Clean Energy Insight - Moving Energy Forward

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The public statement below was given by NA-YGN to the Blue Ribbon Commission Sub Committee on Interim Storage and Transportation of Used Fuel on Tuesday, Novemember 2, 2010 in Chicago, IL.

My name is Morgan Davis and I am a chemical engineer employed at Exelon’s Braidwood Nuclear Generation Station. Today as I address you, I represent many different stakeholders that are impacted by your recommendations on transportation and interim storage of used fuel. I represent a taxpayer, a voter, and a citizen from the surrounding community of the plant, and most importantly, I represent the 6,000 young nuclear professionals across North America, also known as North American – Young Generation in Nuclear.

You’ve asked, “Is interim storage the right near term solution for the United States and can used fuel be transported safely and securely?” Per the young generation of nuclear workers, the answer is “yes”.

Currently, the country’s 104 commercial reactors produce about 2000 metric tons of used fuel annually and it is safely and securely stored at the plant sites, in the used fuel pool or dry containers. The utilities and vendors have extensive experience and success with handling used fuel and securing these facilities. This proves that we have a track record and expertise with managing used fuel right here in the United States. It is also important to note that during the past 50 years, more than 3000 shipments of used fuel have been completed safely in the United States, covering 1.7 million highway, rail, and barge miles. Outside of the United States there have been tens of thousands of safe shipment of used nuclear fuel.

I also have seen and touched one of the dry containers that the used fuel is stored in at one of the nearby nuclear sites; I know how secure they are. It is also important to note, that I did not receive any radiation exposure from my close interaction with the stored used fuel.

Considering all of these facts, proven science, and my own personal experience, the safe and secure interim storage and transportation of used fuel is feasible in the United States. North American – Young Generation Nuclear recommends that the Commission consider interim storage facilities and that the responsibility for used fuel management be transferred to an independent entity with a management and financial structure capable of withstanding political change so it does not impede the growth of nuclear power and the sustainability of energy in the United States. These two items, along with a sound policy to help make it a reality, will be the lifeblood of nuclear technology in the United States going forward. Interim storage and transportation of used fuel will also create needed jobs in rural communities as well as keeping stable and secure jobs in communities like mine. Along with jobs, also comes tax revenue for the participating communities to strengthen schools and infrastructure in those areas. There are communities ready for these opportunities and are ready and willing to be partner in the successes of nuclear technology.

Last but not least, per the Nuclear Waste Policy Act, the Federal Government has an obligation to each taxpayer and electric utility customer that they will manage the used fuel. Still, the promise of managing used fuel remains unfilled. As a radiological worker, and a citizen living in a community surrounding a nuclear power plant, I would like to give my neighbors a better answer than “the utility manages the used fuel safely and securely on-site in dry containers”. While this used fuel story is muted at times due to the great safety, performance, and economical benefits of the plant, the lack of having a plan for the used fuel challenges creditability for the future of nuclear technology.

The young generation of nuclear professionals is looking to this Commission to help the nuclear industry bridge the story of nuclear with a plan to manage used fuel and give the community confidence with moving forward with nuclear technology. We know the Blue Ribbon Commission will be successful in the development of forward looking recommendations for the management of used nuclear fuel in the United States.

Thank you for your time and this opportunity to speak with you today. The young nuclear professionals across North America look forward to helping make your recommendations a reality.

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In 1950 manufacturing accounted for more than 30 percent of all U.S. employment. These skilled labor careers provided an unprecedented standard of living for more than two decades following the end of World War II, allowing millions of Americans to purchase homes and autos and pay for their children to go to college.

By 2006, manufacturing employment shrunk to a mere 10 percent of U.S. employment and with it the bulk of America’s well-paying skilled labor careers. Prognosticators predicted manufacturing’s ultimate demise as a significant driver of the American economy. But a look at the U.S. nuclear industry tells a different story: a narrative where job growth in the skilled trades is on an upward trend and the industry can serve as a role model for the revitalization of the U.S. manufacturing sector through the creation of new careers and economic expansion. In fact, it already has.

At this point 13 license applications for up to 22 new reactors have been filed with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and the industry expects four-to-eight new plants to be operating by the end of the decade. Construction activities already have begun at plant sites in Georgia and South Carolina. As a consequence, over the past three years more than 15,000 careers, not just jobs, have been created as the nuclear industry has invested over $4 billion in new nuclear plant development. Plans call for the investment of another $8 billion to be in position to supply the materials needed to begin large-scale construction in 2011-2012. Many of these careers don’t require a college degree, but have earnings potential that equals, and even exceeds, that of college graduates. Teachers can play an instrumental part in creating awareness among their students of these careers.

K-12 educators should incorporate what we call “Energy Literacy” into their teaching plans and thus can play a significant role in encouraging their students to consider the career possibilities as electrical and mechanical technicians, radiation monitors, health physicists and engineers of all kinds. The nuclear industry has resources to help educators explain to students what career opportunities are available in nuclear power. For example, FREE curriculum and lesson plans are available from groups such as the National Education Foundation and The Ford Foundation on all sectors of energy production including nuclear power. The industry offers expert speakers from diverse nuclear-oriented groups including Women in Nuclear, the North American Young Generation in Nuclear and the American Nuclear Society, and there is a successful nuclear energy mentoring program known as Power Set that could be replicated around the country.

But is there proof of a revival in the American nuclear industry that warrants teachers’ interest? You bet there is.

For example, Alstom just opened a new $300 million turbine manufacturing facility in Tennessee to supply turbines for use in North American power plants; Shaw Modular Solutions constructed a 410,000-square-foot nuclear modernization facility in Louisiana to assemble structural, piping, equipment and other modules for new nuclear plants that will employ 700 to 1,400 assembly line and skilled technical workers at full capacity. AREVA and Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding broke ground last summer on a $360-million manufacturing and engineering facility in Newport News, Va., that will manufacture heavy components such as reactor vessels, steam generators and pressurizers. Expected to open in 2012, this facility will create more than 500 skilled hourly and salaried careers. And this is only the beginning.

Over the next five years, 38 percent of the current nuclear industry work force employed at the nation’s 104 operating plant will be eligible for retirement, leaving a shortfall of more than 25,000 skilled workers. In addition, each new nuclear plant will create up to 2,400 temporary and highly-paid positions over the five-year construction period and 400-to-800 new permanent careers.

Much as a major league baseball team must build a pipeline of young players in their farm system years in advance so they’ll be ready to replace retiring players, so must the nuclear industry replenish its work force to avoid any skills shortage and be ready for expansion. The nuclear industry realized this trend years ago and is doing just that.

The industry is keeping close track of the job openings and student enrollments to ensure that the pipeline of new workers fits the number of careers available. The industry has set up partnerships with 43 community colleges across the country and implemented what’s known as a uniform curriculum program to ensure that the proper educating and training of the next generation of nuclear industry workers is done in a cohesive manner. This past May, the first graduates of this program at Chattanooga State and Salem Community College in New Jersey moved into careers with average salaries ranging from $66,000-to-$72,000 a year. Since nuclear plants operate for up to 60 years, it’s as close to a lifetime guarantee of employment as possible.

The world has changed dramatically since the golden age of U.S. manufacturing and the high percentage of skilled labor and blue collar careers of the 1950s through the ’70s. But the revitalization of the nuclear industry in America, where we expect to see dozens of new plants built over the next two decades, offers proof that, to paraphrase Mark Twain, the reports of manufacturing’s death in the United States are greatly exaggerated.

Elizabeth McAndrew-Benavides is the current President of NA-YGN.

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The NA-YGN Southeast Regional Conference, being held this year in New Orleans on November 18th-19th, will be co-hosting a nuclear energy debate at Tulane University, with co-sponsors the Tulane Energy Institute and the Tulane Energy Club. The debate will feature two nuclear proponents and two nuclear opponents. Currently scheduled to speak for the pro-nuclear side are William “Bill” Carney, former congressman from New York, and Eric Olsen, General Manager of Plant Operations at Riverbend Station. Currently scheduled for anti-nuclear side is Myron Katz, nominee for Louisiana’s 1st Congressional District.

The debate will allow each side to give a brief opening statement and then will follow with questions posed to the debaters by members of the audience. This event is free and open to the public and will be held at the Lavin-Bernick Center in the Kendall Cram Lecture Hall on Tulane’s campus. The debate will begin at 7:00 Pm and will end at 8:30 PM. For more information please visit the website at http://www.se-ygn.org/debate/ or contact Patrick Mason at pmason1@entergy.com

Here is a link to the debate flyer: Tulane/NA-YGN Nuclear Debate Flyer

Besides the debate, the conference also has a plant tour of the Waterford 3 plant planned and several presentations from a variety of speakers around the nuclear industry including Entergy, TVA, NEI, Westinghouse, AREVA, B&W Nuclear, PSEG Power, Southern Company, and the Shaw Group.

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If you are an NA-YGN member or a member of the nuclear energy industry, why did you choose a career in nuclear energy? 

Below, various NA-YGN members offered their reasons for joining the industry during this year’s annual NA-YGN Conference that was held in San Francisco, CA.

You can also view the videos from NA-YGN’s Youtube homepage:
http://www.youtube.com/user/NAYGN

Enjoy.

Was it a culture of accountability and responsibility?

Or was it to provide a service to the community? (i.e. - keep the lights on)

Special thanks to NA-YGN member Christine Csizmadia for the videos that were used in this post.

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If you are an NA-YGN member or a member of the nuclear industry, why did you choose a career in nuclear energy?  Comment below and let us know.

Below, various NA-YGN members offered their reasons for joining the industry during this year’s annual NA-YGN Conference that was held in San Francisco, CA. 

You can also view the videos from NA-YGN’s Youtube homepage:
http://www.youtube.com/user/NAYGN

Enjoy.

Did you want to make a difference?

Were you looking for stability?

Or were you fascinated by energy production?

Special thanks to NA-YGN member Christine Csizmadia for the videos used in this post.

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Below, various NA-YGN members offered their thoughts and opinions on why nuclear energy is important to them during this year’s annual NA-YGN Conference that was held in San Francisco, CA.

If you are an NA-YGN member, a member of the nuclear industry, or a member of the general public, why is nuclear energy important to you? Comment and let us know.

You can also view the videos from NA-YGN’s Youtube homepage:
http://www.youtube.com/user/NAYGN

Enjoy.

It could be the big three: Clean, safe, and reliable energy.

It could be your family.

Or your country.

Special thanks to NA-YGN member Christine Csizmadia for the videos used in this post.

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On September 15th and 16th, 2010, sixteen (16) NA-YGN members from AREVA offices in Charlotte, NC, Bethesda, MD, Fort Worth, TX, Lynchburg, VA and Marlborough, MA attended an NA-YGN “Hill Day” Event on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Prior to the trip, our NA-YGN sponsors and governmental affairs officials at AREVA, hosted several presentations that shared perspectives and prepared our NA-YGN members on effective ways to communicate with legislators on nuclear power issues.  Among those presenting–NA-YGN member Erik Haas, who has extensive experience in governmental affairs, helped prepare other members for the challenge ahead.

Alan Hanson, AREVA Vice President of U.S. Back End (i.e. - used fuel management) spoke to the NA-YGN members about the current political situation regarding nuclear power. He touched on some of the key issues including the current status of the Congress-approved loan guarantees and the issue of nuclear waste management.

Thursday afternoon and Friday were spent attending the 17 scheduled meetings with their Congressmen or their Congressional Aides from the various districts represented by the NA-YGN membership who participated. In most cases, the meetings were attended by two to four NA-YGN members with one of those being the “lead” who would facilitate the discussion. Every NA-YGN member who participated had the opportunity to attend at least two meetings.

The key message to the legislators, according to NA-YGN members Tim Thomas and Craig Kelley, NA-YGN Co-Project Managers of this NA-YGN Hill Day event, was to help “influence to make policy which will benefit nuclear power. We stressed the importance of loan guarantees as the key to the nuclear renaissance. Nuclear power is going to create jobs in Virginia and all over the country. It should play a key role in our energy policy and can go a long way towards solving our country’s economic problems. The key to all of this is the loan guarantees.”

One of the key highlights from the trip was having Congressman Tom Perriello (D-VA) agree to send a letter to Dept. of Energy Secretary Chu and The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) urging them to award the loan guarantees.

Also, Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) has sent a letter to President Obama asking him to resolve the political hurdles preventing the loan guarantees and emphasizing the importance of the Calvert Cliffs project for Virginia’s economy and the nuclear industry as a whole.

Michael Wiley, Chair of NA-YGN Fort Worth, said “it was really interesting to see how the political side of our industry works. As engineers, we see the technical side and the direct results of our labors, but to communicate this and see how the political side works was very intriguing. It was a great experience to learn how to adapt our approach in order to communicate our stances on the issues as both constituents and engineers to politicians. It also proved a great opportunity to represent the industry, making persuasive arguments advocating nuclear power within the political machine, not just as an employee, but a representative of our generation in nuclear.”

NA-YGN members had a great experience at the Hill Day. “Overall,” Tim Thomas said, “I think it was a really positive experience for everyone. On one hand, professionally, it was really good for everyone to have the opportunity to meet with elected officials and a good chance to work on communication skills.  Also, it was a good experience to learn what it takes to get in touch with an elected official from the emails, letters, phone calls, and diligent follow up through to researching the representative to learn about them and finally tailor our message to them.”