Inside NIRMA Fall 2021 - FINAL

Inside 

Leading the way in Nuclear Information and Records Management 

magazine 

The Gang’s All Here! 

Visit us at: NIRMA.org 

NIRMA’s 45th Anniversary Conference Edition 

NIRMA Conference, 

Records Managers, 

and the 

Pandemic, 

nextScan 

It’s an Exciting 

Time for NIRMA! 

Messages from 

NIRMA’s President 

& Vice-President 

Optimize Business 

Processes with Tech- 

Enabled Outsourcing, 

iBridge 

Scenes from the 

NIRMA 

Conference 

Issue # 12, Fall 2021

Contents 

Fall 2021 

4 

6 

9 

13 

Message from the President; It’s an Exciting Time for NIRMA! 

By Janice Hoerber, Ameren 

News from the Vice-President 

By Bruce Walters, AECOM 

NIRMA Conference, Records Managers, and the Pandemic 

By Matt Anderson, Vice President of Marketing, nextScan 

Optimize Business Processes with Tech-Enabled Outsourcing 

By Desh Urs, CEO and President, iBridge LLC 

14 

17 

20 

22 

24 

27 

Reducing Cost and Risks when Digitizing 

Micrographic Collections 

By Manual Bulwa, Integrated Scanning of America/ISAUSA 

Choosing a Records Management Solution that Fits 

Your Needs 

By Kaycee Jaeger, e-ImageData Marketing Director 

Lifetime Member Profile: Meet Frank Kocsis III, CRM/ 

NS 

From the CRM: Wait, What did I do? 

By Andy McGavin, CRM, NS 

Chronicles of NIM: A Retrospective on Information 

Management in Nuclear Power 

By Eugene Yang, KISMET Consulting, Inc. 

Smartphones or Smart Use 

By Bob Larrivee, NIRMA’s Director of Technical Programs 

Attendees from NIRMA’s 45th 

Annual Conference briefly removed 

masks for a quick photo 

commemorating the event. 

NIRMA’s 46th Annual Conference 

will be August 1-3, 2022 at the JW 

Marriott Resort & Spa, Las Vegas 

Nevada. 

2 Fall 2021 NIRMA.org Inside NIRMA

CONTENTS 

Fall 2021 

in every issue 

TREASURER REPORT—26 

PDBU NEWS—28 

RIMBU NEWS—29 

M&MBU NEWS—30 

INDUSTRY NEWS—31 

Scenes from the NIRMA Conference: 

Speakers—5 & 7 

Celebration Event—11 

First Time Attendees—19 

Vendors—23 

Board Positions Announced—30 

Gil 

Brueckner 

(top photo), 

and Kathi 

Cole & 

Margie 

Janney, 

(bottom 

photo) 

present at 

NIRMA’s 

45th Annual 

Conference. 

Check out 

the many 

Conference 

photos 

within this 

magazine 

edition. 

Editors 

Neal and Sandra Miller 

DevereauxInc@outlook.com 

Advertising 

Neal.F.Miller@gmail.com 

NIRMA Headquarters 

Sarah Perkins 

NIRMA Administrator 

245 Sunnyridge Ave., #41 

Fairfield, CT 06824 

nirma@nirma.org 

In addition to our own 

articles, Inside NIRMA 

publishes guest articles from 

agencies and vendors. Please 

be advised that the views and 

opinions expressed in these 

articles are those of the 

authors and do not 

necessarily reflect the 

opinions of NIRMA or its 

Board of Directors. 

Back to Content | Inside NIRMA NIRMA.org Fall 2021 3

A MESSAGE From the 

President 

Janice Hoerber 

It’s an Exciting Time for NIRMA! 

W 

hat an engaging Conference 

that unfolded for the 45 th 

NIRMA Anniversary! It 

was wonderful having a 

majority of attendance in-person to 

network and reminisce and to stroll 

through a NIRMA Memorabilia 

room. We also embraced 

technology with Webex enabling 

keynote presentations and discussion 

with attendees participating from 

across the nation. While other 

industry associations had to default 

to another virtual event, NIRMA has 

been fortunate to deliver a hybrid 

Conference for in-person and virtual 

attendance to ensure strong 

engagement among the membership 

in light of COVID-19 travel impacts. 

During the Conference, it 

became clear what an exciting time 

this is to be involved with NIRMA. 

A few of my favorite highlights: 

• NIRMA Lifetime Rich Giska 

announced the just-completed 

extensive revision cycle for the 

ANSI/NIRMA Standard CM 1.0 

– 2021 for Configuration 

Management 

• NIRMA Board Member Bob 

Larrivee immersed us in 

technologies that can eliminate 

manual processes today in lieu of 

digitally automated processes and 

introduced us to Spot the Robot! 

• Andrew Ysasi, President-Elect 

for the ICRM, helped re-ignite a 

passion for members to pursue 

the ICRM Certifications 

available, including the elite 

Nuclear Specialist (NS) 

• "Bill Gates has entered the chat!" 

Past NIRMA Board Member 

Meg Milligan asked the 

NIRMA Board to follow up on 

the Bill Gates' Foundation 

funding of Nuclear Power for 

getting the world to a carbonfree 

future (Aug 4, 2021 NEI 

magazine.com article) 

The NIRMA Board of Directors is 

aware that the time is now to help 

our membership and our industry to 

see the future and quickly leverage 

the skills and solutions that are 

available today. At the Conference, 

we heard the barriers that many are 

experiencing: 

• Not everyone is "on the bus" 

and wants change, there are 

resistors and slow walkers in our 

workplaces 

• Some have 

tried new 

technology 

and it never 

made it long 

enough to 

see the 

savings with 

few people 

using it (i.e. 

Electronic 

Work 

Packages) 

• Paper is still very much in play – 

some Quality Assurance vaults 

are overflowing 

• Not all organizations have an 

electronic signature tool for 

work-from-home approvals 

Today, the barrier is not always 

funding as it once was. Now, the issue is 

making these things an organizational 

priority in our work places. We need 

vendor experts and All-In teams to take 

nuclear processes into the future with 

technology. NIRMA needs to bring more 

technology vendors to our Conference to 

connect the dots. 

NIRMA intends to be on the 

forefront to help your organization 

streamline and manage information. It 

really is about the "I" in NIRMA. 

We thank our past NIRMA legacy 

who recognized that long ago. It is a 

great time to be involved in this 

journey! 


David Nelson, NRC presenting remotely “Transformation 

Initiatives around the NRC” 

Laura Williams, ANI presenting remotely “Records – The 

Nuclear Liability Perspective” 

Bob Larrivee facilitating the preconference 

Workshop, “Preparing for 

Information Automation” 

➔ “Configuration Management Panel 

Discussion” with Tim Fleet, Moderator with 

panel participants Laurent Perkins, Rich 

Giska, and Lona Smith 

“History of NIRMA” with Past Presidents & Lifetime 

Members, (L-R) Rich Giska (remote), Frank Kocsis, Margie 

Janney, Moderator Sheila Pearcy, Cheri Susner, Mary 

Binkholder, Michelle Smith, and Eugene Yang

FROM THE VICE-PRESIDENT 

Bruce Walters, CRM/NS 

T 

he 2021 Nuclear 

Information Management 

Conference was a big 

success based on survey 

comments. I am particularly 

thankful for our many keynote 

speakers, general session speakers, 

exhibitors, sponsors, marketing 

team, and hotel staff who helped 

make the conference, well, the 

Conference. It takes a lot of effort 

and support to pull off such an 

endeavor. Thank you all for 

stepping up and being a part of the 

conference team. And many thanks 

to all the attendees who participated 

on location at the JW Marriott or 

from your home/office. Your 

energy and insightful contributions 

during the conference were 

remarkable and made the NIRMA 

45 th Anniversary an event to 

remember! 

You should know that I am 

already making plans for 2022. The 

Conference is locked in for August 1 

-3, 2022 at our favorite resort. I’m 

thinking of topics and speakers that 

would be of interest to all of us and 

you shared some ideas on the survey. 

I have reached out to a number of 

potential speakers already and will 

continue in the coming months. It's 

time to reflect on your career, your 

work experiences, what you just 

finished, and what YOU could share 

with the rest of NIRMA! I am ready 

to hear from you (or you may hear 

from me!). 

Speaking of the 2022 NIRMA 

Conference, your Board of Directors 

met in September to discuss our 

2021 costs and 2022 fees. Eugene 

Yang brought up a great point 

during the Annual Business Meeting 

about the organization’s finances. 

That triggered some tough 

discussion amongst the Board 

members. We are being mindful that 

we need to be as cost-conscious as 

possible because this is Association 

money we are spending. 

We have all noticed grocery 

prices going up all over the country 

and thus, the hotel meal costs have 

risen equally. Additionally, in a 

nutshell, having a virtual Conference 

is expensive. 

While we reduce 

the overall cost 

for meals of 

attendees 

because fewer of 

us are in-person, 

we have learned 

that we have 

significantly more 

audio/visual 

costs. The final 

numbers have 

not been 

received as I 

write this article, 

but based on 

projected costs, we continue to run 

at a deficit and are having to draw 

from NIRMA's investment account 

to pay expenses. That is not 

sustainable regardless of what we 

charge for attendance. Our plan is 

to return to an in-person conference 

in 2022 and future years but know 

that COVID-19 realities are out of 

our control. 

In order for you to make 

budgetary plans for 2022, below are 

the Board-approved fees for the next 

Conference: 

Early Bird 

by end of July 1: 

$1,250 

Late Registration 

after July 1: 

$1,500 

Speaker Fee: 

$1,000 

Exhibitor Fee: 

$2,800 

The NIRMA Membership Fee 

will once again remain at $250 for 

those who did not attend the 2021 

Conference. By end of year, the 

NIRMA Office will be sending out 

Membership reminders to those who 

could not participate in 2021. 

I am excited for what the coming 

year will bring for NIRMA and the 

opportunities that all of us have for 

networking and education. We are 

going to do this, together, and I’m 

looking forward to it. 


Two Former NIRMA Presidents (as well as Lifetime 

Members), Eugene Yang and Cheri Susner catch up. 

Andrew Ysasi, VP, Advocacy, VRC Companies, LLC 

presents “IG and Cyber Security” 

Whitney McCollum, Assistant General Counsel for Data 

Protection & Technology, AECOM presenting remotely “Data 

& COVID - Now & Future” 

Rich Chaney, nextScan presents “Basics of Document 

Control" 

Lou Rofrano, Co-Director of PDBU presenting “One 

Year Later – Progress Report on the NIRMA Mentoring 

Program"

NIRMA2021Conference 

Exhibitor,Presenterand 

SpotlightShowcase

NIRMA Conferences, 

Records Managers, and the 

Pandemic 

By Matt Anderson, 

Vice President of Marketing, nextScan 

L 

ooking back over the years, 

we fondly remember our first 

NIRMA shows before the 

pandemic. Everyone was, and 

remains warm, friendly, and 

inviting. Personally, I remember 

experiencing my first NIRMA 

conference, with the exhibitors 

being welcomed to share a meal and 

engage off the floor, which is 

unique compared to other events 

we attend. Thank you for always 

welcoming us to Las Vegas and 

your annual conference. 

These last two NIRMA 

conferences have been much 

different. While the friendly and 

warm faces are still there, there are 

just a lot fewer of them. And while 

there have been many negative 

changes, we are going to seek out 

the positive as well. 

The NIRMA Conference has 

evolved and allowed much more 

than only an exhibitor experience. 

For nextScan, it has given us the 

ability to share our knowledge of 

document management with you as 

nextScan has been able to 

create software 

enhancements to help 

resolve problems you 

encounter. Thank you for 

the continued support and 

allowing us to present to 

this esteemed group. 

Continued on next page. 


Continued from previous page. 

well as showcase how our 

equipment is designed to solve 

some of your recurring problems. 

These opportunities often turn into 

conversations, allowing us to speak 

directly with NIRMA members, to 

understand their unique challenges, 

and propose possible solutions. 

Additionally, in response to the 

challenges you face, nextScan has 

been able to create software 

enhancements to help resolve 

problems you encounter. Thank 

you for the continued support and 

allowing us to present to this 

esteemed group. 

The pandemic has had a 

profound impact on all industries 

and Records Management was 

certainly an area that felt the 

increased pressure to keep up with 

demands these past 18 months. 

COVID has also made everyone 

more aware of the 

importance of 

proper Records 

Management 

strategies and 

techniques to be 

able to timely share 

information as the 

remote working 

The future of smart and 

clean energy sources is 

not going away anytime 

soon. As need for energy 

continues to grow, our 

country will be looking to 

nuclear energy to help 

provide the carbon-free 

energy it will require. 

paradigm shift seems to be here for 

some time. 

We understand that the role 

that Records Managers undertake is 

critical to keeping nuclear plants on 

plan, on task, and on budget. Never 

before have so many documents, of 

all different formats, file types, and 

sizes, been produced and stored. 

Understanding where to access, 

how to access, and who can access, 

has become a challenging task for 

Record Managers. Thank you for 

all you do for the Nuclear and 

Records Management industries. 

The future of smart and clean 

energy sources is not going away 

anytime soon. As need for energy 

continues to grow, our country will 

be looking to nuclear energy to 

help provide the carbon-free 

energy it will require. If the current 

bipartisan infrastructure bill is 

passed, nuclear power reactors 

would get $6 billion to shore up a 

struggling electrical grid. 

We hope everyone that 

attended the NIRMA Conference 

had a great visit and thoroughly 

enjoyed the conference. It’s a spot 

on our calendar that we mark every 

year. 

See you in 2022! 


Scenes from 

NIRMA’s 45th 

Anniversary 

Conference 

Celebration 

Event

Feeling the 

Pressure 

to Digitize? 

But for budget purposes, 

you need an estimate and 

proof of concept? 

No Problem. 

We will come to your site, 

provide you with an 

estimate and proof of 

concept. 

All free of cost and with no 

obligation 

Give us a call at 

503.906.2593, no job 

is too big or too small. 

www.ibridgellc.com

Optimize Business 

Processes with Tech- 

Enabled Outsourcing 

E 

nterprises looking to outsource business 

processes in a cost-efficient way should look 

for vendors that embrace natural language 

processing, artificial intelligence, and machine 

learning. These tools deliver significant advantages by 

automatically filtering and categorizing large volumes of 

content. 

Deploying automated solutions to high-volume, lowimpact 

processes is key to achieving best-in-class 

workflow efficiency. IT and Records Managers who 

look for Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) partners 

that incorporate these technologies will enable smarter 

decision-making and greatly enhanced efficiencies. 

The foundation of next-generation document control 

processes is 

Natural Language 

Processing 

(NPL). NPL is a 

branch of 

artificial 

intelligence (AI) 

that allows 

computers to 

read the text of 

digitized 

documents. 

However, the ability to interpret large quantities of 

By Desh Urs, CEO & 

President, iBridge LLC 

unstructured data relies on trained AI algorithms. The 

practical benefit of this approach is minimal-touch, 

straight-through processing, which now includes 

interpreting topographic legends and symbols in plat 

maps and land use documents. In addition, an AIpowered 

sorting algorithm can identify and process 

details within a single or cluster of records, to extract 

information accurately and quickly. 

Higher-impact BPO benefits are achievable through 

Machine Learning as well. Machine Learning is an 

advanced subset of artificial intelligence that focuses on 

teaching computers to process data without giving 

them explicit instructions on how to do so. Machine 

Learning systems can interpret data and identify trends 

with minimal or no human intervention. This techenabled 

analysis makes it possible for enterprises to 

emphasize the value their employees generate. 

Machine Learning enables enterprises to automate 

analytics processes that traditionally come with steep 

operating costs. Enterprises that incorporate Machine 

Learning into their operating models can often act 

faster and more decisively than their peers, making 

enterprise agility one of the most compelling benefits 

this technology has to offer. 

Business process outsourcing vendors that implement 

emerging technologies make process efficiency a core 

value. If your organization is not internally leveraging 

these emerging technologies, then look for a BPO 

partner who does. You will be rewarded with a strategy 

that prioritizes efficiency, flexibility, and cost-saving. 


REDUCING COST AND RISKS 

WHEN DIGITIZING 

MICROGRAPHIC 

COLLECTIONS 

t 

here is ample consensus across most industries 

about the need to digitize their micrographic 

collections. Reasons include concerns about 

film degradation, regulatory compliance, 

obsolescence of mechanical viewers, inherent 

inefficiencies, contingency planning against natural and 

man-made disasters, the irreversible paradigm shift to 

remote working and more. The traditional barriers to 

entry have been breached by COVID, technological 

innovations and the abundance of success stories. There 

are also some horror stories mostly associated to 

underestimation of the complexities of digitization 

projects, especially when undertaken on site, or assigned 

to service providers engaged in cutthroat competition. 

This article proposes options to reduce risks and 

costs. Although it focuses on microfiche, it applies 

similarly to roll film and aperture cards. Let’s start by 

exploring the Technology and Methodologies 

components of the proposed concept. 

Technology 

(Equipment, Software) 

The traditional “rent equipment and good luck” approach 

is costly and risky. It implies training, learning curves, 

beginner’s mistakes, lack of adequate QC tools and/or 

expertise, staff working beyond their core competency, 

and more. An ideal solution should allow for: 

• All media stays onsite. 

• Client’s clerical staff (or temps) undertake “bare 

bones” operations (mostly feeding media). 

• Service provider undertakes all critical tasks through 

remote access, using highly trained experts and 

sophisticated technology. 

By Manuel Bulwa, Integrated Scanning of America 

www.isausa.com 

• Expensive equipment is allocated only during the 

bulk digitization phase. 

• Day forward capture, if needed, is configured with a 

solid scaled down version of the resources used 

during bulk capture. 

• Low cost/low risk. 

To accomplish the above, one or more production 

level scanners are installed onsite for the duration, 

configured and fine-tuned remotely by experts using 

smart glasses at the site to drastically improve support 

and training. Smart glasses make possible that local 

operators become the hands, eyes and ears of the 

remote experts during training and support. (click here 

for Tele-Assistance video). 

A small workgroup consisting of at least one 

preconfigured scan station with a high-volume scanner, 

a printer, a robust storage unit, a barcode handgun and 

at least one production station are configured with 

Internet access, but fully isolated from any local IT 

resources. All captured images are stored locally, while 

the service 

provider 

performs all 

post-capture 

work on the 

auxiliary 

station(s) 

using remote 

desktop. No 

data needs to 

be transferred 

out of the 

workgroup. 


Methodologies 

An ideal scenario will not only reduce risks and costs, 

but it should also eliminate or drastically reduce the 

following vulnerabilities: 

• Barcode technology and a 

barcode gun to manage 

smart rescans. 

• Efficient production 

methodologies successfully 

proven on billions of images. 

• Ability to find inventoried 

and scanned images without 

the cost of traditional 

indexing or deferring this cost to future budgets. 

To find records with minimal or no indexing, we 

propose the use of Visual Navigation to mimic digitally 

the same process users performed manually when using 

(now obsolete) reader printers, i.e.: navigate fiche titles 

in a drawer, mount a sheet in the carrier, then navigate 

the frames in the carrier until the first frame of the 

record is located. Although the steps are quite similar, 

there is an overwhelming number of benefits when 

operating digitally instead of manually. 

The cost savings are significant when compared to 

traditional indexing strategies. 

The risk reduction is based on 

the absence of human errors 

interpreting and capturing 

index data. 

In conclusion, if your 

micrographic collection has 

not yet suffered degradation, 

abuse, misuse, natural or manmade 

disasters, you still 

depend on in-person staff 

attendance and obsolete 

equipment. The concept 

presented here makes 

digitization affordable and 

safe. 

To accomplish the above, our concept involves the use 

of: 

• Smart glasses to 

perform a creative 

video inventory of 

physical assets. 


Choosing a 

records 

management 

solution that 

fits your needs 

By Kaycee Jaeger, 

e-ImageData Marketing Director 

T 

hey say that we’re doomed to repeat history if 

we do not study and understand it. Until the 

past couple of decades—and even to today— 

much of history was recorded on paper 

documents. Nuclear corporations and businesses of all 

kinds have carefully stored microfilm and microfiche 

versions of critical documents for viewing. With many 

employees’ workload curtailed due to pandemic 

precautions, these documents must become digitally 

available to research so work can continue remotely. If 

your corporation is looking for a microfilm scanner, it’s 

important to ask these five questions to ensure you get 

the best value for your budget. 

1. Can it do everything we need it to do? 

You may have records stored in a variety of formats, 

and you need one solution that can best scan and 

digitize all of them. Some of the most common formats 

that corporations need to have scanned for digital use 

include microfilm, microfiche and aperture cards. While 

other scanners on the market may be able to handle one 

or two types, ScanPro® can handle all of these and 

more. It reliably and clearly scans all types of 

micrographic media so that you’ll only need one 

scanner. It makes the most economic sense, and it will 

be far more convenient for corporations that want to 

standardize how their micrographic media documents 

are scanned and saved for the future. 

2. How reliable is it? 

When dealing with delicate and sensitive microfilm, 

microfiche and others, you need a scanner that works 

every time. Employees have deadlines, businesses are on 

the clock, and researchers are often in a race to find 

answers to questions buried within those micrographic 

documents. ScanPro microfilm scanners are famous for 

reliability, which makes them the industry standard for 

digitizing micrographic documentation. Built with heavy 

-gauge steel with smooth ball-bearing movement and 

motors that corporations praise for workhorse 

reliability, e-ImageData’s ScanPro products produce 

clear image quality after years of scanning millions of 

images. 

3. How consistently does it produce high 

quality images? 

It's normal for a ScanPro microfilm scanner, scanning 

hundreds of documents a week and thousands of 

documents a month or more, to produce the same highquality 

digital image of the original micrographic media 

as it did on the very first day. Some other key benefits 

include quick and accurate media positioning each time 

for a perfect, easy-to-read scan. Additional features like 

wide-range optical zoom and image focus capabilities 

help researchers discover things that might have been 

missed previously. Automatic film scanning makes the 

process quick and easy for high-volume scanning 


Choosing a records management solution 

that fits your needs, continued 

projects, and the ScanPro is built with the 

environment in mind. ScanPro products are also 

quiet enough to operate without disturbing your coworkers. 

4. How easy is it to use? 

Unlike other microfilm scanners, ScanPro is 

coupled with a powerful software package called 

PowerScan Productivity Suite, a Windows app that 

your employees will find intuitive to use. This 

reduces the time it takes to learn how to use the 

system, even for first time users. This is critical when 

research is on a time crunch. The Film Selection 

Wizard creates an automatic setup that makes the 

process a snap, and also allows you to add custom 

photo icons and links to your corporation’s 

applications for a smooth process. On-screen help 

and look-up features make it easy to get answers to 

common questions. No other product on the market 

has these powerful, time-saving tools. If your 

corporation needs a microfilm scanner that is up and 

running quickly with a minimum of hassle and no 

wasted time, e-ImageData’s ScanPro with a powerful 

software package is the combination you need to 

save time and avoid headaches. 

5. Can we get a demo before we buy it? 

You wouldn’t buy a car without taking it for a test 

drive first, and with such an important piece of 

micrographic equipment, you should always be able 

to get a complete demo that shows you what you can 

expect and how to get the most out of your 

microfilm scanner. Be sure to contact us today and 

let’s talk about your microfilm scanning needs and 

how ScanPro can perform for you. 

Not a Member of 

NIRMA? 

join today! 

NIRMA is considering the creation of a 

Committee focused on emerging 

technologies with a perspective on how 

they would impact Nuclear Information 

Management. An Emerging 

Technologies Insight Group would 

consist of interested NIRMA members 

and vendor solution providers. Members 

of this group would monitor technologies 

such as process automation, robotics, 

capture devices, etc. producing articles 

and presenting their opinions at the 

conference on a panel. Send your 

thoughts or interest to 

jhoerber@ameren.com so we can gauge 

interest. Thank you! 


2021 NIRMA Conference 

First-Time attendees 

“There is good support 

from NIRMA to move the 

industry forward and explore 

new collaboration and records 

management options.” 

Jorge Biaggini, Fellow Engineer, 

Technical Lead for Digital 

Design, Westinghouse 

“I am new to the nuclear part 

of utilities and at a 

decommissioned plant that has a 

staff of 4. The speakers were good 

and very knowledgeable. I think 

that building on my knowledge is 

key to getting a better 

understanding of what I am 

required to do in my job.” 

Theresa Zuck, Office Technician, 

Sacramento Municipal Utility District 

(SMUD) 

“It was great hearing from others that 

have gone through or are going through 

the Electronic Records and 

Decommissioning Record Management 

process. Going over their takeaways, dos 

and don’ts, and plans forward was 

beneficial and helped answer some of my 

questions/concerns I’d had prior to the 

conference.” 

Lauren Evans, Office Technician, Nuclear 

Records Manager, SMUD – Rancho Seco 

“I enjoyed Eugene Yang 

when he spoke on Electronic 

Document and Records 

Management in the Nuclear 

Industry. NFS is just now 

discussing going electronic 

with our Document Records 

and this information was 

very useful and addressed 

many questions I had about the process.” 

Sherry Street, Configuration Management Specialist I, 

Nuclear Fuel Services, Inc. (NFS) a BWXT company

Lifetime Member 

Profile 

Meet Frank Kocsis III 

Tell us about the locations you worked at, and 

positions you have held? 

I have worked at: 

• Idaho National Laboratory – Director 

Information and Facilities Management 

• Source One Management – Vice President Federal 

and Nuclear Programs 

• Rocky Flats – Program Manager Administrative 

Services 

• Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant – Director 

Administrative Services, Records Manager, 

Procedures & Training Manager 

• Cleveland Electric/Perry Nuclear Plant – Records 

Manager 

• Public Service Indiana/Marble Hill Nuclear Plant 

– Records Manager 

• Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, New 

Frank and fellow NIRMA Lifetime Member, Cheri Susner➔ 

Production Reactor Program – Documentation 

Management Specialist 

• INEL, LOFT Project – Certified Senior Reactor 

Operator, Test Engineer 

• United States Navy Nuclear Submarine Service – 

Propulsion Engineer 


What are the Professional Affiliations you have 

been involved in? 

• Nuclear Information & Records Management 

Association (NIRMA) 

• ARMA International (ARMA) 

• Project Management Institute (PMI) 

• United States Submarine Veterans (USSVI) 

What have you found most rewarding about your 

membership? 

Besides abundant knowledge of the profession I had 

chosen, the most rewarding part of being a member of 

NIRMA is the life-long professional and personal 

relationships I have developed. There has never been 

a time when I could not get the information I needed 

to help me be successful in my career and program/ 

project development. 

When did you join NIRMA? 

I joined NIRMA in 1980. 

What NIRMA Leadership positions have you 

held? 

NIRMA positions I have held were President, 

Director, and a Vendor Exhibitor Coordinator. 

How did you get started with NIRMA? 

In 1979 I was a member of the Department of 

Energy’s (DOE) New Production Reactor Program 

assigned to the Technical Support Office at Three Mile 

Island Nuclear Station. Our mission was accident 

evaluation and nuclear fuel recovery. My assignment 

was development of documentation and configuration 

management programs for the Office. A consultant I 

hired introduced me to NRMA, now known as 

NIRMA. I was able to gain valuable insight into the 

nuclear records and information world, which assisted 

in the development of our documentation and 

configuration management programs. 

In what ways were you able to help (mentor) other 

members? 

Since I have mostly been in Information Management 

Leadership positions, I have made sure my staff had 

the opportunity to be involved in NIRMA, to assist in 

their career development. I was involved in the early 

development of the Institute of Certified Records 

Managers (ICRM), Certified Records Manager (CRM) 

– Nuclear Specialist designation. I have always felt that 

being a Certified Records Manager would be a 

tremendous boost to a career. I have personally 

assisted (mentored) several individuals in their quest in 

obtaining their CRM. I have also mentored individuals 

in other career development activities. 

What would you tell others looking to get involved 

in NIRMA or NIRMA leadership roles? 

I would tell people to look at my career and let them 

know that involvement in NIRMA was a significant 

driver in my obtaining increasingly more important 

Information Management Leadership roles. I would 

tell them that a leadership role in NIRMA will assist in 

their career development and company leadership 

position progression. 

How did being a member of NIRMA assist you 

with your career? 

For the last forty-two (42) years my career has been 

centered around nuclear information/records 

management, document & configuration 

management/control, and procedures development. 

As a member of NIRMA, I had the most absolute 

networking connections to nuclear industry 

Information/Records Management professionals and 

vendors as I was developing information management 

and procedure programs for my companies and 

customers. 

Why is it important for you to stay involved? 

I am probably the oldest member still involved in 

NIRMA. Even after being retired for almost ten years, 

I do it for self-satisfaction, to keep abreast of 

developing technology, to help the organization where 

I can, and to stay in contact with old friends while 

making new ones. 


From the CRM 

I 

Wait, What Did I do? 

think we’ve all been there. 

You’re at a party, someone asks 

what you do, and you say 

you’re a Nuclear Records 

Manager. After the initial blank 

look, you get some variation on the 

response, “Huh, what is that 

exactly?” Over the years, I’ve 

developed a brief canned description 

to move the conversation along, but 

it strikes me that professionals in 

many other fields don’t have to go 

through this. “I’m a lawyer.” “I’m in 

sales.” “I’m an engineer.” Bam - 

question answered! There might be 

some follow-up chitchat about the 

person’s area of specialty, but 

“what’s that?” just isn’t in the 

conversation. 

If you’re like most nuclear 

records and information managers I 

know, you might not have started 

your career with your sights set on 

the job you have now. Personally, I 

was a journalism major working a 

temporary job as a technical writer at 

a nuclear plant, when I sort of 

followed the documents I was 

writing along their lifecycle from 

development and approval into 

document control and records 

management. I know others who 

worked their way into records from 

IT or administrative roles, 

discovered they liked it and they 

were good at it, and stuck around. 

In the time I’ve been a NIRMA 

member, I sense that many of us fall 

into one of two groups: 

• I’m relatively new to records 

management, and while I’m good 

at my job right now, sometimes I 

feel there should be more to it, 

but I don’t know what I don’t 

know. 

or 

By Andy McGavin, CRM/NS 

• I’ve been working in records 

management for a long time, I 

can handle pretty much anything 

that comes my way, but I feel 

like I’m in a rut. 

(OK, there are also a few NIRMA 

rock stars who have really got this 

thing down -- I try to hang around 

them as much as possible and hope 

something rubs off, but they’re in 

their own league.) 

Fortunately, whether you find 

yourself in the first or second group 

above, there is something you can do 

to fill in the gaps and gain a better 

perspective of how your job fits into 

the bigger picture: Become certified 

as a Records Analyst or a Records 

Manager by the Institute of Certified 

Records Managers (ICRM). 

Why become certified? In my 

experience, here are a few reasons 

why: 

• It tells your current employer 

that you’re serious about your 

profession and you want to 

expand how you can contribute. 

• It tells potential employers that 

you’re serious about your 

profession and it provides an 

objective third-party 

endorsement of your skills on 

your resume. (No kidding -- I get 

unsolicited inquiries from 

employers on LinkedIn solely 

because I have a CRM on my 

resume.) 

• It adds structure and fills in gaps 

around the knowledge you have 

picked up more organically 

throughout your career. 

The ICRM’s records 

management certification process is 

based on six separate exams (five 

multiple choice, one essay) covering 

a range of records management 

proficiencies: 

• Part 1: Management Principles 

and the Records and Information 

(RIM) Program 

• Part 2: Records and Information: 

Creation and Use 

• Part 3: Records Systems, Storage 

and Retrieval 

• Part 4: Records Appraisal, 

Retention, Protection and 

Disposition 

• Part 5: Technology 

• Part 6: Business Case (two essay 

questions) 

ICRM offers two certifications: 

• Certified Records Analyst (CRA): 

Conferred upon completion of 


Parts 2, 3, and 4, which focus 

more on the operational aspects 

of records management. 

• Certified Records Manager 

(CRM): Conferred upon 

completion of all 6 Parts, 

demonstrating a comprehensive 

grasp of Records Management 

practices. 

There are also three additional 

specialty designation exams that 

CRAs and CRMs in the nuclear, 

federal government, and information 

governance areas may choose to 

complete after their initial 

certification. 

Don’t let the idea of six exams 

seem overwhelming – if you have a 

few years of records and information 

management work under your belt, 

you’ll find you already know much of 

the content. Start with just one exam 

in the area you already know the best 

and take advantage of ICRM’s study 

guides to prepare. When you’ve 

completed the first one, start on 

another, and before you know it, 

you’ll find you’re a CRA. 

I’m not sure if it will help with 

the job explanation at the next party 

you attend, but when you say you’re 

a Certified Records Analyst or 

Manager, it’s bound to generate some 

more conversation. 

Scanning America 

nextScan / STimaging 

AMS Store & Shred, LLC 

VENDORS 

NIRMA greatly appreciates 

our Conference Vendors. 

Click on the Vendor picture 

to take a look at what each 

has to offer to our NIRMA 

membership. 

For more information, contact 

ICRM at http://icrm.org. 

Andy McGavin, CRM/NS, is the 

Nuclear Records and Document Manager 

for Jacobs Engineering. He has worked in 

records and information management roles 

in the nuclear and aviation sectors for over 

20 years and has been a Certified Records 

Manager (Nuclear Specialty designation) 

since 2012. 

ISAUSA, Integrated 

Scanning of America 

Crowley ➔ 


A Retrospective on Information Management 

in Nuclear Power 

i 

am continuing with my multi-part series on the 

fundamentals of electronic records in the nuclear 

industry. In the last issue, I discussed the 

evolution of electronic records guidance in the nuclear 

industry. This time, I’ll speak to the subject of 

electronic records authentication. 

“May you live in interesting times.” This purported 

Chinese proverb, seemingly a blessing, but drips with 

irony; the “interesting times” are usually times of 

trouble. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) 

certainly has exposed global social and economic 

disruption; “work-from-home” went from being a 

novelty act practiced by the few to being the “normal” 

way of conducting business by millions of employees 

around the world. 

The nuclear industry has been affected in the same 

light. Many workers were asked to telecommute, 

leading to a magnitude increase in the use of web-based 

teleconferencing platforms. One key issue that emerged 

was the review and “signing off” of documents and 

records. Plants still need to be compliant to regulations 

and safety, so only approved (“latest and greatest”) 

procedures, drawings, etc. are used, and quality 

assurance records are appropriately signed off. 

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary states that 

authentication is “an act, process, or method of showing 

something (such as an identity, a piece of art, or a 

financial 

transaction) to be 

real, true, or 

genuine.” We, in 

NIRMA, have 

defined 

authentication 

(NIRMA Technical Guideline TG11, Authentication of 

Records and Media) as the “act of attesting that the 

information contained within a document is accurate, 

complete, and appropriate to the work accomplished. 

The quality of being valid, authentic/genuine.” 

By Eugene Y. Yang, 

Principal Consultant 

KISMET Consulting, Inc. 

In the nuclear industry, I always 

say that there are two “types” of 

signatures needed. The first type is 

to the “technical veracity” contained 

in the document – the person 

signing is saying that the 

information in here is “right” and 

“is good to go”. The second type of 

signature authenticates the document as a record – it is 

valid, authentic, genuine. Most documents or records 

that I’ve come across usually have multiple signatures, 

of which the last one on a list is the one that 

authenticates the record; the ones before that attest to 

the completeness and accuracy of the document. In 

some cases, I’ve seen one signature – the person signing 

is attesting that the information is accurate AND 

authenticates the document as a record. 

You need to keep possible 

endgames in mind when using 

electronic authentication/ 

signatures: you either need to 

demonstrate regulatory 

compliance or you may need to 

go into litigation, which means 

your records have to be “good”. 


“Electronic signatures” are in common practice 

now. I use quotes because the implementation of 

electronic signature (we in NIRMA say 

“authentication”) has been broadly executed. I’ve seen 

digital signatures, approval emails, scanned-in 

documents that were pen-and-ink signed, cut-and-paste 

of signature images, use of LAN IDs and passwords, 

PIN numbers, two-factor/three-factor authentication, 

workflows, ad infinitum. Are any of these “right”? Are 

any of these “wrong”? 

• The most practiced “electronically approved” record 

is the scanned document containing a pen-and-ink 

signature. The problems with written signatures: 

 

 

 

Your written signature does not have to reflect 

your full legal name (see credit card slips – full 

disclosure: I start with an “E” and then it’s 

pretty much incomprehensible from there). 

Cursive is not being taught in schools today, 

which means workers of the future won’t be 

“signing” anything. 

The scribble can’t be traced to a person. 

• The second-most practiced electronic approval is 

email approvals. 

• Cut-and-paste of signatures – this really is a “don’t 

go there” issue, as it’s too easy with today’s 

technology to lift the signature and paste it on a 

document. 

• Digital signatures require the use of encrypt/decrypt 

keys and/or an authenticating server that keeps 

track of approved users. 

• Use of IDs/passwords, PIN numbers, etc. also 

require an authenticating 

service or server for 

tracking approved users. 

• Approvals need to be “as 

close as possible” to the 

object being approved. 

The “authentication 

separation gap” starts to 

emerge. Here’s what I 

mean (“tight” to 

“looser” as you go down the list): 

 

 

 

 

For an electronic record, a scanned image is 

good. However, it still requires someone to penand-ink 

sign the document. But 

the signature is directly on the 

document image. 

Digital signatures that apply an 

“electronic chop” directly to the 

electronic are good, but requires 

an authentication infrastructure (desktop toolset 

for applying the chop, and authentication server 

for tracking who’s chop is applied on what 

document; that the person who is applying the 

chop is legit). 

Workflow-based approvals collect an audit trail 

that can be a “report” that is appended to the 

document, or “associated tightly” with the 

document being approved (audit report lists 

who approved and on what document [down to 

revision and date level]). 

ID/Passwords used in data applications record 

an audit trail that could also be exported as part 

of a document. 

You need to keep possible endgames in mind when 

using electronic authentication/signatures: you either 

need to demonstrate regulatory compliance or you may 

need to go into litigation, which means your records 

have to be “good”. Especially on this latter point, you’ll 

need demonstrate to the satisfaction of the court that: 

• The appropriate level and amount of information 

surrounding the signing process was retained; 

• The system used to retain the information is itself 

reliable; and 

• The storage system must be rigorously secure from 

a physical and technological standpoint. 

It’s not about the technology or the tool; it’s about 

the PROCESS. The method needs to support and 

serve the purpose and retention needs of the process. A 

federal regulation or standard does not need to exist as 

the federal and state laws establish the legality (such as 

UETA or the ESign Act). There is no one correct 

method. Any signature method may be used; however, 

the ability or need to defend the signature becomes the 

requirement. Simple, low-tech methods may serve one 

process fine while more robust or secure methods may 

be needed for quality-related or legally liable signatures 

requiring long term retention. 


direction for use, and the training of personnel in the 

use of electronic records. Once these factors are met, 

any electronic method is then acceptable, and it is then 

up to the company to defend the use. 

Bottom Line: 

It’s about PROCESS and 

CONSISTENCY 

as the keys in the legal arena. 

The Federal Rules of Evidence provide a good basis: 

The appropriate level and amount of information 

surrounding the signing process was retained. There is 

the “intent to sign” notion – the signature is only valid if 

the signer intends to sign. A company venturing into 

electronic authentication or signaturing needs to assure 

the quality of the software (lifecycle change process, 

proper software documentation), policy/procedural 

Eugene has been a member of NIRMA 

for over 34 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. 

Eugene’s ➔ 

Celebration 

Night 

presentation 

received many 

accolades. 

NIRMA’s Financial Holdings 

As of: September 15, 2021 

Michelle Smith 

NIRMA Treasurer 

Investment Account $ 123,796.54 

Checking Account $ 30,486.33 


SMARTPHONE OR 

SMART USE 

By Bob Larrivee 

NIRMA’s Director of Technical Programs 

w 

hen I hear the term 

Smartphone, I envision a 

classroom full of phones 

learning how to read, do 

calculations and eventually graduate 

from Smartphone school with the 

designation Smartphone duly 

conferred upon them. Is it really the 

phone that is smart or is it the user 

who masters the capabilities of this 

device? 

No matter, the point is that there 

are a lot of these out there being 

used for both business and personal 

reasons. In fact, according to 

Finances Online, “3.8 billion or 

48.33% of the world’s population 

have smartphones”. As such, many 

businesses and workers are using 

their Smartphones as the interface to 

various applications and process 

activities in relation to their roles in 

the organization. This could be 

monitoring systems, capturing data, 

and communicating with operations. 

This could prove extremely 

beneficial to a Nuclear Power Plant, 

in relation to the detection and 

prevention of a situation requiring 

the plant to go offline. According to 

a report by the Idaho National 

Laboratories, “When procedure and 

work order information is recorded 

on a mobile device, there is little or 

no lag time for recording it in the 

enterprise information systems. 

Reducing information lag times also 

improves collective situation 

awareness, which can greatly 

improve accurate and timely 

decisions by stakeholders. Research 

indicates that wireless technology 

reduces group decision making time 

by 30 to 40%”. 

In My View 

The growth of Smartphones and 

Smartphones are here, and their 

popularity is strongly on the rise. 

This means that Nuclear Power 

organizations are faced with the 

challenge of addressing use of these 

devices for business purposes and 

governance over their use to 

maintain compliance and minimize 

RISK. RISK not only being that of 

proper use and security but ensuring 

these devices will not cause 

precarious situations like system 

disruption via Electromagnetic 

Interference (EMI) transmission. It 

is also an indication that Smartphone 

use is an opportunity to enhance the 

mobility of the workforce through 

adoption of Smartphone use for 

business purposes. The task at hand 

is how? 

How do you take your business 

applications and make them mobile 

ready? Do you approach it from a 

web access perspective or do you 

think in terms of Smartphone apps 

that will meet the need. Perhaps 

there is no app that meets your 

needs, and you will need to create 

one. Let’s not forget the processes 

related to all of this. Once the 

Smartphone enters your realm of 

approved devices, how will that 

impact the process? Think in terms 

of both access and capture of 

information. How will your 

employees work differently using 

Smartphones compared to the way 

things are done today? 

My point is this, Smartphones 

are here and their use is increasing 

rapidly. Forward thinking 

organizations will embrace and 

leverage this to their advantage. 

Imagine being able to cut down 

monitoring and communications 

time using a Smartphone. Imagine 

that you can now provide 24/7 

customer service through a 

Smartphone app. 

The phone itself is not “smart” 

but it does provide greater capability 

than ever before. It is the user who 

must be smart about how to use this 

device that makes the difference. It 

is the organization that plans and 

implements Smartphone use in 

alignment with their overall strategy 

that establishes differentiation. 


Professional Development 

Business Unit (PDBU) News 

Tammy Cutts, PDBU Director 

i 

am writing the last of my 

articles as PDBU Director as 

I will move into the NIRMA 

Secretary position at the 

beginning of 2022. I can still recall 

my first conference where I met two 

of the people who would be the key 

factors in getting me into PDBU 

and the Directorship, Peggy 

Warner and Anita Carter. Peggy 

was a long-time member of NIRMA 

and had a real passion for 

professional development and 

learning. Anita was a first-time 

attendee along with me. The 

constant prodding from Peggy led 

Anita into PDBU where Anita later 

convinced me to join her as codirector. 

My personal and 

professional development journey 

set out roots that very first year. 

The PDBU is all about 

development and learning 

opportunities. My career in nuclear 

has required me to learn about 

records management, regulations, 

how to be an instructor, and how to 

speak to all levels of personnel from 

clerks to vice presidents to station 

directors and CNOs. As the plant’s 

SME for all things records 

management, I had to learn to do it 

with confidence as well. Some of 

this was “learn by doing” at the 

plant, but I gained so much 

knowledge and experience by doing 

the same at NIRMA for the past 16 

years. Involvement in NIRMA has 

led me to learn, network, lead 

sessions, lead business units, 

inspired me to pursue a professional 

certification, and now to take on a 

role on the NIRMA Board. It’s a far 

cry from where I started, and I’ve 

enjoyed all the steps along the way. 

As I move on to the next steps in 

my NIRMA path, I’m leaving the 

PDBU in the capable, energetic, and 

very 

enthusiastic 

hands of 

Lou 

Rofrano 

who has been 

my codirector 

for 

the past two 

years. I’d like to take one last 

opportunity to exhort you to get 

involved in anything that interests 

you at NIRMA and to grab any 

opportunity for learning and 

development. My work at the plant 

has helped in my roles at NIRMA 

and NIRMA experience has helped 

me at work. I would love to see the 

same for you. Listen to the 

webinars, lead sessions, get a 

certification, network, benchmark, 

join a business unit then lead one, be 

mentored, mentor others, and watch 

what happens. 

2021 NIRMA Board 

(Front L-R): NIRMA Administrator Sarah 

Perkins, President Janice Hoerber, 

Treasurer Michelle Smith, Director of 

Infrastructure Sheila Pearcy. 

(Back L-R): Vice-President Bruce Walters, 

Secretary Lona Smith, Director of Tech. 

Programs Bob Larrivee. 


News from the Records & 

Information Management 

Business Unit (RIMBU) 

R 

Summary of the RIMBU 

Summer 2021 Meeting 

IMBU kicked off the Summer 2021 meeting 

with a review of the Less with Less Panel and a 

discussion around what kind of survey/ 

benchmarking would be most beneficial to the NIRMA 

organization. Topics such as staffing levels and 

collateral duties outside RM functions were brought up, 

as well as reporting structure and whether current state 

organization charts were stable. Controlled distribution 

best practices were of interest to the group including 

who performs distribution and how to successfully 

move that function out of the RM organization. Other 

topics included EDMS (Electronic Document 

Management System) and program interfaces, 

automation of processes, and conversion of microform. 

Its clear the RM landscape is evolving as new 

technologies emerge and the pandemic increases the 

push for automation. NIRMA and RIMBU feel it is the 

right time to reach out and find what people are doing 

well and how they are doing it. Be on the lookout for a 

survey from the NIRMA organization. Response to the 

survey and learning from one another are key to the 

success and growth of our RM organizations. 

Another topic discussed during the Summer meeting 

By Stephanie Price, RIMBU Business Unit Director 

was the need to educate and inform the NIRMA 

membership on the origins, purpose, and application of 

the Technical Guides (TGs). TG‐11, TG-15, TG-16, 

and TG-21 in particular, inform the basis for the 

records management programs in the industry. This is 

especially true for records generated and/or maintained 

electronically. RIMBU is currently looking for 

opportunities to share more information about the TGs. 

2D/3D models are a hot topic in the industry today 

and RIMBU was fortunate to have a few of the 

conference attendees from Westinghouse speak during 

the Summer meeting. There is interest among the 

RIMBU team in working with Westinghouse to develop 

and provide guidance to the industry on best practices 

for maintaining 3D models as long-term, sustainable 

records. A sub-committee was formed to take on this 

effort and RIMBU looks forward to providing the 

NIRMA membership with its perspective on 3D model 

maintenance in the future. 

Get involved with RIMBU 

New members are always welcome! RIMBU is a great 

opportunity to benchmark with others in the industry, 

share valuable operating experience, and have the 

opportunity to influence industry standard guidance in 

records management. 


NIRMA ANNOUNCES 

NEW BOARD POSITIONS 

T 

he 2022 Board of Directors election results 

were communicated to the attendees at the 

2021 Annual Business Meeting on Day 3 of the 

Conference in August. Congratulations to the 

NIRMA 2022 Board: 

• President: Janice Hoerber 

• Vice President: Bruce Walters, CRM/NS 

• Treasurer: Lona Smith 

• Secretary: Tammy Cutts 

• Director of Technical Programs: Bob Larrivee 

• Director of Infrastructure: Sheila Pearcy, CRA 

2022 Business Unit Directors: 

• Membership & Marketing Business Unit (M&MBU) 

Director: Kathi Cole, CRM 

Co-Director: Denise Pickett, CRM/NS/FED 

• Professional Development Business Unit (PDBU) 

Director: Lou Rofrano 

Co-Director: Gil Brueckner, CRM/NS 

• Regulations and Information Management Business 

Unit (RIMBU) 

Director: Stephanie Price 

Front (L-R): Janice Hoerber, Lona 

Smith, Sheila Pearcy 

Back (L-R): Bruce Walters, Bob 

Larrivee 

Tammy Cutts ➔ 

Co-Director: Rhonda Redding 

• Technical Advisor to the Board: 

Chris Boudreaux 

• 2022 Nominating Committee: 

Tori Markel 

Janine Nice 

MEMBERSHIP & MARKETING 

(M&M) Business Unit News 

a 

reminder to all NIRMA members. If you did 

not attend the hybrid conference this year, don’t 

forget to renew your membership for 2022. In 

January, NIRMA’s Administrator will be 

sending out invoices to those members who missed this 

year’s conference. 

It is never too early to begin planning for the next 

conference, “NIRMA’s 46 th Annual Conference.” 

NIRMA is very appreciative of the feedback members 

provided to our Post-Conference Survey. The Board 

Kathi Cole, CRM 

M&MBU Director 

wants the 2022 conference to meet the needs of the 

novice through the seasoned veterans. 

As always, everyone is welcome to join the 

Membership & Marketing Business Unit. We hold 

monthly conference calls on the first Wednesday of each 

month. Email either myself or Denise Pickett to let us 

know of your interest and we will add you to the call list. 

kjccole1@yahoo.com or denisearma@gmail.com 


Passage of Illinois Energy Legislation 

Preserves Nuclear Plants & 

Strengthens State’s Clean Energy 

Leadership 

Preservation of zero-emissions nuclear plants prevents harmful 

pollution and supports more than 28,000 jobs, while protecting 

consumers from higher energy costs 

CHICAGO — Exelon Generation 

said today that it is preparing to 

refuel its Byron and Dresden nuclear 

plants as a result of the action taken 

by the Illinois legislature to enact a 

comprehensive energy bill. Once 

signed by the Governor, the 

legislation will strengthen Illinois’ 

clean energy leadership, protect the 

state’s economy by preserving tens 

of thousands of jobs and prevent an 

increase in pollution and energy 

costs that would harm consumers if 

the plants closed. 

“We commend the Governor, 

the General Assembly, our partners 

at IBEW Local 15 and the coalition 

of labor leaders and members who 

worked so hard to pass this roadmap 

for rebuilding our economy and 

addressing the climate crisis by 

investing in clean energy in a way 

that ensures that jobs and 

environmental benefits are shared 

equitably,” said Christopher Crane, 

president and CEO of Exelon. “This 

new policy offers a better future for 

the employees who have run these 

plants at world-class levels, the plant 

communities that we are privileged 

to serve and all Illinoisans eager to 

build a clean-energy economy that 

works for everyone.” 

The legislation promotes jobs 

and lowers carbon emissions by 

scaling up renewables, investing in 

electrification and adopting critical 

job training programs and labor 

standards. It also creates a process 

for the state to procure carbon 

mitigation credits from nuclear 

plants, which are critical to keeping 

Illinois on a path to reach net zero 

emissions by 2050. The bill will 

mitigate widely acknowledged flaws 

in regional energy markets and 

compensate nuclear plants for their 

clean-energy benefits in much the 

same way that wind and solar are 

compensated today. It also will put 

the state on a path to 100 percent 

clean energy at a fraction of the cost 

of achieving the same goal with only 

renewables. 

More than 60 percent of Illinois’ 

electricity consumption and 

approximately 90 percent of its 

carbon-free energy comes from 

Exelon Generation’s six nuclear 

plants in Illinois. Studies have shown 

that when nuclear plants close, 

plants that burn fossil fuels operate 

much more often, increasing 

harmful carbon and air pollution, 

especially in disadvantaged 

communities. 

Dresden Generating Station, 

located in Morris, Ill., was slated to 

retire in November and the Byron 

Generating Station, located just 

outside Byron, Ill., was scheduled to 

begin the defueling process and 

permanent shut down starting today. 

Despite being among the safest, 

most efficient and reliable units in 

the nation’s nuclear fleet, Dresden 

and Byron face revenue shortfalls in 

the hundreds of millions of dollars 

because of market rules that allow 

fossil fuel plants to underbid clean 

resources in regional electricity 

markets. 




In addition to Byron and 

Dresden, the legislation creates an 

opportunity to preserve the 

Braidwood nuclear plant, which 

also is economically challenged 

and at imminent risk of premature 

retirement. The LaSalle nuclear 

plant also will remain operating for 

the five-year duration of the 

carbon mitigation credit program. 

By supporting these always-on, 

zero carbon nuclear plants, the 

legislation ensures that Illinois 

stays on track to meet its climate 

goals at the lowest cost to 

consumers. Byron alone generates 

30 percent more clean energy than 

comes from all the solar and wind 

ever built in Illinois. An analysis 

by an independent consulting firm 

found that it would take $29 

billion – or more than $6 per 

month for every Illinois household 

over the next 25 years – to replace 

just Byron’s carbon-free energy 

with renewable sources, much less 

reach 100 percent clean. 

In January 2019, the state 

committed to reducing greenhouse 

gas emissions consistent with the 

targets set in the Paris climate 

agreement. Emissions-free energy 

from the four nuclear plants puts 

the state 85 percent toward the 

2025 goal versus 20 percent had 

they retired prematurely and been 

replaced by polluting resources. 

Read full article here. 

Space developments in the last 

two decades have greatly 

contributed to our understanding of 

our planet’s climate. Satellite 

imaging, space exploration, and new 

technologies give us an idea of the 

big picture and how we can adapt 

to address climate change. 

For example, satellites in space 

have played a critical role in our 

understanding of the causes of 

global warming by providing us 

with a large body of data to 

examine the variations in the 

Earth’s orbit. 

Data from these capabilities 

were essential inputs into the 

Intergovernmental Panel on 

Climate Change’s (IPCC) recent 

report that focused on how the 

physical science of climate change 

informs likely impacts under five 

different emissions scenarios. 

The report also found that 

climate change is happening quicker 

than we thought, making the need 

to reduce emissions imminent. To 

address this, space infrastructure 

such as positioning, navigation, and 

timing (PNT) can help identify 

efficient transportation routes and 

sources of emissions, ultimately 

aiding mitigation efforts. 

NASA’s Earth System 

Observatory, the next generation of 

Earth science satellites that will 

launch in the next decade, reflect 

the importance of Earth imaging. 

This constellation of satellites is 

designed to provide information 

about our planet ranging from the 

location of forest fires to the sea 

level rise to our agricultural 

processes. It will be able to collect 

data at the regional and local levels 

and connect critical interactions 

between the atmosphere, land, 

ocean and ice, significantly 

bolstering our understanding of the 

Earth’s climate. 

Another large focus of the 

initiative is predicting severe 

weather and answering questions 

surrounding aerosols, which are 

particles in the atmosphere that are 

a key source of uncertainty in 

predicting climate change. 

Alongside adding funding to 

FEMA, the Biden Administration 

announced the development of the 

Earth System Observatory, 

indicating its support for the 

program in understanding how 



US, Europe Risk Falling Behind as 

China Nuclear Industry Expands 

China’s nuclear power industry is expanding rapidly 

while stumbling blocks in the United States and Europe 

puts their industries at risk of being left behind in the 

race toward next generation technology. 

In the United States, fully 

functioning nuclear plants are under 

threat of closure due to profitability 

concerns and political phase-out 

policies, while vital research 

infrastructure is being mothballed. 

In Europe, single countries are 

closing down entire nuclear fleets 

while ongoing talks about whether 

to include nuclear power in clean-air 

taxonomies mean financing costs 

remain too high as investors seek 

out better returns from less 

controversial technologies that have 

already passed the ‘green’ test. 

The rise of ‘greenwashing’, 

whereby products and services are 

misleadingly advertised as 

environmentally friendly, has taken 

up a large part of Environmental, 

Social and Governance (ESG) 

driven investment, which is still to 

be governed under established 

regulatory frameworks. 

Nuclear energy’s shaky public 

image has left it out of the mix and, 

consequently, off the books at 

investment houses. 

Meanwhile, in China a nuclear 

power renaissance is being 

supported by government-backed, 

Chinese technician in the control 

room of a nuclear power plant in 

Qinshan, in the Zhejiang province 

(Source: Reuters/Reinhard Krause) 

long-term planning strategies for 

reduced carbon emissions from 

electricity generation. 

“If you had to boil it down to 

one word, it’s commitment,” says 



climate change is impacting 

communities. 

Space exploration is 

foundational to climate science 

because it provides us with more 

information about the Earth, our 

solar system and the role of gases 

in our atmosphere, and nuclear 

energy has played an important 

role powering our missions into 

space. 

In 1969, NASA launched 

Nimbus III, a nuclear-powered 

spacecraft, that is the first U.S. 

satellite to gather vital 

oceanographic data, such as 

measurements of sea ice and the 

ozone layer. 

The spacecraft also measured 

atmospheric temperature, water 

vapor and ozone, as well as the 

amount of ultraviolet radiation 

reaching our atmosphere from the 

sun. 

Cassini, a nuclear-powered 

probe into Saturn and its moons, 

released the Huygens probe which 

collected important data about 

what earth may have looked like in 

its state before humans evolved. 

The mission revealed Titan to be 

one of the most Earth-like worlds 

we’ve encountered. 

Article reprinted with permission 

of NEI. Read full article here. 



US, Europe Risk Falling Behind as China 

Nuclear Industry Expands 

CEO and Executive Director of the American Nuclear 

Society (ANS) Craig Piercy. 

“(In the United States) we see movement in the 

right direction, but we haven’t gotten our heads 

around the fact that we are going to be in the nuclear 

game for decades and this technology is only going to 

expand. We’re still thinking about it like a domestic 

energy option.” 

A government’s commitment, or lack thereof, to 

nuclear power has wide ranging implications across the 

sector. 

Without public commitment to the technology, 

financing costs climb, a new generation of potential 

nuclear engineers are discouraged to join the 

workforce, national laboratories face 

fluctuating budgets for long-term projects, and existing 

baseload infrastructure is shut down to be replaced by 

carbon-spewing alternatives. 

China's Nuclear Electricity Production 

In the pipeline 

In 2020, six reactors were permanently shut down 

worldwide while five new reactors started up, leaving a 

total of 441 operable nuclear reactors producing a 

combined capacity of 392 GWe, according to the 

World Nuclear Association (WNA) World Nuclear 

Performance Report 2021. 

Of the six shut down, the two Fessenheim reactors 

were closed due to a political decision to reduce 

nuclear power’s weight in the French electricity 

generation mix, while the United States closed two 

because of market conditions. Sweden’s Ringhals 1 

closed despite calls for it to restart. 

In Russia, the Leningrad reactor closed but was 

instantly replaced by a new reactor on site. 

Of the new startups, aside from the Leningrad 

reactor, Belarus connected Ostrovets 1 which was built 

on Russian technology and was the first VVER-1200 

unit to begin operations outside of Russia. 

The Barakah 1 reactor was built in the United Arab 

Emirates using South Korean reactor technology. 

China alone started two new reactors: the Fuqing 5 

and the Tianwan 5. 

The two shortest construction times were achieved 

by the Chinese reactors due to the advantages of series 

builds and the retention of skills through the ongoing 

new build program, the WNA report notes. 

Fuqing 5 was constructed in 67 months and 

Tianwan 5 in 55 months. By comparison Barakah 1 

took 97 months and Ostrovets 84 months. 

Nuclear reactors under construction in Britain and 

the United States have not fared so well, often facing 

years of delays and significant cost overruns. 

(Source: World Nuclear Association, IAEA PRIS; World 

Nuclear Performance Report 2021) 

Article reprinted with permission of Reuters Events 

Nuclear. Read full article here. 


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46th Annual NIRMA Conference 

August 1-3, 2022

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