WM2023: Presenting on Aging Infrastructure Management

It was an early start today as all presenters have to attend a breakfast briefing at 7:00 AM. It was good to meet the other presenters and to catch up with Eric and Craig again.

Morning Sessions

The first session I attended was the panel on the featured theme: Liquid Tank Waste Treatment – Path to EM Mission Completion. It discussed the critical role tank waste treatment serves in overall EM mission completion for three of the largest and most complex clean up sites (Savannah River, Hanford and Idaho).? Tank waste disposition represents the largest EM liability and senior managers from DOE-EM described the role and importance of tank waste treatment in the overall site closure programs. Mike Budney (Savannah River), Brian Vance (Hanford) and Connie Flohr (Idaho) all provided an update on treatment operations and startup, and discuss major challenges and programmatic lessons learned.

Then it was my turn in the session "Worldwide Perspectives of Radioactive Waste Management - Challenges and Solutions". Eric Knox (Amentum) and Craig Michaluk (Atomic Energy of Canada Limited) did a great job keeping us to time and facilitating the Q&A's.

• Innovative Projects of the CEA and its Partners for Nuclear Waste Management and Decontamination Within the France 2030 Plan by Maxime Fournier (CEA, France). Maxime explained 10 projects that CEA were working on in the next few years to bring breakthrough innovation to the industry. Some are already in the Idea Catalog to have a look at and I will add the remainder when the information becomes publicly available.

• UK Integrated Waste Management Programme - Driving Sustainability in Radioactive Waste Management by Dr Naomi M. (Nuclear Waste Services, UK). Naomi explained about how Sustainability was being managed and embedded into the UK nuclear industry.

• ExCLLAIM: Exchange of Critical Lessons Learned on Aging Infrastructure Management by me. I covered our recent workshop on Aging Infrastructure explaining its background, the processes we used and the key outcomes.

• Towards Harmonisation of Best Practices, Regulations and Standards in Waste Management and Decommissioning by Erika Holt (VTT Technical Research Centre, Finland). Erika, covering for Réka Sz?ke explained about the HARPERS project on standardising regulations and standards across the EU.
• Assessment of the Impact of the French Multi-Annual Energy Plan on the Fuel Cycle by Frederic Ledroit (IRSN). Frederic finished the session explaining about the work IRSN was doing in validating and challenging long term plans in the French nuclear industry.

This mornings technology & innovation demonstrations were by Advetage Solutions (see their entries in the Idea Catalog here) and DataTrails (see their entries in the Idea Catalog here)

Afternoon Sessions

The first session after lunch was on Cybersecurity which is one of the working groups from our workshop.

Jeanne Beard (US DOE) chaired the session on "Improving US Cybersecurity - Implementation of OMB Executive Order 14028"

There were presentations by Robert Ganaway (US DOE EM), Christian Stauffer (US DOE EM), Lewann Belton (DOE - Savannah River), Bridgitte Mase (Boston Government Services), Todd Eckman (Hanford Mission Integration Solutions) and Joseph Bonner (North Wind Group).

This afternoon's technology & innovation demonstrations – sponsored by Cavendish Nuclear were by Gamma Reality, Inc. (see their entries in the Idea Catalog here) and IAEA.?

The last session of the afternoon was another where we have been involved; in this case using the Idea Catalog to identify potential solutions (worldwide nuclear + non-nuclear options) for tank waste remediation options.

The panel was "US DOE NNLEMS R&D Roadmap for Accelerating Hanford Tank Waste Mission" chaired by Ming Zhu (US DOE) and Connie Herman (Savannah River National Laboratory).

There were presentations by Connie, Delmar Noyes (Tank Farms, US DOE), Steve Trischman, Director Budget and Planning, US DOE EM and Robert Ledoux, Program Director, US DOE, ARPA-E.

There were plenty of technical posters in the exhibition hall; most were very technical!

There was a "Women of Waste Management (WoWM) Panel & Networking Reception" - Sponsored by 福陆 .

The Evening Reception was sponsored by BWXT and both Pentek Inc and Mirion Technologies (Canberra) KK had evening events with free food and drink.