ANS Nuclear Cafe

The ANS Nuclear Cafe is a blog owned and edited by the American Nuclear Society. Information contained on the ANS Nuclear Cafe has been provided by numerous sources. Therefore, the American Nuclear Society assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy of information contained herein. DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in posted articles do not necessarily reflect the views of the American Nuclear Society. The views expressed here are those of the individual authors. ANS takes no ownership of their views. The American Nuclear Society assumes no responsibility or liability for any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions, or ideas contained on this site.


ANS Honors NRC Commissioner Kristine Svinicki with Presidential Citation

June 12, 2012, 8:00PMANS Nuclear Cafe

NRC Commissioner Kristine L. Svinicki (Photo: NRC)

American Nuclear Society (ANS) President Eric Loewen today announced that Ms. Kristine Svinicki of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission will receive a 2012 ANS Presidential Citation. Commissioner Svinicki will receive her award during the ANS President's Special Session at the ANS Annual Conference: "Nuclear Science and Technology: Managing the Global Impact of Economic and Natural Events," being held June 24-28 in Chicago, Illinois.

Facts and fears at NRC public review in Vermont

June 12, 2012, 6:00AMANS Nuclear CafeHoward Shaffer

View from VermontVermont Yankee's annual NRC performance review for the previous calendar year was held May 23, in Brattleboro Union High School, within 10 miles of the plant. In previous years, annual reports and state meetings have been held here, and in the Vernon Elementary School, across the road from the plant. The town of Vernon stopped hosting plant-related events due to behavior of some attendees.

ANS to host ICAPP 2012 at annual conference

June 11, 2012, 12:45PMANS Nuclear Cafe

The American Nuclear Society's Annual Conference, to be held June 24-28 in Chicago, Ill., will feature an embedded International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP 2012), ANS President Eric Loewen announced. "This international conference brings together nuclear leaders from around the world to share best practices and advance international understanding of the latest advances in nuclear power plants," said Loewen.

Starting a new nuclear construction industry is hard work

June 6, 2012, 6:00AMANS Nuclear CafeRod Adams

Construction at Vogtle units 3 and 4 and VC Summer units 2 and 3 is not going as well as many nuclear advocates would like. I'm not surprised, but neither are most people who have been involved in complex construction and technology projects that involve a lot of moving parts and numerous interested parties. Nothing that happens at those projects will change my mind that atomic fission is a superior way to produce heat and boil water. There is little chance that events at those individual projects will convince me that there is something fundamentally wrong with the advanced passive reactor plant design.

ANS teacher workshop at Annual Meeting in Chicago

June 5, 2012, 6:00AMANS Nuclear Cafe

ANS November 2011 Teachers Workshop

Hands-on activity during a November 2011 ANS teachers workshop

The American Nuclear Society's Center for Nuclear Science and Technology Information and the ANS Outreach Department will sponsor a one-day teacher workshop on Saturday, June 23, in Chicago, Ill. The workshop-Detecting Radiation in Our Radioactive World-is for science educators, including elementary, biology, chemistry, earth science, physics, physical science, life science, environmental, and general science teachers. The workshop will be held the day before the beginning of the ANS Annual Meeting in Chicago.

A Conversation with ANS President Eric Loewen

May 30, 2012, 6:00AMANS Nuclear Cafe

Here is an in-depth video interview with American Nuclear Society President Eric Loewen. Portions of this interview have been featured before in articles at the ANS Nuclear Cafe, such as "ANS Special Committee on Fukushima focuses on communication", "ANS to hold teacher workshop in Phoenix, AZ," and others, as well as in other venues. Here is the complete, unabridged version of the interview.

NRC Public Meeting in Brattleboro: The Politics of Intimidation

May 29, 2012, 6:00AMANS Nuclear CafeMeredith Angwin

A recent public meeting held by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) turned out to be a horrific way for a nuclear supporter to spend an evening. The NRC held the meeting to report its annual review of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant's performance. The plant received the highest safety ratings, but that was not the focus of the May 23 meeting in Brattleboro, Vt.-to put it mildly.