Albuquerque in November: ANS is THE place to be

Congratulations and kudos are due to the hardworking folks at the American Nuclear Society (ANS)! At the plenary session of the 2006 ANS Winter Meeting, we learned from Dr. Harold McFarlane that this year's meeting has 1575 people registered! It's an amazing period in history for all things nuclear - and the crowds are out to find out what the future may have in store. Record participation is also a testimony to the high quality events ANS is known for putting together. This Winter Meeting continues that streak.

The speakers from yesterday morning's session in Albuquerque, New Mexico painted an enlightening picture for us: "Ensuring the Future in Times of Change: Nonproliferation and Security." Co-chairs Dr. Tom Hunter and Dr. Mike Anastasio together covered both world history as it related to the development of nuclear weapons, stockpiling, and post-cold war politics for nations who have had nuclear weapons and those who are seeking them, and then set the tone for discussion of how world politics and policy should evolve next. They presented a case for recognizing these factors in the 'where-to-now?' discussion: 1) nuclear energy is a stable energy supply, 2) nuclear provides energy without emitting greenhouse gases, and 3) since the world has demonstrated they will move forward with pursuing nuclear technologies, a framework is needed that will support global nonproliferation. Central to their presentations is the theme that while the world is pursuing nuclear technologies, the United States needs to take a leadership role in this arena. Sitting on the sidelines is not an example that will be followed - it will only mean everyone else will pass us by, and we will forfeit a credible voice in the discussions of how to make the technologies secure.

Senators Pete Dominici and Jeff Bingaman were the honorary co-chairs of the Winter Meeting. They joined us by video feed from Washington D.C. From the foundation of their previous hard work and success with the Energy Policy Act of 2005, they discussed in more detail the need to restore American leadership in nuclear technologies. While celebrating the 31 planned applications for new nuclear power stations, and ongoing license extension efforts, they called for congressional hearings on how to resolve the issues with nuclear waste. There is a need to close the fuel cycle, put Yucca Mountain in place for its intended purpose, and to educate Congress and the American people on the benefits, vision, expense and commitment involved in a Global Nuclear Energy Partnership. GNEP is a framework to assure a stable nuclear energy supply to any country who seeks the benefit of a clean power source, while closing the fuel cycle and assuring nonproliferation of weapons. It means the nuclear energy marketing countries will need to be committed to reclaiming the used fuel they provide to nuclear energy consuming countries.

Former Louisiana Senator Bennett Johnston presented a powerful case for American leadership in nuclear energy being vital to our national interests. He believes a carbon policy is necessary and inevitable, and that it would demonstrate the true superiority of nuclear energy in the realms of global warming, pollution and cost. He talked about how the nuclear energy plant licensing regulations are so much better, more streamlined and more effective now than they were in 1970s. With the evolution of computer aided design, this time there are no unknowns about equipment locations and installations - the design is 'finished' before you break ground. And he said with confident enthusiasm regarding a nuclear renaissance, "This time it's really going to happen."

NRC Chairman Dale Klein, with clarity and resolute authority, delivered the message that we cannot have a worldwide nuclear renaissance without safeguards for nonproliferation. The NRC is working closely with its international regulatory partners to create the framework for those world-wide safeguards.

While he's excited about providing leadership for the NRC when they're talking more about construction than decommissioning, he made it clear that he expects the agency to be a strong regulator, holding the licensees accountable to high standards for attention to detail. He discussed the NRC conclusion that recent low-level tritium contaminations do not present a public health threat, and he's encouraged by the industry's response to this issue in the past year.

Chairman Klein stated that he expects the industry to go forward from this point with a long-term public education campaign on the issues and effects of these releases. The NRC is growing - in number, in buildings and in areas of responsibility. They are preparing for the challenges ahead, both with the growth of the US nuclear industry and the world nuclear industry. Chairman Klein is looking ahead to the international cooperation that will be necessary for stage 2 of the Multinational Design Approval Program (MDAP), to standardize nuclear energy plant designs on a worldwide scale.

It is clear from these compelling opening messages that there is a growing momentum toward recognition that the global benefits of peaceful application of nuclear energy technologies also require nuclear safeguards to be built into the technology and fuel cycle from the beginning. But more exciting than this is the realization that there are now frameworks and policies to discuss and test and advance that give a way forward toward accomplishing those ends. This is not a time to talk about what must be done. This is a pivotal time in which we're actually doing it.

Thanks to ANS for putting together this terrific opportunity for discussion!

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Environment, Energy, Technology, Politics, Nonproliferation