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Division Spotlight
Young Members Group
The Young Members Group works to encourage and enable all young professional members to be actively involved in the efforts and endeavors of the Society at all levels (Professional Divisions, ANS Governance, Local Sections, etc.) as they transition from the role of a student to the role of a professional. It sponsors non-technical workshops and meetings that provide professional development and networking opportunities for young professionals, collaborates with other Divisions and Groups in developing technical and non-technical content for topical and national meetings, encourages its members to participate in the activities of the Groups and Divisions that are closely related to their professional interests as well as in their local sections, introduces young members to the rules and governance structure of the Society, and nominates young professionals for awards and leadership opportunities available to members.
Meeting Spotlight
Conference on Nuclear Training and Education: A Biennial International Forum (CONTE 2025)
February 3–6, 2025
Amelia Island, FL|Omni Amelia Island Resort
Standards Program
The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
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Nuclear Science and Engineering
February 2025
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Feinstein Institutes to research novel radiation countermeasure
The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, home of the research institutes of New York’s Northwell Health, announced it has received a five-year, $2.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to investigate the potential of human ghrelin, a naturally occurring hormone, as a medical countermeasure against radiation-induced gastrointestinal syndrome (GI-ARS).
J. Uribe, N. Saraeva, K. Petry, E. Bickford, R. Kreuzer, R. Howard
Nuclear Technology | Volume 210 | Number 9 | September 2024 | Pages 1748-1753
Note | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2023.2262283
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Consent-based siting is an approach to siting facilities that prioritizes the participation and needs of people and communities and seeks their willing and informed consent to accept a project in their community. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is firmly committed to a consent-based approach to siting one or more spent nuclear fuel management facilities that enables meaningful and inclusive public participation, addresses community well-being and community needs, and centers equity and environmental justice as core values. At present, nuclear energy accounts for 19% of U.S. electricity production and half of the nation’s carbon-free energy. Nuclear energy is key to achieving the Nation’s goal of a 50% reduction in carbon emissions by the end of the decade, 100% clean electricity by 2035, and a net-zero emissions economy by 2050. Nuclear power will be key to achieving the Nation’s goals, as the United States strives to reduce carbon emissions; ensure energy independence; and maintain leadership in nuclear technology, safety, and security. However, the use of nuclear energy also requires an effective, integrated system for safely managing, storing, and permanently disposing of spent nuclear fuel.
Since the 1950s, approximately 90 000 metric tons of heavy metal (MTHM) of spent nuclear fuel has been generated from commercial nuclear power generation in the United States. This inventory grows by approximately 2000 MTHM every year. This commercial spent nuclear fuel is currently safely and securely stored at over 70 sites in more than 30 states where it is enclosed in either steel-lined concrete pools of water or steel and concrete containers known as dry storage casks. The United States also has an inventory of noncommercial spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste, which makes up less than 5% of the total inventory. Management of the Nation’s spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste is the responsibility of the DOE, under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, as amended. This responsibility includes finding sites to store and eventually dispose of this material. Per Congressional direction, DOE’s current activities are focused on establishing a federal interim storage capability for commercial spent nuclear fuel following a consent-based approach. However, a permanent disposal solution for spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste will still be needed. DOE will apply lessons learned from consent-based siting for one or more interim storage facilities to future siting efforts for other elements of an integrated nuclear waste management system. An integrated waste management system will include consolidated interim storage capacity, a permanent disposal pathway, and the transportation infrastructure needed to move spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste from nuclear power plants to storage and disposal facilities. This paper describes DOE’s current progress to identify one or more sites to develop a federal consolidated interim storage capability for commercial spent nuclear fuel using a consent-based siting process.