ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Division Spotlight
Operations & Power
Members focus on the dissemination of knowledge and information in the area of power reactors with particular application to the production of electric power and process heat. The division sponsors meetings on the coverage of applied nuclear science and engineering as related to power plants, non-power reactors, and other nuclear facilities. It encourages and assists with the dissemination of knowledge pertinent to the safe and efficient operation of nuclear facilities through professional staff development, information exchange, and supporting the generation of viable solutions to current issues.
Meeting Spotlight
2024 ANS Annual Conference
June 16–19, 2024
Las Vegas, NV|Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
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!
Latest Magazine Issues
Apr 2024
Jan 2024
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
May 2024
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Glass strategy: Hanford’s enhanced waste glass program
The mission of the Department of Energy’s Office of River Protection (ORP) is to complete the safe cleanup of waste resulting from decades of nuclear weapons development. One of the most technologically challenging responsibilities is the safe disposition of approximately 56 million gallons of radioactive waste historically stored in 177 tanks at the Hanford Site in Washington state.
ORP has a clear incentive to reduce the overall mission duration and cost. One pathway is to develop and deploy innovative technical solutions that can advance baseline flow sheets toward higher efficiency operations while reducing identified risks without compromising safety. Vitrification is the baseline process that will convert both high-level and low-level radioactive waste at Hanford into a stable glass waste form for long-term storage and disposal.
Although vitrification is a mature technology, there are key areas where technology can further reduce operational risks, advance baseline processes to maximize waste throughput, and provide the underpinning to enhance operational flexibility; all steps in reducing mission duration and cost.
Donald C. Hintz has been a member of the American Nuclear Society (ANS) since 1972 and in 2007 became the 53rd President of the Society. In 1995, he received the ANS Utility Leadership Award, given to recognize those professionals in the industry who have assumed and demonstrated a leadership role in rapidly changing times of competition, regulatory change, and cost effectiveness; the ANS Future Vision Award for his vision and ability to lead his organization into the future to fulfill their vision.
Hintz’s 30-year utility career began with Wisconsin Public Service Corporation at its Kewaunee plant, where he held numerous positions before being named senior vice president - power production, responsible for all generation for the company.
Hintz joined the Entergy system in 1989 as executive vice president and chief operating officer of System Energy Resources, Inc. In 1992 he was named president and chief executive officer of Entergy Nuclear, Entergy Corporation’s nuclear management company. His other Entergy roles have included president and chief executive officer of Entergy’s unregulated nuclear management and services company and positions on the boards of directors of several other Entergy subsidiary companies. He also served on the joint venture boards of EntergyKoch, EntergyShaw and the Entergy Charitable Foundation.
He became president of Entergy Corporation in 1999. Prior to his retirement in 2004, he was responsible for Entergy’s 30,000 megawatts of generation assets, including 73 gas/oil-fired plants, 10 nuclear plants, six coal-fired plants, and a growing portfolio of renewable power sources such as hydro, thermal and wind generation. In addition, he oversaw 18,000 miles of transmission lines and power services including nuclear plant decommissioning and license renewal.
Post retirement, Hintz was elected to serve on the Entergy Board of Directors. He is also on the Nuclear Electric Insurance Limited’s International Technical Advisory Committee. He served as Chairman of the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) board. He also served as director of the boards of Ontario Power Generation, the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations, the Electric Power Research Institute, the Southeastern Electric Exchange, and Nuclear Electric Insurance Limited and was formerly on the Accrediting Board of the National Academy for Nuclear Training. In 2004 he received the Platts Global Energy Lifetime Achievement Award for his long and varied career of service, creativity and insight, and contribution to the development and future of the energy industry. Recently, he received the William S. Lee Award for Industry Leadership.
Hintz also served in the nuclear program in the U. S. Navy from 1966 to 1971. His educational background includes a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from the University of Wisconsin, the Utility Executive Program at the University of Michigan, and Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.
Read Nuclear News from July 2007 for more on Don.
Last modified October 17, 2018, 2:50pm CDT