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Conference Spotlight
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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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Deep Space: The new frontier of radiation controls
In commercial nuclear power, there has always been a deliberate tension between the regulator and the utility owner. The regulator fundamentally exists to protect the worker, and the utility, to make a profit. It is a win-win balance.
From the U.S. nuclear industry has emerged a brilliantly successful occupational nuclear safety record—largely the result of an ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) process that has driven exposure rates down to what only a decade ago would have been considered unthinkable. In the U.S. nuclear industry, the system has accomplished an excellent, nearly seamless process that succeeds to the benefit of both employee and utility owner.
Richard D. Reid (EPRI)
Proceedings | 16th International High-Level Radioactive Waste Management Conference (IHLRWM 2017) | Charlotte, NC, April 9-13, 2017 | Pages 952-962
Decommissioning of a nuclear power plant involves the safe disposition of a large quantity of radioactive, hazardous and conventional waste. A number of nuclear power plant decommissioning projects have been completed or are nearing completion in the US, Germany and Spain. These projects have used various waste disposal and interim storage options, and have developed successful methods for handling the large quantities of waste created by the decommissioning. Additionally, decommissioning projects in several Asian and European countries are in progress or are in the planning stages such that strategies for the handling of decommissioning waste are being developed and/or implemented to address the regulatory requirements and disposal options available in these countries. These experiences provide important lessons learned and successful strategies for the handling of waste from power plant decommissioning projects. As the handling and disposition of decommissioning waste have a substantial effect on power plant decommissioning cost, schedule and complexity, these lessons learned are valuable for planning future decommissioning projects.
