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Division Spotlight
Nuclear Nonproliferation Policy
The mission of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Policy Division (NNPD) is to promote the peaceful use of nuclear technology while simultaneously preventing the diversion and misuse of nuclear material and technology through appropriate safeguards and security, and promotion of nuclear nonproliferation policies. To achieve this mission, the objectives of the NNPD are to: Promote policy that discourages the proliferation of nuclear technology and material to inappropriate entities. Provide information to ANS members, the technical community at large, opinion leaders, and decision makers to improve their understanding of nuclear nonproliferation issues. Become a recognized technical resource on nuclear nonproliferation, safeguards, and security issues. Serve as the integration and coordination body for nuclear nonproliferation activities for the ANS. Work cooperatively with other ANS divisions to achieve these objective nonproliferation policies.
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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Christmas Night
Twas the night before Christmas when all through the houseNo electrons were flowing through even my mouse.
All devices were plugged in by the chimney with careWith the hope that St. Nikola Tesla would share.
Clemens Walther (LU Hannover), Klaus Jürgen Röehlig (TU Clausthal)
Proceedings | 16th International High-Level Radioactive Waste Management Conference (IHLRWM 2017) | Charlotte, NC, April 9-13, 2017 | Pages 778-785
* ENTRIA (“Disposal Options for Radioactive Residues: Interdisciplinary Analyses and Development of Evaluation Principles”) is a joint research project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (2013-2017, award no. 15S9082A-E) carried out by 12 departments from German universities and research institutions and one Swiss partner. ENTRIA partners represent natural sciences, civil engineering, philosophy, law, social and political sciences, and technology assessment. Recognizing that all these disciplines need to interact when radioactive waste management is concerned, ENTRIA aims at investigating and developing evaluation principles for three options to manage especially high-level radioactive waste: Deep geological disposal without retrievability provisions, emplacement in deep formations with monitoring and retrievability, and prolonged surface storage.
In addition to disciplinary work packages each ENTRIA partner takes part in interdisciplinary projects. From the very beginning so-called transversal projects were identified: “Technology assessment and governance”, “Ethical and moral justification, legal prerequisites and implications”, “Interdisciplinary risk research”, and “Synthesis, coordination and communication”. In a first step ENTRIA scientists worked out a memorandum which identified central fields of unresolved tension which shape the field of nuclear waste disposal in general, not only in Germany. One example is how to weigh from ethics’ perspective reduced burdens for future generations versus future flexibility. Technically speaking: How long into the future should a repository be kept accessible and retrievability (and monitoring) options be planned?
During the course of the project additional task groups were formed. One of these focusses on dose limits for the operational and post-operational phases of disposal facilities. This issue is of utmost concern when addressing both technical and governance aspects of disposal options. The relationship between dose limits and risk perception as well as the role of confidence and trust are elucidated.
Other interdisciplinary tasks include reflections on possible forms of new governance, involvement of public and stakeholders and legal issues including directives of the European Commission and National laws like the new German site selection act.
ENTRIA not only works but also educates and trains on an interdisciplinary level. A high number of postdocs and PhD students are working in the project. Some of them write their thesis in two fields “far apart” from each other, such as for instance reviewing the administrative and regulatory provision for evaluating the consequences of radionuclide transport out of a repository from expert’s and regulator’s point of view identifying gaps in transport understanding, combining soil science and social science. Moreover, ENTRIA aims at providing graduates with basic knowledge of the various disciplines involved in the project. In the site selection process now being initiated in Germany, it will be of utmost importance to rely e. g. on natural scientists which also have a basic understanding of legal or governance issues. The other way round, lawyers and political scientists involved should be able to understand essentials of technical issues at stake.
ENTRIA’s platform function is carried out by the project “Synthesis, coordination and communication”, ensuring scientific exchange both within the project and with other parties involved in the management of radioactive waste such as scientists facilities and interested citizens.
