Inside NIRMA Fall 2019 FINAL
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<strong>Inside</strong><br />
Leading the way in Nuclear Information and Records Management<br />
magazine<br />
Visit us at: <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org<br />
The End of an Era;<br />
The Last Operating Unit at<br />
Three Mile Island Generating Station<br />
Removed from Service<br />
Quality Control, the Auditing Process, for your<br />
Conversion Project, ST Imaging/nextScan<br />
Chronicles of NIM: A Retrospective on<br />
Information Management in Nuclear Power,<br />
Kismet Consulting<br />
Update on Digitization of Old Microfilm<br />
Documents, NRC<br />
Issue # 06, <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong>
Contents<br />
Cover Stories<br />
4<br />
7<br />
9<br />
10<br />
The End of an Era; The Last Operating Unit at Three Mile<br />
Island Generating Station Removed from Service<br />
Quality Control, the Auditing Process, for your Conversion<br />
Project<br />
By Matt Anderson, Vice President of Marketing, nextScan<br />
Update on Digitization of Old Microfilm Documents<br />
By Margie Janney, CRM/NS/FED, NRC<br />
Chronicles of NIM: A Retrospective on Information<br />
Management in Nuclear Power<br />
By Eugene Yang, Kismet Consulting<br />
Other Features<br />
12<br />
13<br />
To CRM or Not to CRM?<br />
That Could Be, Should Be<br />
Your Question!<br />
By Bruce Walters, CRM/NS<br />
<strong>2019</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong> Conference Pictorial<br />
Cover Photo: Exelon's Three Mile Island<br />
Generating Station in Londonderry Twp.,<br />
PA. Reprinted with permission from<br />
Exelon Nuclear Corporation.<br />
2 <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>
Scenes from the <strong>2019</strong><br />
<strong>NIRMA</strong> Conference<br />
CONTENTS<br />
in every issue<br />
Editors<br />
Neal and Sandra Miller<br />
DevereauxInc@outlook.com<br />
Advertising<br />
Neal.F.Miller@gmail.com<br />
<strong>NIRMA</strong> Headquarters<br />
Sarah Perkins<br />
<strong>NIRMA</strong> Administrator<br />
245 Sunnyridge Ave., #41<br />
Fairfield, CT 06824<br />
nirma@nirma.org<br />
TREASURER REPORT—5<br />
FROM YOUR PRESIDENT—24<br />
VICE PRESIDENT REPORT—25<br />
M&MBU NEWS—26<br />
PDBU NEWS—27<br />
RIMBU NEWS—28<br />
INDUSTRY NEWS—29<br />
<strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 3
Three Mile Island Generating Station Unit 1<br />
Retires from Service After 45 Years<br />
Employees and community members<br />
celebrate its legacy of safe and reliable service<br />
F<br />
or the past 45 years, Three<br />
Mile Island Generating<br />
Station Unit 1 has been<br />
safely and reliably powering<br />
more than 830,000 homes and<br />
businesses with carbon-free energy.<br />
That legacy ended at noon,<br />
September 20, <strong>2019</strong> when operators<br />
took the TMI Unit 1 reactor offline<br />
for the final time, setting a site<br />
record of running 709 continuous<br />
days, beating the station’s previous<br />
record of 705 days set in 2009.<br />
The world-class commercial<br />
nuclear power facility now enters a<br />
new chapter. Over the next few<br />
weeks, workers will remove the<br />
reactor’s fuel supply and store it<br />
safely in the station’s used fuel pool.<br />
After that, workers will begin<br />
preparing the station for long-term<br />
decommissioning.<br />
Final shutdown for Three Mile Island Unit 1 (Image: Exelon)<br />
“Today we celebrate the proud<br />
legacy of TMI Unit 1 and the<br />
thousands of employees who<br />
shared our commitment to safety,<br />
Three Mile Island Generating Station (Image: Exelon)<br />
operational excellence and<br />
environmental stewardship for<br />
nearly five decades,” said Bryan<br />
Hanson, senior vice president and<br />
chief nuclear officer. “At a time<br />
when our communities are<br />
demanding more clean energy to<br />
address climate change, it’s<br />
regrettable that state law does not<br />
support the continued operation of<br />
this safe and reliable source of<br />
carbon-free power. It’s critical that<br />
we continue to pursue policy<br />
reform to prevent other carbonfree<br />
nuclear resources from being<br />
pushed out of the market by rules<br />
that fail to evenly value clean<br />
energy resources and at the same<br />
time allow emitting resources to<br />
pollute for free.”<br />
4 <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>
Three Mile Island Unit 1 began<br />
commercial operation in<br />
September 1974. Since Exelon<br />
Generation purchased TMI Unit<br />
1 in 2000, the plant has offset<br />
more than 95 million metric tons<br />
of carbon, the equivalent of<br />
keeping nearly 20 million cars off<br />
the road.<br />
Along the way, it’s estimated<br />
that the station and its employees<br />
contributed more than $3.5 billion<br />
into the local economy, including<br />
wages, taxes, charitable<br />
contributions and local<br />
purchasing. The station has been<br />
such a landmark in the<br />
Londonderry Township, PA<br />
community that a portrait of the<br />
plant is memorialized on public<br />
safety vehicles.<br />
“We salute Three Mile Island<br />
and its employees for the service<br />
and partnership they have<br />
provided to Londonderry<br />
Township and the surrounding<br />
communities for 45 years,” said<br />
Londonderry Township Manager,<br />
Steve Letavic. “This is a tough day<br />
for many. However, we look<br />
forward to maintaining a strong<br />
relationship with those at the<br />
facility as it enters into<br />
decommissioning.”<br />
About 300 of Three Mile Island<br />
Unit 1’s employees will be staying<br />
for the first phase of<br />
decommissioning. Other<br />
<strong>NIRMA</strong> Board and Staff:<br />
employees are taking on different<br />
roles within Exelon companies,<br />
and still others have elected to<br />
retire or move on to other<br />
opportunities outside the<br />
company.<br />
Thank you for hosting another<br />
excellent <strong>NIRMA</strong> conference! The<br />
conference was well-run, organized,<br />
and provided information that will help<br />
me be more effective at work. I really<br />
enjoyed the keynote speakers and the<br />
technical sessions, and I was pleased<br />
to see that our leadership was already<br />
planning next year's conference<br />
during the PDBU meeting. The entire<br />
<strong>NIRMA</strong> team delivered!<br />
Sincerely,<br />
Gil<br />
Gil Brueckner, CRM/NS<br />
Lead Engineer - Configuration Management<br />
GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy<br />
<strong>NIRMA</strong>’s Financial Holdings<br />
As of: September 23, <strong>2019</strong><br />
Anita S. Beren<br />
<strong>NIRMA</strong> Treasurer<br />
Checking Account $ 46,051.15<br />
Investment Account $ 124,623.35<br />
Debit Account $ 102.04<br />
<strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 5
Quality Control, the<br />
Auditing Process, for<br />
your Conversion<br />
Project<br />
By Matt Anderson,<br />
Vice President of Marketing, nextScan<br />
T<br />
he ability to scan quickly is<br />
a key feature of any<br />
conversion project, but only<br />
if you can scan accurately<br />
and ensure that every document has<br />
been captured digitally. Making sure<br />
that your conversion project has a<br />
stage dedicated to Quality Control or<br />
Auditing is just as critical as scanning<br />
speeds and image quality.<br />
Capture in the RAW<br />
The first step to being able to<br />
review all of the scans is to capture<br />
them as a RAW image file. A RAW<br />
image file is one that contains exactly<br />
what the data collected without any<br />
loss from compression,<br />
interpolation, scaling or other<br />
interference. This RAW data is key<br />
to a fast auditing process because it<br />
is one image file instead of multiple<br />
image files. It is with this RAW data<br />
that we can view the entire roll as a<br />
Ribbon and detect what we have<br />
captured.<br />
The QC Process<br />
The Quality Control, or Auditing<br />
process is critical. Without being<br />
able to quickly determine what had<br />
been captured, a worker would have<br />
to painfully sort through each<br />
individual image, adjusting each one<br />
and outputting the results. Auditing<br />
Continued on next page.<br />
<strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 7
software displays<br />
the entire RAW<br />
data file as one<br />
image, detecting individual frames based on<br />
predefined parameters. The RAW file is key when<br />
needing to make adjustments to the entire roll. For<br />
example, an entire roll may have been wound<br />
backwards and each image requires a mirror<br />
adjustment. Going through each image individually to<br />
perform that function would take a long time. With an<br />
auditing tool a user can make one adjustment and<br />
reflect that across the entire ribbon of RAW data.<br />
Similarly, if the original roll was filmed either over or<br />
under exposed, one quick adjustment will make those<br />
changes instantly to every frame, instead of adjusting<br />
each individually.<br />
The information that<br />
record managers<br />
control is vital to your<br />
facility. During the<br />
conversion process<br />
can you afford to miss<br />
a single image?<br />
Did You Capture It All?<br />
Before the final step of outputting the images, one<br />
last question needs to be asked. Was everything on the<br />
roll captured? An Auditor allows a user to see the<br />
entire roll of film or microfiche as a ribbon, including<br />
data in between frames. Using the Detect Process, the<br />
Auditor will locate the individual frames on that RAW<br />
ribbon file and draw a box around each one. Any gaps<br />
in the film would be easily detected and inspected<br />
further by the user. Now we can be sure that every<br />
piece of data on the roll of film was transferred to the<br />
ribbon which was then digitally spliced into frames.<br />
Output<br />
The RAW ribbon file, with adjustments made and<br />
frames detected, needs one final process - output.<br />
FlexScan is the industry’s leading<br />
3-in-1 digitization solution for<br />
conversion of Microfilm, Microfiche,<br />
and Aperture Cards.<br />
Normally run in<br />
the background,<br />
the output feature<br />
converts a fully<br />
audited RAW<br />
ribbon file into<br />
individual image<br />
file formats<br />
(TIFF, JPEG,<br />
etc.). Now an<br />
individual digital<br />
file has been<br />
created for each<br />
frame on the roll<br />
of microfilm.<br />
Additionally, with<br />
the required<br />
software, wordsearchable<br />
PDFs can be created at this time. These<br />
files can then be transferred to a secure server for<br />
storage and future retrieval.<br />
Over the past year, in the <strong>NIRMA</strong> magazine, we<br />
have discussed the many challenges to confidently<br />
convert your microfilm and microfiche to a digital<br />
archive. Remember, for a true digital conversion of<br />
your microfilm collection, make sure to use a line scan<br />
scanner to capture all data on the roll of fiche,<br />
understand the limitations of certain media –<br />
specifically microfiche, and to have a process ensuring<br />
a true digital replica of the data has been completed.<br />
The information that record managers control is vital<br />
to your facility. During the conversion process can<br />
you afford to miss a single image? Don’t leave your<br />
conversion to chance, Convert Confidently!<br />
“I really liked the opportunity to<br />
voice my questions during the<br />
Benchmarking Q&A Sessions for<br />
Utility topics and I found the<br />
chance to meet with various<br />
exhibitors highly valuable (due to<br />
my company looking at digitizing<br />
our records).”<br />
1st Time Attendee: Lisa Scruggs<br />
Senior Records & Information Analyst<br />
Dominion Energy<br />
8 <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>
Update on Digitization of Old<br />
Microfilm Documents<br />
By Margie Janney, CRM/NS/FED<br />
w<br />
e’ve started! This image<br />
(below) is the first<br />
microfiche document<br />
that the Nuclear<br />
Regulatory Commission (NRC)<br />
digitized as part of the large<br />
digitization project I wrote about<br />
in the last edition of <strong>Inside</strong><br />
<strong>NIRMA</strong> Magazine. You’ll<br />
notice that it’s the transmittal<br />
letter for Three Mile Island’s<br />
Monthly Operating Report for<br />
the month of February 1979. I<br />
imagine the next month’s report<br />
had a little more to say! (You<br />
may remember the Three Mile<br />
Island Unit 2 reactor, near<br />
Middletown, Pennsylvania,<br />
partially melted down on March<br />
28, 1979.)<br />
As of September 23,<br />
<strong>2019</strong>, the NRC has scanned<br />
24,597 microfiche, which<br />
represents 22.86% of the<br />
microfiche collection of<br />
NUDOCS documents in the<br />
ADAMS Legacy Library. Those<br />
24,597 microfiche comprised<br />
504,711 PDFs (records), which<br />
represents 22.07% of the<br />
NUDOCS collection. Of those,<br />
we have successfully added<br />
97,299 records and existing<br />
ADAMS Legacy Library profile<br />
data into the ADAMS Main<br />
Library.<br />
We’re on pace to complete<br />
the digitization of the microfiche<br />
collection by the end of 2020. We<br />
will be starting the digitization of<br />
aperture cards and Atomic Energy<br />
Commission paper documents prior<br />
to that date.<br />
<strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 9
A Retrospective on Information Management<br />
in Nuclear Power<br />
One of the best things in my career<br />
has been crossing paths with great<br />
people who have a passion for<br />
information management. In this<br />
issue, you folks are in for a treat, as<br />
I’ve invited Bob Larrivee of Bob<br />
Larrivee Consultancy to be my guest<br />
in this column. Bob has been around<br />
a bunch of blocks over his career,<br />
and always has great stories and<br />
perspectives to share. Enjoy!<br />
What’s Old is New<br />
By Bob Larrivee<br />
F<br />
irst, thank<br />
you to<br />
Eugene<br />
Yang for<br />
allowing me to<br />
participate with him<br />
on this article.<br />
Eugene and I have<br />
known each other<br />
for many years now, and at <strong>NIRMA</strong><br />
<strong>2019</strong>, we were reminiscing about the<br />
“good old days”. One story in<br />
particular that really struck home is<br />
that many years ago when I was<br />
working at Wang Laboratories, I had<br />
the privilege of being part of a think<br />
tank where “proof-of-concept” was<br />
the focus. At that time, I worked on<br />
the use of voice recognition, facial<br />
recognition, digital annotation, and<br />
much more. We even developed a<br />
zero PC Footprint cubical<br />
environment, and believe it or not, a<br />
mahogany PC for a corporate<br />
executive.<br />
By Eugene Y. Yang, KISMET Consulting, Inc.<br />
One of the many things I<br />
was privileged to work on was what<br />
we called the “remote office<br />
connection” (ROC). In 1987, at the<br />
Wang User Conference, I<br />
demonstrated the use of a laptop<br />
computer in Boston, MA to access a<br />
PC desktop located in my office at<br />
the HQ in Lowell, MA. Once<br />
connected, I accessed the Wang mini<br />
-computer in my lab that then<br />
connected us to an application on a<br />
mainframe computer. Back then,<br />
communication was done through<br />
modems over the telephone system<br />
and it was slow…but effective!<br />
Many folks were amazed it could be<br />
done, and at the same time,<br />
questioning the business value.<br />
(Remember, this was 1987 when<br />
remote workers were not even a<br />
passing thought.)<br />
Back then, we could only<br />
imagine how far this would go once<br />
Wang Laptop<br />
technology<br />
allowed more<br />
flexibility and<br />
bandwidth. Following <strong>NIRMA</strong><br />
<strong>2019</strong>, as I was flying home at thirtysix<br />
thousand feet, I connected to the<br />
Internet using on-board Wi-Fi.<br />
While online, I connected to<br />
OneDrive to access some files I<br />
required. I then made some minor<br />
corrections to a document, rather<br />
than copying it and then having to<br />
reload it later. Think about what I<br />
had done: I was now able to do what<br />
I had demonstrated in 1987, but<br />
without requiring a landline to<br />
connect, and from thirty-six<br />
thousand feet!<br />
Wang Optical Drive<br />
In my view, the capabilities<br />
we have and take for granted today,<br />
are really works of wonder. In 1987,<br />
folks thought what I had shown was<br />
amazing yet could not see value.<br />
Today, everyone is connected and<br />
performing as if they were in the<br />
office next to you, even though they<br />
are half-way around the globe or<br />
10 <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>
Take a moment and look around you. Think<br />
about how much has changed since you were younger.<br />
For me, smartphones are now processing more<br />
information than my PC could years ago. Connectivity<br />
is wireless. Video calls – once considered Jetsonian -<br />
are available to all. (If you aren’t familiar with the term<br />
“Jetsonian”, look up “The Jetsons”.) Now we have<br />
robotics in both physical and software form. Artificial<br />
intelligence is embedded in many applications and soon<br />
wearable devices will include contact lenses that serve as<br />
both a camera and a projector.<br />
Wang Freestyle<br />
flying over your head. Technology enables us to<br />
approach the world very differently and takes on a<br />
whole new dimension in every part of our lives. Wi-Fi<br />
and portable/mobile devices enable us to be online<br />
24/7, communicating and sharing with colleagues,<br />
family, and friends. If for some reason it is not readily<br />
available, we get frustrated.<br />
In the nuclear industry, we will<br />
see mini- and micro-reactors<br />
now in development with NASA<br />
for use in space, but potentially<br />
here on earth as well. Just<br />
imagine that you are assigned to<br />
an interplanetary nuclear power<br />
project. How will you<br />
communicate, capture<br />
information, and manage it? ...<br />
The time to think about it is now.<br />
The time to plan on it is now.<br />
In the nuclear industry, we will see mini- and<br />
micro-reactors now in development with NASA for use<br />
in space, but potentially here on earth as well. Just<br />
imagine that you are assigned to an interplanetary<br />
nuclear power project. How will you communicate,<br />
capture information, and manage it? How will<br />
monitoring the facility be managed? Use of robotics?<br />
Perhaps. The time to think about it is now. The time to<br />
plan on it is now. As content curators, you will be faced<br />
with new, uncharted challenges in managing<br />
information. Technology is part of the answer.<br />
Knowing what it is and being able to see the potential in<br />
your operations is the key.<br />
It is an amazing universe we live in and an<br />
amazing journey we are on that is ever changing. Enjoy<br />
the ride.<br />
Inducted into the AIIM Company of Fellows in <strong>2019</strong>,<br />
Bob Larrivee is the President and Founder of Bob<br />
Larrivee Consultancy. With over 34 years in the<br />
industry, Bob is a recognized expert in the application<br />
of advanced technologies and process improvement to<br />
solve business problems and enhance business operations.<br />
He also serves as a Technology Journalist for Document<br />
Strategy.<br />
Eugene has been a member of <strong>NIRMA</strong> for over<br />
33 years. At the time he joined, <strong>NIRMA</strong> had<br />
only been in existence for 11 years. He would<br />
love to hear about stories and anecdotes from<br />
others, so please email him at<br />
eugene.yang@kismetconsulting.com.<br />
<strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 11
To CRM or Not to CRM?<br />
That Could Be, Should Be<br />
Your Question!<br />
N<br />
one of us were born thinking<br />
that when we are all grown<br />
up, we want to be a CRM. I<br />
probably wanted to be a<br />
major league baseball player. My<br />
friend Dave, who went on to be the<br />
President of ARMA International<br />
and the Institute of Certified<br />
Records Managers (ICRM), was<br />
going to play football at Boise State<br />
and probably would have if only …<br />
well, that story can be told another<br />
day (broke his dad’s heart, he did!).<br />
Bruce Walters addressing <strong>NIRMA</strong><br />
Conference attendees on the importance of<br />
obtaining their certification<br />
I’ve heard it said that you have to<br />
be really smart to get to be a CRM.<br />
I’ve heard others say the ICRM is an<br />
elitist club full of snooty people.<br />
Others have said it is just too hard to<br />
do. To me, of those options, I will<br />
admit that studying and passing all<br />
six of the exams was not the easiest<br />
thing I have ever done, so the latter<br />
was closer to my heart. Some even<br />
suggested that the only reason any of<br />
us did it was to get a promotion or<br />
pay raise. I couldn’t disagree more.<br />
By Bruce Walters, CRM/NS<br />
Why go to all that trouble? I can<br />
only speak for myself, and well, it<br />
was the challenge. I had heard the<br />
stories, the comments. I didn’t care<br />
about all of that. I wanted to prove<br />
something to myself. Not to my<br />
boss, not to my wife, not to my kids<br />
(although it was an object lesson for<br />
my kids). Back in the late 1980’s, I<br />
decided that I was going to sit for<br />
the exams. I quickly learned that I<br />
didn’t know quite as much about<br />
Records Management as I thought.<br />
But I also learned that when<br />
challenged, I was willing to do<br />
what it took. I studied topics<br />
where I had no previous<br />
exposure. I found records<br />
management friends who<br />
were willing to share their<br />
knowledge of what they did to<br />
help teach me. I read books<br />
and professional magazine<br />
articles. Remember, these<br />
were the dark days of<br />
civilization … there was no<br />
internet to explore (gasp!!).<br />
What I discovered was that the<br />
process we must go through to<br />
become a CRM made me a smarter<br />
records guy. I grew in knowledge<br />
and confidence.<br />
Like some other CRM<br />
candidates, I experienced a few<br />
bumps in the road. I failed a couple<br />
sections. It made me mad, at the<br />
system and at myself, but it<br />
motivated me to succeed. It took<br />
me three years, but I did it. I passed<br />
the exams and<br />
became a CRM.<br />
Since then, I have<br />
helped mentor a number of CRM<br />
candidates and have graded Part 6<br />
essay exams. And most recently,<br />
applying the same rationale, I passed<br />
the NS exam.<br />
Now, should you become a<br />
CRM … or a CRA? Could you<br />
become one? If you have the<br />
experience and education to qualify<br />
for sitting for the exams, then<br />
definitely yes! If you have<br />
considered sitting for the exams,<br />
don’t prejudge and quit on yourself<br />
before you even begin. Attend<br />
<strong>NIRMA</strong> Conference sessions to<br />
learn about how to prepare for the<br />
exams. Buy a preparation handbook<br />
from the ICRM Bookstore (click<br />
here) and other publications. Speak<br />
to any of us who are CRMs in<br />
<strong>NIRMA</strong>. But it really starts with<br />
you. Go on, complete the<br />
application at least. Or else you<br />
need to look yourself in the mirror<br />
and try explaining to yourself why<br />
you shouldn’t. I’d suggest starting<br />
with the CRA (passing Parts 2, 3 and<br />
4), like Sheila Pearcy, Director Of<br />
Infrastructure, has done. Then the<br />
five-year clock to pass all parts goes<br />
away.<br />
If yes is your answer, you will find<br />
folks in your corner, encouraging<br />
you and assisting you as your<br />
challenge begins. Game on!<br />
12 <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>
Pre-Conference Workshop<br />
“My boss and I attended the early<br />
session together “Mapping out a<br />
Modern Process Flow”. It happened<br />
that I was in the middle of trying to<br />
figure out how to use a mapping<br />
process for a particularly difficult task<br />
in my job. It was great to have Bob<br />
there to answer questions and he<br />
followed up with me later in the week,<br />
as well. My process mapping was<br />
completed the next week and allowed<br />
our project to stay on track.”<br />
Bob Larrivee presenting the<br />
interactive pre-conference<br />
workshop, Do You See the Flow? The<br />
workshop focused on ways to<br />
improve the work flow process with<br />
or without technology by<br />
understanding the importance of<br />
process maps; identifying areas for<br />
improvement; assessing the impact<br />
of process change; and preparing a<br />
future state vision.<br />
First Time Attendee: Tami Ellis<br />
Supervisor, Records Management<br />
Framatome<br />
<strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 13
The <strong>2019</strong> New Conference Attendees<br />
New Attendee Orientation Facilitators (L-R): Eugene<br />
Yang, Rebecca Wessman and Rich Giska<br />
“I think <strong>NIRMA</strong> puts on a very well put together<br />
conference, does a great job planning the<br />
conference (speakers, food, hotel, etc.), and<br />
seems to have good participation of members,<br />
especially during the conference. It was also great<br />
to be so welcomed into the organization as a new<br />
comer.”<br />
Quentin Newell<br />
Engineering Supervisor<br />
Urenco USA<br />
“I found it very helpful that I was able to<br />
take back to my organization the<br />
information on how I can achieve<br />
certification(s) and understanding the ICRM<br />
organization and certification process.”<br />
Cindy Ehrgott<br />
Nuclear Facility Specialist<br />
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory<br />
14 <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS<br />
Waco Bankston, General<br />
Manager, STP Nuclear Operating<br />
Co.<br />
Nick Inglis, CIP, IGP, Executive Director,<br />
Content & Programming, ARMA International →<br />
Jessica Pacheco, Vice President, External<br />
Affairs, Arizona Public Service Co.<br />
Bruce Covert, PMP, CSP, President and Project<br />
Manager, Nuclear Waste Partnership, LLC<br />
Rod McCullum, Senior Director, Used Fuel and<br />
Decommissioning, Nuclear Energy Institute<br />
(NEI)<br />
<strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 15
Vendors<br />
<strong>NIRMA</strong> greatly appreciates our Conference Vendors and encourages our readers<br />
to take a look at what each of these vendors have to offer.<br />
16 <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>
<strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 17
Conference Welcome Reception<br />
18 <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>
<strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 19
Conference Welcome Reception<br />
20 <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>
<strong>NIRMA</strong> President, Michelle Smith<br />
provides the welcome and opening remarks<br />
at the 43rd Annual <strong>NIRMA</strong> Conference<br />
attendees.<br />
Eugene Yang (Kismet Consulting) facilitates<br />
panel discussion on “Information Management<br />
Force Reductions—Lessons Learned and<br />
Ramifications. Panel (L-R): Bill Clover<br />
(Exelon), Shana House (AmerenUE), Robin<br />
Whicker (Duke Energy), and Lona Smith<br />
(STP).<br />
Joe Shepley, VP, Doculabs discusses Content<br />
Analytics & Information Governance Benefits for<br />
Nuclear.<br />
<strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 21
Exhibitor EXTRAVAGANZA<br />
22 <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>
<strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 23
From the President<br />
Michelle M. Smith<br />
H<br />
ere we are in the last quarter<br />
of <strong>2019</strong>. We had a<br />
wonderful Conference this<br />
past August as our<br />
presenters spoke on issues that are<br />
relevant to the Nuclear Industry and<br />
presented us with challenges that will<br />
help define our future. While the<br />
nuclear industry continues to evolve,<br />
our facilities will continue looking<br />
for efficiencies to drive changes to<br />
help the nuclear economy.<br />
A significant part of creating the<br />
path for the future is ensuring<br />
alignment with our goals. Each<br />
board member has been tasked with<br />
reviewing the <strong>2019</strong> goals and<br />
providing recommendations to<br />
develop the 2020 goals. The board<br />
has identified several things that we<br />
were able to accomplish this year,<br />
which directly supported our <strong>2019</strong><br />
goals:<br />
• Increase Membership - The<br />
board with the help of the<br />
Business Unit Directors were able<br />
to contact utilities to provide<br />
awareness and work towards<br />
increasing <strong>NIRMA</strong>’s membership.<br />
• Website Enhancements - This<br />
year we have continued to<br />
implement changes to the website<br />
to ensure a friendlier environment<br />
for our members.<br />
• Outreach - This year <strong>NIRMA</strong><br />
offered additional outreach<br />
through providing training to<br />
Emirates Nuclear Energy<br />
Corporation Abu Dhabi.<br />
Emirates Nuclear Energy<br />
Corporation is the entity<br />
responsible for the deployment,<br />
ownership and operation of<br />
nuclear energy plants in the<br />
United Arab Emirates. <strong>NIRMA</strong>,<br />
contacted by ENEC polled the<br />
membership for the right<br />
candidate to represent <strong>NIRMA</strong>,<br />
Mr. Eugene Yang, a lifetime<br />
member of <strong>NIRMA</strong> volunteered<br />
to represent <strong>NIRMA</strong>.<br />
Mr. Eugene Yang, recognized for<br />
his efforts during the <strong>NIRMA</strong><br />
Conference, is a great example of<br />
how <strong>NIRMA</strong> members can<br />
continue to contribute to the<br />
industry and make a difference in<br />
the future of <strong>NIRMA</strong>.<br />
• Educational Opportunities - At<br />
the conference Bob Larrivee, a<br />
long-term partner with <strong>NIRMA</strong><br />
provided pre-conference training<br />
for our membership.<br />
• Continue Growth - One<br />
technique of ensuring the<br />
continued growth of our industry<br />
is to share strategies and<br />
processes with others. This is<br />
where <strong>NIRMA</strong> can help; by<br />
presenting your topic at our next<br />
conference or making suggestions<br />
on how we can obtain additional<br />
information. Sharing information<br />
with our Industry will provide the<br />
nuclear industry with ideas and<br />
techniques to implement value<br />
added initiatives for the future.<br />
In the past, we had several vendors<br />
and utilities attend the conference<br />
and share information on Mobile<br />
Work Management. This initiative<br />
helped drive efficiencies within our<br />
industry. With the implementation of<br />
electronic devices in the field, it<br />
helped to eliminate the use of<br />
hardcopy documents and save time<br />
for the maintenance workers. Many<br />
utilities now utilize a form of mobile<br />
work management to perform<br />
maintenance activities. Additionally,<br />
the Standard Design Process was<br />
developed to assist nuclear facilities<br />
to achieve one of the Nuclear<br />
Promise goals. We now have a<br />
standard Document Change Process<br />
that is utilized throughout the<br />
industry. These are just a couple<br />
ideas that have made a difference for<br />
our industry.<br />
What will be the next hot topic?<br />
We are counting on our membership<br />
to continue to share initiatives and<br />
spread the word. Your colleagues<br />
throughout the industry would love<br />
to hear how your plant has<br />
implemented new processes to drive<br />
efficiencies. All thoughts,<br />
suggestions, and ideas can be<br />
submitted to nirma@nirma.org.<br />
24 <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>
<strong>NIRMA</strong> <strong>2019</strong> CONFERENCE:<br />
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED<br />
By Janice Hoerber, <strong>NIRMA</strong> Vice President<br />
T<br />
he <strong>NIRMA</strong> <strong>2019</strong> Conference offered a great<br />
experience. Based on the feedback we<br />
received, the networking and good<br />
conversations for learning and sharing created<br />
a solid forum. We thank everyone who attended and<br />
participated to make the conference a success. The goal<br />
was to provide a platform of learning and engagement,<br />
to make you THINK in new ways, and to keep your<br />
passion engaged when you returned to your workplace.<br />
Mission accomplished!<br />
studies of innovation, leadership, and lessons learned.<br />
We are excited to announce that the<br />
<strong>NIRMA</strong> 2020 conference will be moving to<br />
an alternate Palms Conference area on the<br />
same JW Marriott Las Vegas property,<br />
August 2-4, 2020.<br />
Our sincere appreciation goes out to the distinguished<br />
speakers and keynotes who gave their time to share<br />
meaningful messages for our careers and industry<br />
knowledge. We thank the Vendor Exhibitors for<br />
participating in this year's conference and contributing<br />
to the technical sessions. Their loyal support is<br />
invaluable and enables <strong>NIRMA</strong> to stay current on new<br />
solutions and technologies. Last but not least, we<br />
extend our gratitude to the <strong>NIRMA</strong> Lifetime members<br />
who joined us -- Eugene Yang, Margie Janney, Rich<br />
Giska, and Frank Koscis as they continue to devote<br />
their time and resources to benefit the organization.<br />
We managed the conference expenses closely this year<br />
for <strong>NIRMA</strong> to likely end on a positive financial note for<br />
<strong>2019</strong>. This is not a trivial task, but the JW Marriott<br />
continues to be a great partner to <strong>NIRMA</strong> with reduced<br />
room rates, optional resort fee, and discounts on the<br />
conference food and audio-visual services.<br />
<strong>NIRMA</strong> will be changing things up for the 2020<br />
conference to revitalize the tracks and session topics to<br />
meet the needs of a broader audience and encourage<br />
more grass-roots sessions from the industry. The<br />
feedback from this year's conference desires more<br />
sessions to hear what went well and what didn't<br />
(operating experience) with the challenges faced. We<br />
will soon have a fresh Call for Papers to attract more<br />
presentation topics so the new attendee might dive<br />
deeper into the fundamentals if desired, while the<br />
experienced audience might focus on unique case<br />
This is a fresh change with modern breakout rooms in<br />
the Palms Tower having outside light. The Sunday<br />
"Keynote day" may evolve to a half day if we are<br />
successful in attracting more technical sessions<br />
especially presented by attendees with a story to share!<br />
The way you do business is rapidly transforming<br />
whether it is through change in processes, people, or<br />
technology. <strong>NIRMA</strong> encourages each of you to<br />
consider what story you have to tell from your<br />
workplace or company transformation! Take advantage<br />
of <strong>NIRMA</strong>'s group discount registration next year by<br />
planning now to bring your colleague, your boss, and<br />
your Information Technology teammates to present &<br />
participate in <strong>NIRMA</strong> 2020.<br />
<strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 25
MEMBERSHIP & MARKETING<br />
(M&M)<br />
Business Unit News<br />
By Bruce Walters, M&MBU Director<br />
2020 Board of Directors (L-R): Michelle Smith, Bruce Walters, Anita Beren, Sheila Pearcy,<br />
Lona Smith and Janice Hoerber<br />
veterans, which means providing a<br />
full spectrum of sessions to meet<br />
your goals. Therefore, what would<br />
be additionally helpful is for you to<br />
take a moment and complete our<br />
2020 Conference Survey that is<br />
coming out in early October. Again,<br />
this is your association. We want all<br />
our members to get the most out of<br />
their membership, so your input will<br />
be huge in directing us in how to<br />
support your needs and wants.<br />
T<br />
he 2020 Board of Directors<br />
election results were<br />
communicated to the<br />
attendees at the <strong>2019</strong> Annual<br />
Business Meeting on Day 3 of the<br />
Conference in August. Here are the<br />
Board assignments for next year, as<br />
follows:<br />
• President: Michelle Smith<br />
• Vice President: Janice Hoerber<br />
• Treasurer: Anita Beren<br />
• Secretary: Sheila Pearcy, CRA<br />
• Director of Technical Programs:<br />
Lona Smith<br />
• Director of Infrastructure:<br />
Bruce Walters, CRM/NS<br />
2020 Business Unit Directors:<br />
• Membership & Marketing<br />
Business Unit (M&MBU)<br />
Director: Kathi Cole, CRM<br />
<br />
Co-Director: Denise<br />
Pickett, CRM/NS/FED<br />
• Professional Development<br />
Business Unit (PDBU)<br />
Director: Tammy Cutts<br />
Co-Director: Lou Rofrano<br />
• Regulations and Information<br />
Management Business Unit<br />
(RIMBU)<br />
Director: Chris Boudreaux<br />
Co-Director: Shana House<br />
It is never too early to begin<br />
planning the next conference. The<br />
Board is appreciative of the feedback<br />
members provided to our Post-<br />
Conference Survey. It was very<br />
meaningful, especially identifying<br />
where we needed to improve for<br />
next year. The Board wants the 2020<br />
conference to meet the needs of the<br />
novice through the seasoned<br />
Kathi Cole and Lona Smith will be<br />
representing <strong>NIRMA</strong> at the annual<br />
ARMA Conference in Nashville in<br />
late October. We will have a booth<br />
and a new flyer that will promote<br />
<strong>NIRMA</strong> to more Records<br />
Management professionals.<br />
For those of you who did not fill<br />
out the Business Unit app at the<br />
Conference, know that you are<br />
welcome to join the M&MBU for<br />
the upcoming planning year. We<br />
hold monthly conference calls on the<br />
first Wednesday of each month.<br />
Email either me or Kathi Cole to let<br />
us know of your interest and we will<br />
add you to the call list.<br />
bruce.walters@aecom.com or<br />
kathi.cole@lm.doe.gov<br />
We are excited for all the ideas and<br />
opportunities to help make <strong>NIRMA</strong><br />
and its members blossom.<br />
26 <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>
Professional Development<br />
Business Unit News<br />
Tammy Cutts, PDBU Director<br />
T<br />
he <strong>2019</strong> conference was a<br />
notable one for the<br />
PDBU. At the top of the<br />
list is the announcement<br />
of a co-director. Lou Rofrano<br />
of AMS Store and Shred<br />
volunteered to step into that<br />
role. Lou has a lot of energy and<br />
great ideas he’s bringing to the<br />
role and I’m very excited to<br />
welcome him as co-director.<br />
We were<br />
able to recognize<br />
three individuals<br />
at the conference<br />
as well. Bruce<br />
Walters of<br />
Aecom and Gil<br />
Brueckner with<br />
GE both achieved<br />
Additional Andy McGavin was recognized for<br />
his work in leading<br />
the review of the NS<br />
exam and study guide<br />
content, which must<br />
be done periodically.<br />
As a result of his<br />
team's work on this,<br />
the NS exam was able<br />
to be offered to<br />
Bruce and Gil<br />
electronically via<br />
Pearson Vue testing centers. This was a significant<br />
change from previous exams that had to be taken and<br />
evaluated by hand.<br />
Finally, we held a brainstorming session during<br />
the conference. The session attendees provided great<br />
feedback and suggestions for PDBU to implement in<br />
providing opportunities for our members to use for<br />
professional development.<br />
the Nuclear Specialist<br />
(NS) designation to add<br />
on to their Certified<br />
Records Manager (CRM)<br />
certification. <strong>NIRMA</strong><br />
President Michelle<br />
Smith presented both<br />
individuals with their NS<br />
certificates.<br />
<strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 27
News from the Regulatory<br />
Information Management<br />
Business Unit (RIMBU)<br />
T<br />
he Regulatory Information Management<br />
Business Unit (RIMBU) team members met<br />
following the 43 rd Annual <strong>NIRMA</strong> Conference.<br />
Major topics covered during the Summer<br />
Meeting were: Cloud Storage of Records, Video as a QA<br />
Record, Benchmarking Q&A Forum, Electronic<br />
Signature, Less with Less, Verification of Records once<br />
processed into an EDMS, and status of the <strong>NIRMA</strong>/<br />
ANSI CM 1.0 5-year revision.<br />
We were excited this year to have several new and<br />
returning members at the RIMBU Summer Meeting<br />
including: Meg Milligan, Trela Norton, Lynn Purdy,<br />
Andrea Matazinski Wilson, Darlene Angle, Angela<br />
Olson, and Robin Whicker.<br />
By Chris Boudreaux,<br />
RIMBU Business Unit Director<br />
RIMBU to produce White Paper on Cloud<br />
Computing and Applications<br />
The RIMBU team has aligned on the development of<br />
a white paper to guide the Nuclear Industry in various<br />
considerations as we make our way into Cloud<br />
computing and applications. The document will serve as<br />
a tool to educate industry participants in several areas<br />
for consideration when developing Cloud strategy<br />
including legal issues, regulatory compliance, security,<br />
audits, and more. The initial framework for this<br />
document will be presented during the October RIMBU<br />
phone call.<br />
Recognition went out to RIMBU Members as follows:<br />
• Eugene Yang – Volunteer efforts with Emirates<br />
Nuclear<br />
• Rich Giska, Lori Roddy, Ronnie Trujillo –<br />
<strong>NIRMA</strong>/ANSI 1.0 5-Year Revision<br />
• Lori Roddy and Chris Boudreaux – stepping up<br />
last fall for Linda Mar<br />
• Bill Clover – coordination of ANI communications<br />
• Rich Giska – CMBG Representation<br />
Election of RIMBU Co-Director<br />
The RIMBU team held an election to fill the vacant<br />
Co-Director position to which Shana House was<br />
elected by peers to assume the role. Shana House has<br />
served with RIMBU for multiple years and assisted with<br />
revisions and reviews of several of the active reference<br />
documents for <strong>NIRMA</strong>. Shana House currently works<br />
with Ameren.<br />
PP-08: Electronic Signature Position Paper<br />
Bill Clover presented the final draft of the Electronic<br />
Signature position paper to the RIMBU team who went<br />
on to provide comments ahead of the release of this<br />
document to the <strong>NIRMA</strong> Membership. This document<br />
will provide guidance on the implementation of<br />
Electronic Signature methods to the Nuclear Industry.<br />
RIMBU to produce<br />
White Paper on Less with Less<br />
The RIMBU team has aligned on the development of<br />
a white paper to guide the Nuclear Industry in best<br />
practices surrounding RM processes as we take on the<br />
challenge of doing less with less resources. The team<br />
was very engaged as we discussed the framework for<br />
this white paper which will cover many areas around<br />
storage of records, processing of records, managing<br />
backlog, etc. The team is focused on producing the<br />
framework for this white paper and having the initial<br />
team review during the September RIMBU phone call.<br />
RIMBU Spring Meeting 2020<br />
The team has a tentative location and dates for the<br />
upcoming Spring Meeting which will be at Tennessee<br />
Valley Authority in Chattanooga, TN on March 10 &<br />
11, 2020. We will release more information as we get<br />
closer to the dates related to the agenda and travel<br />
accommodations.<br />
For additional information on joining RIMBU or<br />
the RM/IT benefits for <strong>NIRMA</strong> Conference<br />
participation, please contact me at<br />
(361) 972-4058 or cmboudreaux@stpegs.com.<br />
28 <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>
Setting the Record Straight on the Three Most Common<br />
Misconceptions Around Nuclear Energy<br />
If you are following the news, you<br />
have probably seen more climate<br />
issues in the headlines, on social<br />
media and even on television shows.<br />
Most recently, the Democratic<br />
presidential debates and CNN<br />
Climate Town Hall provided a<br />
platform for candidates to share<br />
their energy policies. One topic of<br />
contention is the role of nuclear<br />
carbon-free energy in helping to<br />
solve climate change.<br />
While there is a growing consensus<br />
by scientists and voices within the<br />
environmental community that<br />
nuclear energy is essential for<br />
decarbonization, it’s clear that the<br />
Democratic candidates are not on<br />
the same page when it comes to<br />
nuclear energy. And the media has<br />
picked up on the divide:<br />
• New York Magazine: On Climate,<br />
Sanders and Warren Must Go<br />
Nuclear<br />
• The Washington Post: Don’t trust<br />
candidates who ignore nuclear<br />
power<br />
• The Verge: Democrats are divided<br />
on using nuclear power to stop<br />
climate change<br />
Thankfully, these disagreements<br />
have left room for more<br />
comprehensive and honest<br />
conversations around nuclear, which<br />
are long-overdue.<br />
As the field of Democratic<br />
candidates begins to narrow, it’s<br />
important to set the record straight<br />
on nuclear. Here are three of the<br />
most common misconceptions that<br />
you should be on the watch for as<br />
debates continue:<br />
1. Until we can solve the waste<br />
issue, nuclear energy isn’t a<br />
good option. The waste issue<br />
dates back decades ago when the<br />
federal government agreed to<br />
take ownership of nuclear waste<br />
and find a solution to<br />
permanently store it.<br />
Unfortunately, the politics on<br />
how best to manage it led to a<br />
stalemate, leaving nuclear plant<br />
owners responsible for managing<br />
it at the expense of tax payers.<br />
What’s frustrating is this issue<br />
has already been solved.<br />
Scientific research says the most<br />
viable solution is to store used<br />
fuel at a geological repository like<br />
Yucca Mountain. But to move<br />
forward with Yucca Mountain,<br />
Congress must grant funding to<br />
complete the process.<br />
In the meantime, the nuclear<br />
industry knows exactly where its<br />
waste is, and it’s safely contained<br />
(which can’t be said for all<br />
energy sources). Nuclear plant<br />
owners store their used fuel onsite<br />
based on stringent<br />
requirements set by the<br />
government. Plus, there isn’t<br />
really much used fuel out there.<br />
Nearly seven decades of waste<br />
from using nuclear power would<br />
only cover a football field to a<br />
depth of less than 10 yards.<br />
Ultimately, losing nuclear<br />
power—the largest source of<br />
carbon-free electricity in the<br />
United States—because of a<br />
political issue would set us back<br />
in reaching our climate goals.<br />
2. Nuclear energy isn’t safe. Bill<br />
Gates, an advocate of nuclear<br />
energy, has said that the safety<br />
record of the nuclear industry is<br />
unmatched by any other energy<br />
source. And he’s right. Safety is<br />
engrained in the culture of every<br />
nuclear plant.<br />
America’s nuclear power plants<br />
have an excellent track record<br />
and are among the safest and<br />
most secure industrial facilities in<br />
the country. And the nuclear<br />
industry has a tough,<br />
independent regulator that<br />
ensures they stay that way.<br />
Some opponents point to<br />
Chernobyl or other events like<br />
Three Mile Island (TMI) or<br />
Fukushima as reasons to phase<br />
out nuclear. But what happened<br />
at Chernobyl simply could not<br />
happen here. That event was the<br />
product of a faulty reactor design<br />
not used in the U.S.<br />
Article reprinted with permission<br />
of NEI. Read full article here.<br />
<strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 29
Andrew Yang Loves Thorium<br />
Nuclear Reactors,<br />
But What Are They?<br />
Lately an unfamiliar type of<br />
advanced reactor has been getting<br />
more attention, because one<br />
Democratic presidential candidate<br />
has been talking about it. Andrew<br />
Yang, a tech entrepreneur, has<br />
put development of thorium<br />
reactors into his climate change<br />
platform.<br />
But what is a thorium reactor?<br />
Thorium is an abundant, lightly<br />
radioactive metal (named by its<br />
Swedish discoverer after the Norse<br />
god, Thor) that can be used in<br />
certain types of nuclear reactors. It<br />
isn’t really fuel, because it can’t be<br />
split like uranium can. But when<br />
thorium is placed in a reactor, it<br />
absorbs some of the neutrons that<br />
are given off by fission. A thorium<br />
atom that picks up a neutron<br />
becomes a new element—uranium<br />
233, which is a reactor fuel. So, a<br />
reactor can cook thorium into<br />
reactor fuel, and then consume the<br />
fuel to make electricity.<br />
Thorium is about three times<br />
more abundant than uranium. It’s<br />
already produced by mining<br />
companies as a byproduct, and it<br />
has a variety of non-nuclear uses.<br />
Plus, used fuel from thorium<br />
reactors contains minimal amounts<br />
of very long-lived radioactive<br />
materials compared to current<br />
uranium fuel, so disposing of waste<br />
is easier.<br />
There are no thorium reactors<br />
running today, but Flibe Energy<br />
Inc., a startup based in Huntsville,<br />
Alabama, has an advanced reactor<br />
design that uses thorium and<br />
molten salt. Employing molten salt<br />
in place of water (to transfer heat<br />
from the fuel) allows a reactor to<br />
operate at a higher temperature and<br />
at lower pressure, which means it<br />
doesn’t need a super-strong and<br />
expensive reactor vessel and piping.<br />
Heat from a high-temperature<br />
thorium reactor—whether molten<br />
salt or other—could be used in a<br />
variety of applications to displace<br />
fossil fuels, such as producing<br />
hydrogen for transportation or<br />
industrial use. Like all reactors, a<br />
thorium reactor would be carbonfree.<br />
And it would be dispatchable,<br />
meaning that it would run when<br />
needed and not simply when<br />
weather conditions permitted.<br />
Thanks to work done in the U.S.<br />
national laboratories in the 1960s,<br />
the molten salt that Flibe proposes<br />
for a thorium reactor is already<br />
familiar to engineers. Still, deploying<br />
thorium reactors will require<br />
additional research and<br />
development, which is why Yang<br />
has proposed $50 billion dollars for<br />
thorium research (along with<br />
fusion).<br />
Article reprinted with permission<br />
of NEI. Read full article here.<br />
Rolls-Royce Group<br />
Wins Funding<br />
as UK SMR Race<br />
Gathers Pace<br />
The UK SMR Consortium has<br />
received financial backing from the<br />
UK government to advance its<br />
small modular reactor programme,<br />
as part of the Industrial Strategy<br />
Challenge Fund.<br />
The consortium, led by Rolls-<br />
Royce, comprises Assystem, SNC<br />
Lavalin/Atkins, Wood, Arup, Laing<br />
O’Rourke, BAM Nuttall, Siemens,<br />
National Nuclear Laboratory, and<br />
Nuclear AMRC.<br />
“The £18 million [US$22.3<br />
million] government funding for<br />
phase 1 of the programme (from<br />
the ISCF Wave 3 bid we were<br />
recommended from by<br />
government) is being matched by<br />
industry funding in the<br />
consortium,” Ben Todd, Rolls-<br />
Royce Communications Business<br />
Manager – Nuclear, told Nuclear<br />
Energy <strong>Inside</strong>r.<br />
“It’s a really big boost to the<br />
project, however we have a<br />
conservative outlook and realise<br />
there remains a significant amount<br />
of work still to do and many<br />
hurdles to overcome. Phase 2 will<br />
be a further circa £500 million<br />
[US$618 million] total (matched<br />
Continued on next page.<br />
30 <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>
to generate high-value products<br />
such as hydrogen.<br />
Rolls-Royce Group Wins Funding<br />
as UK SMR Race Gathers Pace, continued<br />
The MMR-REM design is<br />
advanced and has undergone the<br />
Vendor Design Review (VDR)<br />
Phase 1 with the Canadian Nuclear<br />
Safety Commission (CNSC).<br />
from government, industry and<br />
possibly equity providers) to take<br />
through to the completion of the<br />
GDA process.”<br />
The initiative was launched in<br />
November 2015, as a range of<br />
measures to support the next<br />
generation of nuclear power plants.<br />
It included investing £250 million<br />
[US$310 million] in nuclear R&D<br />
over five years and launching the<br />
competition to identify the most<br />
cost effective SMR design.<br />
“We are waiting for the<br />
government award of the grant<br />
offer letter forecast in mid-October<br />
to enable industry commitment to<br />
the next phase,” said Todd.<br />
“We have a power station design<br />
that is ready to be prepared for the<br />
UK licensing process and just as<br />
importantly, we have a business<br />
case that has been rigorously<br />
reviewed by the UK Government,<br />
UKRI, and the independent Expert<br />
Finance Working Group. Together<br />
this is already creating a lot of<br />
interest in the market place which<br />
gives us belief and confidence that<br />
we have a great power station.”<br />
Feasibility studies and funds for<br />
non-LWR<br />
In June 2018, the UK<br />
government's £200 million Nuclear<br />
Sector Deal was announced to cut<br />
the cost of nuclear power and<br />
bolster the UK skills base, at a time<br />
when fears were rising over<br />
scientists leaving the UK due to<br />
Brexit. That deal included £56<br />
million towards the development<br />
and licensing of advanced modular<br />
reactor designs – and £32 million<br />
pounds towards advanced<br />
manufacturing research – against<br />
stiff competition from Canada in<br />
the SMR race.<br />
Eight non-light water reactor<br />
(non-LWR) vendors each received<br />
£4 million to perform detailed<br />
technical and commercial feasibility<br />
studies. Those vendors are<br />
Advanced Reactor Concepts, DBD,<br />
LeadCold, Moltex Energy,<br />
Tokamak Energy, U-<br />
Battery Developments, Ultra Safe<br />
Nuclear Corporation (USNC), and<br />
Westinghouse Electric Company<br />
UK.<br />
USNC said that its MMR-REM<br />
plant, being developed for Canada,<br />
may not be the best solution for the<br />
UK market and is identifying a<br />
specific UK application that is best<br />
suited to launching a UK-MMR<br />
reactor. USNC expects that this will<br />
be in the delivery of high<br />
temperature process heat that can<br />
be used to replace fossil fuels and<br />
Moltex Energy, which is also<br />
focussing in Canada, is working on<br />
its Stable Salt Reactor (SSR) design.<br />
Moltex chose not to pursue the<br />
licensing process in the U.S. due to<br />
low gas prices and the number of<br />
U.S.-based developers competing<br />
for early-stage funding. Design<br />
review processes in the UK and<br />
Canada are also seen as more<br />
supportive for new technology<br />
licensing as the national regulators<br />
use a principles-based analysis<br />
rather than prescriptive approach.<br />
Moltex has used conventional<br />
components and materials already<br />
qualified in the nuclear sector<br />
where possible to benefit from<br />
quick deployment timelines. It says<br />
licensing of the SSR plant could be<br />
completed in five years and that<br />
construction time for a FOAK 300<br />
MW plant would be three years.<br />
The Westinghouse Lead-cooled<br />
Fast Reactor is a 400 MW plant<br />
which uses liquid lead as primary<br />
coolant and uranium oxide (or U-<br />
Pu oxide) as fuel, while LeadCold is<br />
proposing a lead-cooled reactor<br />
using uranium nitride fuel. A single<br />
SEALER-UK unit produces up to<br />
40 MW of electricity in a vessel that<br />
can be transported by rail rail.<br />
Article reprinted with permission of<br />
Nuclear Energy <strong>Inside</strong>r. Read full article<br />
here.<br />
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