American Nuclear SocietyNuclear Criticality

Safety Division

Presentation to the

ANS Board of Directors

Prepared by Robert Frost, Chair

Presented by Brad Rearden, Vice Chair

June 12, 2010 San Diego, CA

NCSD Mission

• NCSD focuses on the prevention of criticality accidents in areas outside of nuclear reactors– Promote the safe handling of fissionable materials

outside reactors– Promote the art and sciencs of nuclear criticality safety– Provide exchange of technical information among NCS

professionals through: • Development of standards• Evolution of training methods and materials• Presentation of technical data and procedures• Creation of specialty publications

NCSD Membership Trends

Paid Student Members

NCSD Membership As a Percent of Total ANS Membership

Budget Actual Budget Actual

12 Months 12 Months 12 Months 3 Months

2009 2009 2010 2010Carry Forward 14,178 21,548 29,320 34,498*Member Allocation 1,600 1,634 1,600 1,716Division Income 4,500 20,641 0 0

Total Budget Funds 20,278 43,823 30,920 36,214

ExpensesNewsletters 2,000 0 0 0Awards, Plaques 1,100 552 1,100 0National Meeting Costs 250 5,045 250 0Division Officer Expenses 0 0 0 0Student Support 1,700 2,950 1,950 700Scholarship/Need Funding 0 0 3000 9000Other Expenses 500 778 500 0

Total Expenses 5,550 9,325 6,800 9,700

Excess (Deficiency) of Budet Funds Over Expenses 14,728 34,498 $24,120 26,514

2009 Awards BanquetSponsor Income 4800Ticket Sales 1040Dinner Cost 5045Excess (Deficiency) 795

Division Planning

• Five year plan and one year tactical plan modeled after ANS National– All goals from 2009 tactical plan were achieved or

exceeded

• Succession Planning:– NCSD now elects a Vice Chair and appoints a Vice

Program Committee Chair for continuity– Outgoing Chair serves as Chair of the Nominating

Committee

Communications• Newsletter sent twice per year via E-mail,

within 2 weeks of National meetings

• Website greatly improved and continuously updated– Larry Wetzel, Chair of Newsletter & Website

Committee– Description of Awards, Scholarship

(Contributions, Application/Criteria, Recipients, etc)

– Newsletters, Meeting Minutes– Pictures from Meetings

The NCSD Brochure

• NCSD has produced a very professional brochure aimed at attracting new members– Kudos to Darby Kimball, membership chair,

who led this effort.– Shows NCSD as both a technical and social

organization, which we think is key to our success

– Published in 2009 and distributed to current members at Topical and Winter Meeting for distribution

NCSD Contributions to ANS• ANS Position Statements / White Papers

– Fact Sheet about criticality accidents for public/news media, white papers on good NCS practices (currently 6 approved white papers)

• Other Professional Societies– EFCOG (SAWG)– International collaborations, including International

Conference on Nuclear Criticality (Russia 2007, Scotland 2011)

• Non-Meeting Publication efforts are primarily in ANSI/ANS Standards

ANSI/ANS 8 Standards• Vital component of information sharing that

has led to fewer criticality accidents• Continuing dialogue among subject matter

experts• Accepted by DOE and NRC; models for

international regulations• De facto rules for this discipline• Provide value to industry – leads to industry

participation• Involves many volunteers• Opportunities for young members

ANSI/ANS 8 Standards

• ANSI/ANS-8.1, Operations with Fissionable Materials Outside Reactors. (Major Revision Underway)

• ANSI/ANS-8.3, Criticality Accident Alarm System • ANSI/ANS-8.5, Borosilicate-Glass Raschig Rings • ANSI/ANS-8.6, In-Situ Measurements for Criticality

Safety• ANSI/ANS-8.7, Storage of Fissile Materials. • ANSI/ANS-8.10, Safety controls With Shielding and

Confinement • ANSI/ANS-8.12, Plutonium-Uranium Fuel Mixtures

ANSI/ANS 8 Standards

• ANSI/ANS-8.14, Soluble Neutron Absorbers• ANSI/ANS-8.15, Special Actinide Elements• ANSI/ANS-8.17, Handling, Storage and Transportation of

LWR Fuel Outside Reactors • ANSI/ANS-8.19, Administrative Practices • ANSI/ANS-8.20, Nuclear Criticality Safety Training• ANSI/ANS-8.21, Fixed Neutron Absorbers • ANSI/ANS-8.22, Limiting and Controlling Moderators • ANSI/ANS-8.23, Emergency Planning and Response

ANSI/ANS 8 Standards

• ANSI/ANS-8.24, Validation of Calculational Methods (approved 2006)

• ANSI/ANS-8.26, Criticality Safety Engineer Training and Qualification (approved 2007)

• ANSI/ANS-8.27, Burnup Credit (Approved 2008)

• ANSI/ANS-8.25, Criticality Safety Postings

NCSD Society Leadership• Mikey Brady-Raap – Past NCSD Chair, new Chair

of Professional Divisions Committee. Several NCSD members are members of PDC.

• Three NCSD Young Members serve governance positions in both NCSD and YMG

• Following NCSD members received ANS National Awards at the 2009 Winter Meeting:– Julie Ezold – Presidential Citation for efforts mentoring

young engineers– Calvin Hopper – Standards Service Award– Nichole Ellis – Young Member Excellence Award

NCSD Services to Membership

• Professional Development

• Leadership Development

• Scholarships

• Peer Recognition/Awards

• Student Support

• Standards

Professional Development

• Professional development workshops– Issue: high costs lead to lower attendance, particularly

of young members

• Continuing education certificates to attendees of NCSD technical sessions – recognized by DOE

• ANSI/ANS-8.26 standard on criticality safety engineer (CSE) training and qualification

• Awards for Technical Excellence and Service encourage development in those areas

Leadership Development

• Leadership development through participation in governance– NCSD is very open and actively solicits

participation by a wide group, including young members and international members.

– Appointed committee positions have four year max time limit

Scholarships• NEED Scholarship first awarded in 2008

• Uses proceeds from Division income, primarily from Topical Meetings

• Currently debating a fund raising campaign to raise money for an endowed scholarship to allow continuity.

• Keep full Division membership aware and involved through website and newsletters

• Difficulty finding appropriate candidates

– Should be eliminated by continuity of an endowed scholarship

Peer Recognition/Awards• Technical Excellence

• Service

• Awarded Annually

• Criteria and awardees on web site

• Submitted to National for Review

• Database recently created to log who holds officer and appointed committee positions by year

– Will help with Service Award

– Historical info to 2000 loaded

NCSD Commitment to Young Professionals and Students

• Strong Supporter of Young Members Group– Awarded 2007 Young Members Advancement Award

– Cosponsored technical sessions with YMG Summer 2008, Winter 2008, and Summer 2009

– Cosponsored 2008 Young Professionals Congress; NCSD members made presentations at 2008 and 2009 Conference

– Student Member Allison Barber elected to NCSD Exec Committee (2010) and Associate Member ANSI/ANS 8.20

Commitment to Young Members & Students (Continued)

• NCSD Young Members Participate in Governance of Both Divisions (Brad Rearden, Nichole Ellis, Darby Kimball)

• Financial Support of Student Conference Every Year

• Student Papers Encouraged at NCSD Topical and National Meeting sessions

• Member Julie Ezold Received 2009 Presidential Citation for Mentoring Young Engineers

Meetings• Average 5-6 sessions at national meeting

– Attendance averages 50-70 per session

• Topical meeting held every 4 years– Successful 2009 topical in Richland, WA

• 165 attendees – 35 international• Student papers and awards• $59,000 profit - $30,000 to national, $15,000 to NCSD• Still had 5 sessions at the ANS Winter Meeting only 2 months later – 70

members showed up to our Awards dinner• Seven “best papers” from the Topical presented at the Winter Meeting

• International Conference on Nuclear Criticality (OECD) held every 4 years– NCSD co-sponsors and heavy participation by members– Russia in 2007, Scotland in 2011

DivisionMeetings

Division Governance Division Contributions to Society

Division Services to Membership

National Meeting Participation2009 Annual: 5 sessions, 0 panels, al 1 forum

2009 Winter: 2 sessions, 1 forum, 1 panel

Succession Planning

2008 Succession Plan submitted 2008 (Annual Submission) 2009 Succession Plan Submitted

ANS Position Statements

Nuc Crit Accidents in Work Place (fact sheet)(Revised 2006)

Not responsible for Position Statements

Professional Development2008 Criticality Safety Source Term Workshop

Continued development of white papers2009 KENO-VI, TSUNAMI, MCNP & DICE Top. Mtg.

Workshop

Class I, Class II TopicalsNuclear Crit Safety Topical – Sept 05

150/186Nuclear Criticality Safety: Realism, …’09 (165 attendees)

Membership Trends

777/793 mbrs +2.1% change 2006793/820 mbrs +3.4% change 2007820/817 mbrs -.4% change 2008817-858 mbrs +5% change 2009

Participation with Outside Professional Societies

EFCOG (safety analysis working group) Workshop at 2007 meeting

OECD NEA

Scholarships

NCSD Pioneers Scholarship

Class III Topicals+/ 25% attendance (145/150)

Nuclear Crit Safety Topical – Nov 01Embedded

Communications2 newsletterS in 2009

Website updated in 2009

Society Leadership 4 of 4 PDC & All NPC; 75%Exec Comm attendance

BoD Presentation 2008

Peer Recognition/Awards

NCSD provides Technical Excellence, Distinguished Services awards annually

Division Planning

5-yr Strategic Plan reviewed 20082009 database established to record historical participation in

governance activities by NCSD members

Non-Meeting PublicationsContinued support of 15 active ANS-8 Standards

ANS 8-27 approved 2008ANS 8.1 under review

3 white papers on website

Student Support

2009 Student Conference2009 National Meetings

Division’s Commitment to YMG2009 summer meeting co-sponsored technical sessions

2009 NCSD members presented at Young Professionals Congress

2009 Alison Barber elected Assoc. Member, ANSI/ANS 8.20 Standard

Summary

• NCSD is Vibrant, Growing, and Healthy

• Successes Include:

– Meeting Participation & Technical Sessions

– Membership Growth – Brochure

– Collaboration with YMG & Incorporating Young Members into Division at all Levels

• Focus for Future Action

– Endowed Scholarship

– Further Strengthening International Collaborations