Inside NIRMA Spring 2020 FINAL

Issue # 07, Spring 2020
Inside
Leading the way in Nuclear Information and Records Management
magazine
Visit us at: NIRMA.org
Georgia Power Orders First
Fuel Load for Vogtle Unit 3
YOU are the Ctrl F Key: The Hidden Cost of
Manual Microfilm Lookup (And How On
Demand Digital Conversion Can Help Fix That!),
ST Imaging/nextScan
Chronicles of NIM
A Retrospective on Information Management in
Nuclear Power, KISMET Consulting, Inc.

Contents
Spring 2020
4
7
10
Georgia Power Orders First Fuel Load for Vogtle Unit 3
YOU are the Ctrl F Key: The Hidden Cost of Manual
Microfilm Lookup (And How On Demand Digital
Conversion Can Help Fix That!)
By Arijana Dizdarevic, Sales & Marketing Coordinator, STimaging / nextScan
Chronicles of NIM: A Retrospective on Information
Management in Nuclear Power
By Eugene Yang, Kismet Consulting
12
14
2020 NIRMA Conference Keynote Speakers
NIRMA Transforming the 2020 Conference
By Janice Hoerber, Vice President of NIRMA
Front and Back Cover Photos: Georgia Power Company Plant:
Front Cover (left) Plants Vogtle Units 1-4.
Back Cover (right) Vogtle Unit 3 Reactor Vessel Cavity.
2 Spring 2020 NIRMA.org Inside NIRMA

CONTENTS
in every issue
FROM YOUR PRESIDENT—9
SECRETARY NEWS—15
TREASURER REPORT—16
PDBU NEWS—16
M&MBU NEWS—17
NOMINATING COMMITTEE—17
INDUSTRY NEWS—18
Editors
Neal and Sandra Miller
DevereauxInc@outlook.com
A Note from the Editors
Help us Grow our
Social Media Presence!
In 2019, NIRMA took steps to further establish itself on
social media, this included adding a Twitter account and
taking the opportunity to communicate more frequently via
Facebook and LinkedIn. With Facebook and Twitter alone,
we were able to add nearly 400 followers and reach more
than 25,000 people.
While we were happy with those results, we aren’t
through and to quote an old Carpenters song “We’ve Only
Just Begun.” The NIRMA Board of Directors established
“Increase NIRMA’s awareness by continued use of the
NIRMA website and social media” as one of its key goals
for 2020. In pursuing this goal, we believe it will help us
grow our membership and increase vendor participation.
And by continuing to get bigger and better, it will allow us
to increase the value we are able to provide our
membership.
Now the big question. How can you help? If you
haven’t already, take a moment to like and follow us on
Facebook and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and our newly
established Instagram account. To take things to the next
level, when you see a post from us, comment on it and
share it with others.
To help get you started, the links to each of our social
media platforms are within the icons below. Please take a
moment to follow us on Twitter and Instagram, like us on
Facebook, and connect with us on LinkedIn.
Thank you for your support!
Neal & Sandra Miller
Advertising
Neal.F.Miller@gmail.com
NIRMA Headquarters
Sarah Perkins
NIRMA Administrator
245 Sunnyridge Ave., #41
Fairfield, CT 06824
nirma@nirma.org
Inside NIRMA NIRMA.org Spring 2020 3

Georgia Power Orders First Fuel
Load for Vogtle Unit 3
G
eorgia Power has ordered
the first nuclear fuel load
for Vogtle Unit 3, the first
nuclear fuel order to be
placed in more than 30 years for a
newly-designed reactor in the U.S.
The fuel order marks another
significant milestone at the Vogtle
nuclear expansion near Waynesboro,
Georgia.
Consisting of 157 fuel assemblies
with each measuring 14 feet tall, the
fuel will eventually be loaded into
the Unit 3 reactor vessel to support
startup once the reactor begins
operating. After this initial fueling,
approximately one third of the total
fuel assemblies will be replaced
during each refueling outage after
the units begin operating, similar to
the process used at existing Vogtle
units 1 and 2.
The fuel order for Vogtle Unit 3
comes just months after the
placement of the containment vessel
top, which was witnessed by U.S.
Energy Secretary Rick Perry,
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp,
Plant Vogtle Unit 4 (Image: Georgia Power Company)
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny
Perdue, North America's Building
Trades Unions President Sean
McGarvey, members of Congress
and all five members of the Georgia
Public Service Commission,
signifying that all modules and large
components have been placed inside
the unit.
In addition, the placement of
three low-pressure turbine rotors
and the generator rotor inside the
Unit 3 turbine building have also
been completed. The turbine rotors,
weighing approximately 200 tons
each and rotating at 1,800
revolutions per minute, will pass
steam through the turbine blades to
power the generator and supply
electricity to the grid. The highpressure
turbine rotor will be
installed in the coming weeks.
Plant Vogtle Unit 3 Containment Vessel (Image: Georgia Power Company)
4 Spring 2020 NIRMA.org Inside NIRMA

Plant Vogtle Unit 3 and 4 (Image: Georgia Power Company)
The generator rotor is the moving
component of the electromagnetic
system of the electric generator. As
the turbines rotate, they turn the
generator rotor. The generator rotor
is surrounded by the generator stator
that work together creating an
electromagnetic field to generate
electricity.
Significant progress continues to
be made at the construction site as
the project workforce remains at an
all-time high with approximately
8,000 workers on site. With more
than 800 permanent jobs available
once the units begin operating,
Vogtle 3 & 4 is currently the largest
jobs-producing construction
project in the state of Georgia.
Looking inside the Plant Vogtle Unit 4 cooling tower (Image: Georgia Power Company)
Inside NIRMA NIRMA.org Spring 2020 5

By Arijana Dizdarevic
Sales & Marketing Coordinator, STimaging / nextScan
H
ow much time does it take
to look up just one record
from a roll of microfilm?
All you need to do is
retrieve ONE piece of information
from it. Simple! How long could that
take?
In our day-to-day digital world,
we have grown accustom to instantly
receiving information, but anyone
who’s worked with microfilm knows
that getting information from that
medium could result in a lengthy
task. You just fell into the classic
“trap” of manual retrieval – one of
the biggest hidden time sinks of
record requests from analog film.
The trouble with pulling records
from microfilm is that you are not
done once you find the microfilm
roll. You have only just begun. Any
roll of microfilm might contain up to
1,500 documents, and it’s up to you
to find the requested record.
How long will that take?
• If you can identify a
document from a quick glance
at the title, one second per
frame would mean it takes 25
minutes to get all the way
through a roll of 1,500
documents.
• If you have to take a more indepth
look, say 10 seconds,
then that could equal more
than four hours per roll!
• Sometimes you’ll be lucky and
the document you want will
be right at the start, but
sometimes it’ll be at the end.
Taking the average, you are
looking through 750
documents.
• That means that a typical
“quick” records search of a
full roll should take about 12
minutes, while an in-depth
search can take hours.
The reason, and of course you know,
because you have to read what is on
each frame of film. On a modern PC
running an MS Word or PDF file,
simply entering Ctrl-F allows for a
search function and jumping
through a few highlighted keywords.
With a manual process like
microfilm, you are the Ctrl-F key,
because your machine can’t do it for
you.
Continued on next page.
Inside NIRMA NIRMA.org Spring 2020 7

STimaging
next can
S
Of course, certain things can help you cut down
the manual search time, such as a table of contents, or
if you have a general idea of where in the film to look.
But luck or experience is a requirement there, and on
average, you’re still probably going to spend at least 5
or 10 minutes on a records lookup, even if you’re
good and lucky.
It is time to stop
manually retrieving
microfilm records. Step
into the digital age by
converting those
records to digital
microfilm ribbons and
find the documents
practically instantly.
Let the computer do
what it is good at and
be the Ctrl-F command.
Why Digitizing Your Microfilm
Collection Saves Time – And Pays
for Itself in the Long Run
It may look like we spent the past several
paragraphs discussing how inefficient it is to manually
look up records on microfilm, but what we really want
to show you is how much time it saves to do the
process digitally.
You can conduct a search on microfilm rolls just
like you can with a PDF – you just need to convert the
microfilm into a digital microfilm ribbon first. Then run
a simple optical character recognition program to make
it searchable. Besides the obvious practical benefits, like
preservation, backing up the records, and protecting
your collection from “Vinegar Syndrome” rot, you’ll be
able to save a lot of time by getting an assist from your
computer on every search you do.
Digitizing an entire roll of microfilm to a digital file
format can take as little as one minute on today’s fastest
high-speed conversion unit. While scanning at a high
rate is beneficial to your conversion project,
guaranteeing that every file was digitized is critical to
record retention requirements. Combined with software
designed for batch audit processing, the daunting task of
combing through thousands of files is simplified with a
ribbon auditor. Users can see an entire scan and quickly
check for complete capture, in addition to applying
universal image enhancements to the ribbon or a
selected group of frames. The key to completing your
conversion project in one piece and on time is not only
fast scanning but also fast auditing capabilities.
High-speed microfilm conversion scanners will
steer your department towards maximum operational
efficiency by streamlining the record retrieval process.
By instituting an on-demand process your staff can
capture and convert entire rolls of microfilm as records
are requested without making drastic changes to your
existing business process. Any time there is a records
request, simply capture the whole roll instead, find what
you’re looking for using a fast search, and keep the
digital copy forever – all in about the same amount of
time it would have taken you to find the information
manually.
It is time to stop manually retrieving microfilm
records. Step into the digital age by converting those
records to digital microfilm ribbons and find the
documents practically instantly. Let the computer do
what it is good at and be the Ctrl-F command.
STimaging
S
next can
Click here to
Contact us!
8 Spring 2020 NIRMA.org Inside NIRMA

From the President
Michelle M. Smith
T
his past month the NIRMA Board of
Directors met for our Winter Board meeting.
The Board collectively reviewed our Strategic
Plan and goals. We took an in-depth look at
how we will achieve our goals for 2020. The NIRMA
Strategic Plan states NIRMA is the industry leader in
information and records management, uniquely
qualified to provide:
• guidance to our members in the areas of
quality records programs,
• regulatory compliance activities,
• electronic records initiatives,
• document management technologies, and
• knowledge management issues.
To comply with our Strategic Plan and goals
NIRMA continues to seek visionaries to share ideas
and to create a platform for our audience to discuss
how to address the industry’s biggest challenges and
create opportunities through using innovative tools.
NIRMA has been working with industry peers to
identify speakers for the upcoming conference. We
have an array of presenters with topics that will be
prevalent to our industry.
Just a few of the top speakers already
confirmed for 2020 include:
• David Nelson, NRC Chief Information
Officer and Chief Data Officer, will provide
an overview of the NRC initiatives that will
drive changes for our industry on August 2.
• Colleen R. McClanahan, Directorate,
Management & Program Analyst, FAC-COR
with the Federal Bureau of Investigation on
August 2.
• Laura Williams, with the American Nuclear
Insurers (ANI) has an extensive background
in Health Physics and Decommissioning, will
be the Keynote Speaker on August 3.
• Karen Fili, current President & CEO of
URENCO USA. Previously Site VP at
Southern Company for Vogtle 3 & 4, and Site
VP at Monticello Nuclear plant, will be the
Keynote Speaker on August 4.
For additional information on two Keynote
Speakers, see pages 12 and 13.
If you would like to present a topic or get involved
in NIRMA, please contact us at nirma@nirma.org.
Not a Member of NIRMA?
Click here to join today!
Inside NIRMA NIRMA.org Spring 2020 9

I
A Retrospective on Information
Management in Nuclear Power
By Eugene Y. Yang, KISMET Consulting, Inc.
t was not necessarily always
about document control and
records management. I did
process improvement consulting from
the 1990’s and into 2000’s when
“globalization” really emerged and
competition was for real. This
resulted in the “right-sizing” of
companies; deregulation came to the
electric utility sector, forcing the
nuclear power industry to look at
better efficiencies. This issue’s article
reflects my experience in process
improvement versus technology
change.
Growing up, I was a big fan of
science fiction. I loved anthologies;
you could
read a
variety of
great short
stories, filled
with science
“gee whiz”.
One story
that stuck
with me was
“The
Specter
General” by
Theodore
Cogswell. A maintenance battalion
of the Imperial Space Marines
establishes a
base on an
uninhabited
planet, but it’s
forgotten as the
empire falls
into civil war. For the next 500
years, the soldiers doggedly stick to
their mission in training for starships
that never come. They lapse into a
primitive farming and hunting
existence, exhibiting characteristics
of the American Indian culture.
“Braves” are garbed in buckskin,
wearing feathers that identify their
company or platoon, and on their
arms are painted rank insignia. One
day, starships do show up, but they
are sorely in need of maintenance.
One particular brave immediately
identifies one of the problems and
fixes it. Astonished, the starship
captain asks how did the brave know
how to repair the problem, the brave
shrugged and said, “That’s how I’ve
always done it.”
Starting in the late 1970s and into
the 1990’s, the resurgent Japanese
industrial base produced
competitively priced, high-quality
goods, staggering the economies of
North America and Western Europe.
For example, the United Kingdom,
for the first time since the Industrial
Revolution, became a net importer
of finished goods. The big secret?
The Japanese studied, implemented,
and refined the quality management
principles espoused by W. Edward
Demig: Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA).
“Process Improvement”, “Process
Re-engineering”, and other like
terms became all the rage.
A good portion of the consulting
that I did in those days was directed
at achieving greater production in
the capture, review, indexing,
storage, and disposition of
documents and records piling up at
near mythic volumes. This work
addressed not only fundamental
recordkeeping processes, but also
major plant processes, such as design
change/modification, supply chain,
maintenance management, and
configuration management. I got to
use cool (well, at the time!) tools
such as MetaVision or IEW’s
Knowledgeware that helped in
modeling processes.
The debate back then (and
continues today!) is: which “answer”
takes the lead - is it an improved
process or is it better technology? I
am still amused at the “armed
10 Spring 2020 NIRMA.org Inside NIRMA

camps” – the “process” or business people were all
about the latest and greatest computer technology that
would take care of their problems, and the information
technologists would be about getting the “fill-in-theblank
users” to come up with a cogent process
description so they could fit in the technology.
When I would facilitate a process review, there would
be times when I’d scratch my head on a particular series
of steps, and ask “why do you do this?” I’d get back,
“That’s how we’ve always done it.” I would then think,
you know, that’s a bad process; if they implement the
system according to this process, they’re only making a
bad process go faster! On the other hand, the nature-of
-the-beast with technology is that there is an inherent
“management system” in the software, processes that
may not fit a company’s current culture or processes.
So, do you adopt the process to meet the system, or do
you adopt the system to meet the process?
I’ve seen it both ways, with extraordinary hoopjumping
and accompanying cultural angst. On one
hand, so much change was done to a software
application to meet a company’s process that it was
Back then, the buzzword
that got change going
was “total quality
management”; today,
it’s Lean-Six Sigma.
Tomorrow? No doubt
there will be another
methodology to get
excited about, but the
clash will be the same: is
it process improvement
or technology change?
nearly unrecognizable if you saw that system used in
another company. On the other hand, I’ve seen “edicts
from on high” that the software must be used “as-is”,
so the company needs to change its ways of doing
business to meet it. Don’t get me wrong; there are valid
reasons for either way, with justified cost-benefits, it’s
just an interesting dichotomy I’ve observed – or been a
part of!
The best implementations, especially at the fleet-wide
scale, is where a compromise is achieved between
process improvement and technology change. There are
some processes that must stay in place in order to meet
regulatory needs (“if the process is bad, go tell the
guv’mint!”); on the other hand, if a software company
has a track record of effective success, a client should
“listen” as to why the automated process is in place and
strive to implement it.
Back then, the buzzword that got change going was
“total quality management”; today, it’s Lean-Six Sigma.
Tomorrow? No doubt there will be another
methodology to get excited about, but the clash will be
the same: is it process improvement or technology
change?
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 Spring 2020 11

NIRMA 2020 Conference
Keynote
speaker
David Nelson currently serves as
the Chief Information Officer (CIO)
and Chief Data Officer (CDO) of
the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
(NRC). Mr. Nelson was selected for
this role in 2016 to oversee the
NRC’s information technology/
information management (IT/IM)
portfolio, including those IT systems
supporting nuclear reactor safety and
nuclear materials and waste safety.
In addition to the IT/IM
portfolio, Mr. Nelson is responsible
for the NRC’s information resource
management, enterprise architecture
program, cybersecurity program,
information and records
management program, information
collection program, and the agency’s
implementation of the Freedom of
Information Act and the Federal
Privacy Act of 1974.
Mr. Nelson previously held
several executive roles at the Centers
for Medicare and Medicaid Services
(CMS), including CIO and Director,
Office of Enterprise Information;
Director, Office of Information
Services; Director, Office of
Enterprise Management; and
Director, Data Analytics and Control
Group for the Center for Program
Integrity. Mr. Nelson’s Office
managed the CMS’s $2.6 billion IT
portfolio, including the complex
ecosystem of applications and
trusted data exchanges supporting
Healthcare.gov, the Medicare claims
processing system, and the Medicaid
support and quality reporting
systems. Mr. Nelson joined CMS in
2004 as the Director, Division of
Call Center Systems, Office of
External Affairs and Beneficiary
Services, and was charged with
improving access to information for
40 million Medicare beneficiaries.
Before joining CMS, Mr. Nelson
served in a variety of challenging
private sector leadership roles,
including co-founder of two
broadband development companies
that provided access to underserved
markets in the United States.
Mr. Nelson also served in
executive operations roles both in
the United States and abroad for
several leading IT development and
telecommunications companies, and
as Vice President of Operations for a
telecommunications firm where he
managed the commissioning of
several hundred satellite earth
stations in 50 countries across
Europe, Latin America, and the
United States.
Save the
date!
The 44 th Annual Nuclear
Information Management
Conference will be held on
August 2-4, 2020.
12 Spring 2020 NIRMA.org Inside NIRMA

NIRMA 2020 Conference
Keynote
speaker
Colleen McClanahan is a
Management & Program Analyst
with the Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI). Ms.
McClanahan began her FBI career in
2011 where she managed multiple
information technology contracts in
the FBI’s Information Technology
Branch. Ms. McClanahan
transferred to the Weapons of Mass
Destruction Directorate (WMDD) is
2013 where she managed the
Directorate’s Contract
Administration Program and
implemented executive management
strategic objectives regarding
personnel assets. In 2014, she
transferred to her current position,
within WMDD, to the Nuclear and
Radiological Countermeasures Unit
(NRCU). Ms. McClanahan has
provided program management on
several international and domestic
nuclear and radiological programs
where she provides subject matter
expertise on implementing
countermeasures and tripwires to
prevent, detect and respond to
radiological and nuclear terrorism
incidents.
In addition to her day-to-day
responsibilities in NRCU, Ms.
McClanahan is a member of the
FBI’s Victim Services Response
Team where she supports the FBI’s
response to mass casualty incidents.
Ms. McClanahan received her
Bachelor’s Degree in
Communication Studies from
Towson University. Prior to joining
the FBI, Ms. McClanahan was the
Director of Administration and
Meetings Manager for Bostrom
Corporation, an association
management company.
Ms. McClanahan will present
“How the Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI) Counters the
Radiological Threat”.
Description: The mission of the
FBI is to protect the American
people and uphold the Constitution
of the United States. The FBI
created the Weapons of Mass
Destruction Directorate (WMDD)
to build a cohesive and coordinated
approach to incidents involving
chemical, biological, radiological,
nuclear, or explosive (CBRNe)
material—with an overriding focus
on prevention. Through a nuclear
and radiological tripwire initiative,
the FBI provides awareness briefing
that discuss potential threats and
vulnerabilities regarding the use of,
research of, or manufacturing of
radiological sources. The purpose of
this presentation is to discuss:
• An overview of the FBI,
• the role of the WMD
Coordinator,
• types of threats applicable to
NIRMA members,
• suspicious behaviors, and
• real world case studies.
Inside NIRMA NIRMA.org Spring 2020 13

NIRMA Transforming the
2020 Conference
Janice Hoerber, Vice President
I
2020).
t is an exciting time as we
plan for the 44 th Nuclear
Information Management
Conference (August 2-4,
NIRMA is embracing change and
unveiling a new look for the 2020
conference in the exclusive Palms
Executive Conference Center at the JW
Marriott Las Vegas Resort and Spa.
For over a decade, the conference
has been located in the Marquis
Conference area. The NIRMA
Board is delighted with the new
conference space in the Palms
Tower and believe it will be a
welcomed change for attendees and
vendor exhibitors.
The 2020 NIRMA Conference
schedule will be changed up to
revitalize the tracks and session
topics to meet the needs of a
broader audience. Each day will
include a special Keynote speaker to
share industry perspectives. An
emphasis will also be on a
Fundamentals track Sunday for the
beginner as well as those looking for
a refresher. Your feedback from last
year's conference has been helpful in
making adjustments for this August!
We look forward to a terrific
lineup of speakers and topics in
August! The Call for Papers is
posted on the NIRMA website (click
here) with a variety of relevant topics
to consider. Submit your 100-150
word abstract of your presentation
in March to Janice Hoerber,
NIRMA Vice President at
jhoerber@ameren.com.
This year's
NIRMA
conference
theme is focused
on the Nuclear
Transformation
and Embracing
Change in your
workplace.
The NIRMA conference offers a
forum for excellent networking.
The conference schedule will be
packed with learning opportunities
as well as knowledge sharing among
peers and the regulators.
Highlight of the 2020
Conference events:
• Educational Opportunities
for signup (coming soon)
Saturday, August 1
• Opening Day Keynote, plus
ICRM Prep &
Fundamentals track Sunday,
August 2
• Welcome Reception (food &
beverages) early evening,
Sunday, August 2
• Vendor Exhibits & Raffles
Monday, August 3 with
dedicated Solution Spotlight
talks
• Keynotes, Technical
Sessions and Panel
Discussions Monday &
Tuesday, August 3-4
• NIRMA Business Unit
meetings Wednesday, August
5 & tentatively Thursday,
August 6
The Vendor Exhibitor
Extravaganza will have a great new
look Monday, August 3 in the
Cascades ballroom!
Continue checking the NIRMA
website at www.nirma.org for all the
details and to register for the
conference. We look forward to
seeing you there!
14 Spring 2020 NIRMA.org Inside NIRMA

Sheila Pearcy, CRA
W
ell it has been a good year
and here we are off to a
good start for 2020. The
NIRMA Board of Directors
(BOD) met in Summerlin for the Biannual
Board Meetings in February.
Much was accomplished. The Board
discussed, reviewed and established:
• NIRMA 2020 BOD Goals
• Status of NIRMA Organization
• Treasurer’s Report and 2020
Budget
• 5-Year Strategic Plan
• SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses,
Opportunities, Threats)
SUMMARY of NIRMA 2019
ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
• Successful 43rd Annual NIRMA
Conference.
• NIRMA Board managed
expenses closely in 2019 to net a
positive finish for the year.
• 3 Outstanding NIRMA
Magazines were produced and
published.
• Eugene Yang represented
NIRMA in the United Arab
Emirates by providing training
and instruction to ENEC.
• Selected the 2020, Nominating
Committee – Denise Pickett and
Ed Springer.
• NIRMA’s social media presence
has tripled for Facebook and
Twitter.
• Board approved WP-06, NIRMA
Decommissioning White Paper.
• Board agreed to $50.00 NIRMA
membership cost for Nuclear
Specialist (NS) Retired Members
• Revised AP02, Annual Election
and Board of Directors
Reorganization Process.
• Approved TG22, Management
of Electronic Vendor Technical
Documents and PP06,
Alternative Approaches in the
Implementation of the NRC
Regulatory Issue Summary.
• NIRMA was requested by NEI
to present at the NEI
Decommissioning Task Force.
Eugene Yang presented on
behalf of NIRMA - WP06 the
NIRMA White Paper on
Decommissioning.
• Published ICRM Nuclear
Specialist (NS) Brochure.
• Two members Kathi Cole and
Denise Pickett represented
NIRMA at the annual 2019
ARMA Conference to support
Industry outreach.
• Bruce Walters and Gil Bruckner
were honored at the NIRMA
Annual Business Meeting for
achieving the prestigious Nuclear
Specialist (NS) certification.
• M&M provided ongoing support
of LinkedIn, Facebook, and
Twitter as well as the NIRMA
Monthly Emails to the
membership with the help of
Devereaux Consulting. Posting
organizational information,
industry news and special
notifications as requested by the
Board. M&M BU has developed
a draft Mentoring Program.
• PDBU offered the Preconference
training “Do You See
the Flow?” on business process
mapping and process
improvements.
• RIMBU continues to review
Technical Guidelines for
technical accuracy and validity,
per the biannual review schedule.
AUGUST 2019 BOARD
ELECTION/
REORGANIZATION
RESULTS:
President: Michelle Smith, STP
Vice President: Janice Hoerber,
Ameren Services
Secretary: Sheila Pearcy, CRA,
Regulatory Environmental Services
(RES)
Treasurer: Anita Beren, GE
Healthcare
Director of Infrastructure: Bruce
Walters, CRM/NS, AECOM
Director of Technical Programs:
Lona Smith, STP
Inside NIRMA NIRMA.org Spring 2020 15

Professional
Development
Business Unit (PDBU)
News
Tammy Cutts, PDBU Director
P
rofessional development has a lot to offer
individuals. These offerings can be personal;
you can become better at your job, develop
confidence in practicing your profession, prepare for
future positions, or stay engaged in your current work.
It's a requirement for individual's holding professional
certifications such as CRA, CRM, IGP, CIP, etc. Your
employers, current or future, reap benefits from your
development as well.
Professional development can be a lot of different
experiences, and NIRMA is pleased to provide some of
those to its members.
Looking for opportunities?
Consider the following:
• Attend the NIRMA conference for benchmarking
and sessions.
• Enroll in the pre-conference workshop.
• Those new to records management can attend
Sunday sessions on the basics.
• Those further along in their careers and looking to
add a professional certification can attend the ICRM
exam prep workshop on Sunday afternoon to learn
about taking the CRA parts. And for existing
CRAs/CRMs, there will be a NS and Fed exam
review on Monday or Tuesday.
• Already a CRA or CRM? Try the specialist
designation (NS or Federal) prep on Monday.
• Individuals with professional certifications can earn
maintenance points by leading sessions.
• Those with something to share can learn from the
experience of developing and presenting a session
while contributing to the development of attendees
(click here to see the Call for Papers for the
conference).
I'm excited about the upcoming conference with its
various offerings and I look forward to seeing you there!
NIRMA’s Financial Holdings
As of: February 20, 2020
Anita S. Beren
NIRMA Treasurer
Checking Account $ 48,840.89
Investment Account $ 132,046.10
Debit Account $ 149.37
16 Spring 2020 NIRMA.org Inside NIRMA

MEMBERSHIP & MARKETING (M&M)
Business Unit News
Kathi Cole, M&MBU Director
e are less than 6 months away from the 2020
W
NIRMA Conference. Time to start really
thinking about attending the conference. There
are great ways to enjoy and participate in the
learning and fun.
We have lined up some amazing Keynote
speakers for this Conference. In the coming months, we
will be sharing more details about topics, but right now
we have speakers from the NRC, FBI, American
Nuclear Insurers (ANI), and a former Site VP from
Vogtle and Monticello nuclear plants. You and your
work colleagues are going to want to hear these
presentations … which leads us to the next topic.
BRING-a-BUDDY” Campaign!
We will again be promoting the “BRING-a-
BUDDY” campaign in 2020. When you register yourself
and a “buddy” (a new attendee) to come to the 2020
NIRMA conference, your names will be placed in a
special drawing. Prizes are always fun! Remember to
register by July 1st and receive the Early Bird Discount.
The new attendee can be anyone from your
J
ust a reminder that the election for the NIRMA
Board of Directors will occur in July and we
need your help in filling the two Board positions
that are open for election. Please consider
nominating yourself or other individuals who you
consider qualified to fill these leadership positions for
the Association.
organization, such as IT, your
boss, procedure writers, auditors,
engineers, etc.
NIRMA is offering a
group discount when you register for the Conference
early. Purchase 3 registrations from the same company,
and all subsequent registrations are $600. These
subsequent employees need not be part of the Records
Management organization. They can be employees from
any of the organizations within the same company.
NIRMA is also offering a discounted price for your boss
for $500 with your paid registration.
Mentoring Program
A draft Mentoring Program has been presented
to the Board for consideration. Once approved and
implemented, it will enable members to seek guidance
from our more experienced members on a number of
topics. We will be needing individuals to step up to
become those mentors. Stay tuned. For additional
information or questions, please contact Kathi Cole at
kjccole1@yahoo.com or Denise Pickett at
denisearma@gmail.com.
UPCOMING ELECTION NEWS FROM THE
NOMINATING COMMITTEE
Denise L. Pickett, CRM/NS/FED, IGP
Nominations for NIRMA
Board of Directors
professional qualification, and desire and ability to serve
on the Board. The term is three years.
Please send your nominations to the Nominating
Committee members, Denise Pickett at
denise.pickett.crm@gmail.com or Ed Springer at
edgar.springer@pseg.com by April 25, 2020.
Factors to include in your consideration are length
of time as a NIRMA member, committee activities,
leadership positions held, service to NIRMA,
Denise or Ed will provide proposed candidates with
documents and guidance per AP02, Annual Election
and Board of Directors Reorganization Process.
Inside NIRMA NIRMA.org Spring 2020 17

NuScale Submits SMR Design to
Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission
A NuScale power plant could house up to 12 individual power modules
(Image: NuScale)
NuScale has made its first submittal
to the Canadian Nuclear Safety
Commission (CNSC) for pre-licensing
vendor design review (VDR) of its SMR
design.
This submission reflects the
substantive work that NuScale
continues to accomplish in the
regulatory field as the company is
simultaneously bringing the U.S.’s first
NuScale power plant into production
and operation by 2026. “Interest in
building NuScale plants in Canada
continues to grow. This pre-licensing
process allows our design to be
reviewed by another highly respected
regulator, the Canadian Nuclear Safety
Commission, and we look forward to
their thorough evaluation of our
innovative safety features,” said NuScale
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
John Hopkins.
“We are thrilled to continue our path
forward to introduce our scalable,
economic, carbon-free, and safe SMR
technology to Canadian customers.”
Building on the US Nuclear
Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) design
certification application (DCA) process,
the submission to CNSC will allow a
potential customer to maximize
increased efficiencies for technical
reviews when later seeking to submit a
construction license application,
according to NuScale.
NuScale’s design is the world’s first
SMR to undergo design certification
review by the NRC, completing Phase 4
of its DCA in December.
NuScale has signed an agreement
with Bruce Power to develop a business
case to support the company’s efforts to
bring its SMR technology to Canada.
Ontario Power Generation participates
on the NuScale Advisory Board and
provides advice.
Article reprinted with permission of
Nuclear Energy Insider. Read full
article here.
New Study Finds
Nuclear Energy
Significant for
Washington’s Clean
Energy Goals
Washington, D.C.—Energy Northwest
unveiled a new study that lays out a path to
reliably achieve 100% carbon-free energy by
2045 through clean resources like wind, solar
and nuclear energy. The study from Energy
+ Environmental Economics identifies
pathways to reduce carbon emissions that
includes preserving current nuclear plants
through second license renewals and the
deployment of innovative SMR. These
findings build on a consensus that nuclear
energy, and even more of it, will be needed to
meet climate goals because it provides reliable
carbon-free electricity, 24/7.
The following statement can be
attributed to Maria Korsnick,
president and chief executive officer
of the Nuclear Energy Institute:
“Today, Energy Northwest released
a study that clearly demonstrates the
important role of nuclear energy in a
carbon-free future. Key to the success
in reaching Washington state’s clean
energy transformation is the license
renewal of the Columbia Generating
Station nuclear power plant and the
availability of firm, carbon-free
generation, like that offered by small
modular reactors.
“SMR will provide always-on,
reliable energy that can seamlessly
complement wind and solar. The cost
feasibility study shows that they can be
a critical component of any plan to
reach net-zero carbon emissions in a
cost-effective way.”
Article reprinted with permission
of NEI. Read full article here.
18 Spring 2020 NIRMA.org Inside NIRMA

The Versatile Test Reactor Can Help Unlock the
Future of Carbon-Free Energy
The 2020s will be the decade of innovations in
nuclear energy. The technologies and tools that will enable
advanced nuclear reactors to become a reality are being
developed now.
Those more energetic neutrons have many
advantages. They can split a much wider variety of atoms to
make energy, including many atoms that were produced in
today’s reactors and would otherwise be considered waste.
They can run reactors that operate at much higher
temperatures than are common today, which would produce
steam that can be used for many more purposes. And many
of those designs would run at far lower pressures, making
them easier and less expensive to build.
Versatile Test Reactor
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Versatile Test
Reactor (VTR) is one of those cutting-edge, specialized tools.
Just getting under way, the VTR is intended to mimic the
conditions that would exist in a category of advanced
reactors now under development: fast reactors, which
include sodium-cooled fast reactors, molten salt reactors and
high-temperature gas reactors.
With a pressing need to reduce carbon emissions
and a growing worldwide demand for electricity, it is urgent
to commercialize advanced reactor technologies, many of
which use molten salt, sodium or helium gas (instead of
water, as current plants do).
Fast reactors are quite different than the reactors
currently operating in the United States. When they run, the
neutrons—subatomic particles that sustain the chain
reaction—are moving with vastly more energy than in
today’s reactors, in some cases with 100,000 times more
energy.
Those more energetic neutrons have many
advantages. They can split a much wider variety of atoms to
make energy, including many atoms that were produced in
today’s reactors and would otherwise be considered waste.
They can run reactors that operate at much higher
temperatures than are common today, which would produce
steam that can be used for many more purposes. And many
of those designs would run at far lower pressures, making
them easier and less expensive to build.
There is a catch, though. No one is completely sure
how all of the components of these new reactors would
behave after a few decades in the stew of high-energy
neutrons. And engineers don’t want to wait to find out.
With a simulated environment, engineers can bathe
the components in neutrons at a pace three or four times
faster than they would see in an actual power reactor, pull
the parts out for evaluation, and if necessary, make changes
and try again. This is exactly what the VTR would provide.
“We want to do a quick screening of these
technologies,” said Kemal Pasamehmetoglu, executive
director of the VTR project.
In fact, the reactor could also be used to test
materials for other industries and for materials that could be
useful in today’s reactors.
To prosper, experts say the U.S. needs its own hightech
test facility for fast neutrons.
Article reprinted with permission
of NEI. Read full article here.
Inside NIRMA NIRMA.org Spring 2020 19

Inside NIRMA Magazine is published three times
annually, in March, June and October.
Click here to view past issues visit.
Vogtle Unit 3 Reactor Vessel
Cavity, see article on Page 4.