA 

Record, Benchmarking Q&A Forum, Electronic 

Signature, Less with Less, Verification of Records once 

processed into an EDMS, and status of the NIRMA/ 

ANSI CM 1.0 5-year revision. 

We were excited this year to have several new and 

returning members at the RIMBU Summer Meeting 

including: Meg Milligan, Trela Norton, Lynn Purdy, 

Andrea Matazinski Wilson, Darlene Angle, Angela 

Olson, and Robin Whicker. 

By Chris Boudreaux, 

RIMBU Business Unit Director 

RIMBU to produce White Paper on Cloud 

Computing and Applications 

The RIMBU team has aligned on the development of 

a white paper to guide the Nuclear Industry in various 

considerations as we make our way into Cloud 

computing and applications. The document will serve as 

a tool to educate industry participants in several areas 

for consideration when developing Cloud strategy 

including legal issues, regulatory compliance, security, 

audits, and more. The initial framework for this 

document will be presented during the October RIMBU 

phone call. 

Recognition went out to RIMBU Members as follows: 

• Eugene Yang – Volunteer efforts with Emirates 

Nuclear 

• Rich Giska, Lori Roddy, Ronnie Trujillo – 

NIRMA/ANSI 1.0 5-Year Revision 

• Lori Roddy and Chris Boudreaux – stepping up 

last fall for Linda Mar 

• Bill Clover – coordination of ANI communications 

• Rich Giska – CMBG Representation 

Election of RIMBU Co-Director 

The RIMBU team held an election to fill the vacant 

Co-Director position to which Shana House was 

elected by peers to assume the role. Shana House has 

served with RIMBU for multiple years and assisted with 

revisions and reviews of several of the active reference 

documents for NIRMA. Shana House currently works 

with Ameren. 

PP-08: Electronic Signature Position Paper 

Bill Clover presented the final draft of the Electronic 

Signature position paper to the RIMBU team who went 

on to provide comments ahead of the release of this 

document to the NIRMA Membership. This document 

will provide guidance on the implementation of 

Electronic Signature methods to the Nuclear Industry. 

RIMBU to produce 

White Paper on Less with Less 

The RIMBU team has aligned on the development of 

a white paper to guide the Nuclear Industry in best 

practices surrounding RM processes as we take on the 

challenge of doing less with less resources. The team 

was very engaged as we discussed the framework for 

this white paper which will cover many areas around 

storage of records, processing of records, managing 

backlog, etc. The team is focused on producing the 

framework for this white paper and having the initial 

team review during the September RIMBU phone call. 

RIMBU Spring Meeting 2020 

The team has a tentative location and dates for the 

upcoming Spring Meeting which will be at Tennessee 

Valley Authority in Chattanooga, TN on March 10 & 

11, 2020. We will release more information as we get 

closer to the dates related to the agenda and travel 

accommodations. 

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. 


Setting the Record Straight on the Three Most Common 

Misconceptions Around Nuclear Energy 

If you are following the news, you 

have probably seen more climate 

issues in the headlines, on social 

media and even on television shows. 

Most recently, the Democratic 

presidential debates and CNN 

Climate Town Hall provided a 

platform for candidates to share 

their energy policies. One topic of 

contention is the role of nuclear 

carbon-free energy in helping to 

solve climate change. 

While there is a growing consensus 

by scientists and voices within the 

environmental community that 

nuclear energy is essential for 

decarbonization, it’s clear that the 

Democratic candidates are not on 

the same page when it comes to 

nuclear energy. And the media has 

picked up on the divide: 

• New York Magazine: On Climate, 

Sanders and Warren Must Go 

Nuclear 

• The Washington Post: Don’t trust 

candidates who ignore nuclear 

power 

• The Verge: Democrats are divided 

on using nuclear power to stop 

climate change 

Thankfully, these disagreements 

have left room for more 

comprehensive and honest 

conversations around nuclear, which 

are long-overdue. 

As the field of Democratic 

candidates begins to narrow, it’s 

important to set the record straight 

on nuclear. Here are three of the 

most common misconceptions that 

you should be on the watch for as 

debates continue: 

1. Until we can solve the waste 

issue, nuclear energy isn’t a 

good option. The waste issue 

dates back decades ago when the 

federal government agreed to 

take ownership of nuclear waste 

and find a solution to 

permanently store it. 

Unfortunately, the politics on 

how best to manage it led to a 

stalemate, leaving nuclear plant 

owners responsible for managing 

it at the expense of tax payers. 

What’s frustrating is this issue 

has already been solved. 

Scientific research says the most 

viable solution is to store used 

fuel at a geological repository like 

Yucca Mountain. But to move 

forward with Yucca Mountain, 

Congress must grant funding to 

complete the process. 

In the meantime, the nuclear 

industry knows exactly where its 

waste is, and it’s safely contained 

(which can’t be said for all 

energy sources). Nuclear plant 

owners store their used fuel onsite 

based on stringent 

requirements set by the 

government. Plus, there isn’t 

really much used fuel out there. 

Nearly seven decades of waste 

from using nuclear power would 

only cover a football field to a 

depth of less than 10 yards. 

Ultimately, losing nuclear 

power—the largest source of 

carbon-free electricity in the 

United States—because of a 

political issue would set us back 

in reaching our climate goals. 

2. Nuclear energy isn’t safe. Bill 

Gates, an advocate of nuclear 

energy, has said that the safety 

record of the nuclear industry is 

unmatched by any other energy 

source. And he’s right. Safety is 

engrained in the culture of every 

nuclear plant. 

America’s nuclear power plants 

have an excellent track record 

and are among the safest and 

most secure industrial facilities in 

the country. And the nuclear 

industry has a tough, 

independent regulator that 

ensures they stay that way. 

Some opponents point to 

Chernobyl or other events like 

Three Mile Island (TMI) or 

Fukushima as reasons to phase 

out nuclear. But what happened 

at Chernobyl simply could not 

happen here. That event was the 

product of a faulty reactor design 

not used in the U.S. 

Article reprinted with permission 

of NEI. Read full article here. 


Andrew Yang Loves Thorium 

Nuclear Reactors, 

But What Are They? 

Lately an unfamiliar type of 

advanced reactor has been getting 

more attention, because one 

Democratic presidential candidate 

has been talking about it. Andrew 

Yang, a tech entrepreneur, has 

put development of thorium 

reactors into his climate change 

platform. 

But what is a thorium reactor? 

Thorium is an abundant, lightly 

radioactive metal (named by its 

Swedish discoverer after the Norse 

god, Thor) that can be used in 

certain types of nuclear reactors. It 

isn’t really fuel, because it can’t be 

split like uranium can. But when 

thorium is placed in a reactor, it 

absorbs some of the neutrons that 

are given off by fission. A thorium 

atom that picks up a neutron 

becomes a new element—uranium 

233, which is a reactor fuel. So, a 

reactor can cook thorium into 

reactor fuel, and then consume the 

fuel to make electricity. 

Thorium is about three times 

more abundant than uranium. It’s 

already produced by mining 

companies as a byproduct, and it 

has a variety of non-nuclear uses. 

Plus, used fuel from thorium 

reactors contains minimal amounts 

of very long-lived radioactive 

materials compared to current 

uranium fuel, so disposing of waste 

is easier. 

There are no thorium reactors 

running today, but Flibe Energy 

Inc., a startup based in Huntsville, 

Alabama, has an advanced reactor 

design that uses thorium and 

molten salt. Employing molten salt 

in place of water (to transfer heat 

from the fuel) allows a reactor to 

operate at a higher temperature and 

at lower pressure, which means it 

doesn’t need a super-strong and 

expensive reactor vessel and piping. 

Heat from a high-temperature 

thorium reactor—whether molten 

salt or other—could be used in a 

variety of applications to displace 

fossil fuels, such as producing 

hydrogen for transportation or 

industrial use. Like all reactors, a 

thorium reactor would be carbonfree. 

And it would be dispatchable, 

meaning that it would run when 

needed and not simply when 

weather conditions permitted. 

Thanks to work done in the U.S. 

national laboratories in the 1960s, 

the molten salt that Flibe proposes 

for a thorium reactor is already 

familiar to engineers. Still, deploying 

thorium reactors will require 

additional research and 

development, which is why Yang 

has proposed $50 billion dollars for 

thorium research (along with 

fusion). 

Article reprinted with permission 

of NEI. Read full article here. 

Rolls-Royce Group 

Wins Funding 

as UK SMR Race 

Gathers Pace 

The UK SMR Consortium has 

received financial backing from the 

UK government to advance its 

small modular reactor programme, 

as part of the Industrial Strategy 

Challenge Fund. 

The consortium, led by Rolls- 

Royce, comprises Assystem, SNC 

Lavalin/Atkins, Wood, Arup, Laing 

O’Rourke, BAM Nuttall, Siemens, 

National Nuclear Laboratory, and 

Nuclear AMRC. 

“The £18 million [US$22.3 

million] government funding for 

phase 1 of the programme (from 

the ISCF Wave 3 bid we were 

recommended from by 

government) is being matched by 

industry funding in the 

consortium,” Ben Todd, Rolls- 

Royce Communications Business 

Manager – Nuclear, told Nuclear 

Energy Insider. 

“It’s a really big boost to the 

project, however we have a 

conservative outlook and realise 

there remains a significant amount 

of work still to do and many 

hurdles to overcome. Phase 2 will 

be a further circa £500 million 

[US$618 million] total (matched 

Continued on next page. 


to generate high-value products 

such as hydrogen. 

Rolls-Royce Group Wins Funding 

as UK SMR Race Gathers Pace, continued 

The MMR-REM design is 

advanced and has undergone the 

Vendor Design Review (VDR) 

Phase 1 with the Canadian Nuclear 

Safety Commission (CNSC). 

from government, industry and 

possibly equity providers) to take 

through to the completion of the 

GDA process.” 

The initiative was launched in 

November 2015, as a range of 

measures to support the next 

generation of nuclear power plants. 

It included investing £250 million 

[US$310 million] in nuclear R&D 

over five years and launching the 

competition to identify the most 

cost effective SMR design. 

“We are waiting for the 

government award of the grant 

offer letter forecast in mid-October 

to enable industry commitment to 

the next phase,” said Todd. 

“We have a power station design 

that is ready to be prepared for the 

UK licensing process and just as 

importantly, we have a business 

case that has been rigorously 

reviewed by the UK Government, 

UKRI, and the independent Expert 

Finance Working Group. Together 

this is already creating a lot of 

interest in the market place which 

gives us belief and confidence that 

we have a great power station.” 

Feasibility studies and funds for 

non-LWR 

In June 2018, the UK 

government's £200 million Nuclear 

Sector Deal was announced to cut 

the cost of nuclear power and 

bolster the UK skills base, at a time 

when fears were rising over 

scientists leaving the UK due to 

Brexit. That deal included £56 

million towards the development 

and licensing of advanced modular 

reactor designs – and £32 million 

pounds towards advanced 

manufacturing research – against 

stiff competition from Canada in 

the SMR race. 

Eight non-light water reactor 

(non-LWR) vendors each received 

£4 million to perform detailed 

technical and commercial feasibility 

studies. Those vendors are 

Advanced Reactor Concepts, DBD, 

LeadCold, Moltex Energy, 

Tokamak Energy, U- 

Battery Developments, Ultra Safe 

Nuclear Corporation (USNC), and 

Westinghouse Electric Company 

UK. 

USNC said that its MMR-REM 

plant, being developed for Canada, 

may not be the best solution for the 

UK market and is identifying a 

specific UK application that is best 

suited to launching a UK-MMR 

reactor. USNC expects that this will 

be in the delivery of high 

temperature process heat that can 

be used to replace fossil fuels and 

Moltex Energy, which is also 

focussing in Canada, is working on 

its Stable Salt Reactor (SSR) design. 

Moltex chose not to pursue the 

licensing process in the U.S. due to 

low gas prices and the number of 

U.S.-based developers competing 

for early-stage funding. Design 

review processes in the UK and 

Canada are also seen as more 

supportive for new technology 

licensing as the national regulators 

use a principles-based analysis 

rather than prescriptive approach. 

Moltex has used conventional 

components and materials already 

qualified in the nuclear sector 

where possible to benefit from 

quick deployment timelines. It says 

licensing of the SSR plant could be 

completed in five years and that 

construction time for a FOAK 300 

MW plant would be three years. 

The Westinghouse Lead-cooled 

Fast Reactor is a 400 MW plant 

which uses liquid lead as primary 

coolant and uranium oxide (or U- 

Pu oxide) as fuel, while LeadCold is 

proposing a lead-cooled reactor 

using uranium nitride fuel. A single 

SEALER-UK unit produces up to 

40 MW of electricity in a vessel that 

can be transported by rail rail. 

Article reprinted with permission of 

Nuclear Energy Insider. Read full article 

here.

Inside NIRMA Fall 2019 FINAL

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