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Division Spotlight
Isotopes & Radiation
Members are devoted to applying nuclear science and engineering technologies involving isotopes, radiation applications, and associated equipment in scientific research, development, and industrial processes. Their interests lie primarily in education, industrial uses, biology, medicine, and health physics. Division committees include Analytical Applications of Isotopes and Radiation, Biology and Medicine, Radiation Applications, Radiation Sources and Detection, and Thermal Power Sources.
Meeting Spotlight
2025 ANS Annual Conference
June 15–18, 2025
Chicago, IL|Chicago Marriott Downtown
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!
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May 2025
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Nuclear Science and Engineering
June 2025
Nuclear Technology
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Latest News
NRC v. Texas: Supreme Court weighs challenge to NRC authority in spent fuel storage case
The State of Texas has not one but two ongoing federal court challenges to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that could, if successful, turn decades of NRC regulations, precedent, and case law on its head.
Technical Session|Panel|Sponsored by ETWDD
Wednesday, June 19, 2024|8:00–9:45AM PDT|Banyan C
Session Chair:
Todd Allen (Univ. Michigan)
Session Organizer:
Alternate Chair:
Kuhika Gupta (Univ. Oklahoma)
In the past, siting used nuclear fuel facilities has been challenging in the US. A common thread in previous efforts relates to the role of potential host communities (PHCs) to engage during the siting process. Traditionally, siting programs have not enabled community members to meaningfully shape what it is that they are being asked to host. The facility design is typically predetermined, shaped by program goals and regulatory requirements. Therefore, when consent is sought, community representatives have not been meaningfully engaged in conversations about the ways in which variations in design can - while meeting or exceeding regulatory requirements - better match community identity and aspirations. We posit that siting programs need to integrate more robust engagement with communities about the program and facility so that they are truly consent-based. This project is exploring a qualitatively different approach to engaging with PHCs about siting interim storage facilities (ISFs). This new approach engages with PHCs to participate in collaborative design ("co-design") of a prospective facility with project engineers and explore the implications of this new approach for potential decision-making and project outcomes. The panel will discuss ways in which the co-design approach has been developed and implemented in the project so far. Members of the core research team will utilize a roundtable discussion format to reflect on the prospective strengths of co-design for consent-based siting, and potential weaknesses. The discussion will also highlight strategies for deep collaborative research, spanning multiple disciplines. Finally, the panel will present some key results from surveys and workshops conducted and steps for future research.
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