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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.”
4 Fall 2019 NIRMA.org Inside NIRMA
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
Inside NIRMA NIRMA.org Fall 2019 5
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.
Inside NIRMA NIRMA.org Fall 2019 7
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
8 Fall 2019 NIRMA.org Inside NIRMA
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.
Inside NIRMA NIRMA.org Fall 2019 9
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
10 Fall 2019 NIRMA.org Inside NIRMA
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.
Inside NIRMA NIRMA.org Fall 2019 11
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!
12 Fall 2019 NIRMA.org Inside NIRMA
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
Inside NIRMA NIRMA.org Fall 2019 13
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
14 Fall 2019 NIRMA.org Inside NIRMA
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)
Inside NIRMA NIRMA.org Fall 2019 15
Vendors
NIRMA greatly appreciates our Conference Vendors and encourages our readers
to take a look at what each of these vendors have to offer.
16 Fall 2019 NIRMA.org Inside NIRMA
Inside NIRMA NIRMA.org Fall 2019 17
Conference Welcome Reception
18 Fall 2019 NIRMA.org Inside NIRMA
Inside NIRMA NIRMA.org Fall 2019 19
Conference Welcome Reception
20 Fall 2019 NIRMA.org Inside NIRMA
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.
Inside NIRMA NIRMA.org Fall 2019 21
Exhibitor EXTRAVAGANZA
22 Fall 2019 NIRMA.org Inside NIRMA
Inside NIRMA NIRMA.org Fall 2019 23
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.
24 Fall 2019 NIRMA.org Inside NIRMA
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.
Inside NIRMA NIRMA.org Fall 2019 25
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.
26 Fall 2019 NIRMA.org Inside NIRMA
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.
Inside NIRMA NIRMA.org Fall 2019 27
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.
28 Fall 2019 NIRMA.org Inside NIRMA
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.
Inside NIRMA NIRMA.org Fall 2019 29
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.
30 Fall 2019 NIRMA.org Inside NIRMA
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 NIRMA.org Fall 2019 31