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Division Spotlight
Decommissioning & Environmental Sciences
The mission of the Decommissioning and Environmental Sciences (DES) Division is to promote the development and use of those skills and technologies associated with the use of nuclear energy and the optimal management and stewardship of the environment, sustainable development, decommissioning, remediation, reutilization, and long-term surveillance and maintenance of nuclear-related installations, and sites. The target audience for this effort is the membership of the Division, the Society, and the public at large.
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!
Latest Magazine Issues
May 2025
Jan 2025
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
July 2025
Nuclear Technology
June 2025
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
High-temperature plumbing and advanced reactors
The use of nuclear fission power and its role in impacting climate change is hotly debated. Fission advocates argue that short-term solutions would involve the rapid deployment of Gen III+ nuclear reactors, like Vogtle-3 and -4, while long-term climate change impact would rely on the creation and implementation of Gen IV reactors, “inherently safe” reactors that use passive laws of physics and chemistry rather than active controls such as valves and pumps to operate safely. While Gen IV reactors vary in many ways, one thing unites nearly all of them: the use of exotic, high-temperature coolants. These fluids, like molten salts and liquid metals, can enable reactor engineers to design much safer nuclear reactors—ultimately because the boiling point of each fluid is extremely high. Fluids that remain liquid over large temperature ranges can provide good heat transfer through many demanding conditions, all with minimal pressurization. Although the most apparent use for these fluids is advanced fission power, they have the potential to be applied to other power generation sources such as fusion, thermal storage, solar, or high-temperature process heat.1–3
Advanced Reactor Safety (ARS) SPeaker
Anders Gilbertson (preferred pronouns he/him/his) started work at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in 2009 and served as a Reliability and Risk Analyst until 2022 when he became a Senior Project Manager in the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, Division of Advanced Reactors and Non-Power Production Utilization Facilities.
Prior to starting with the NRC, Anders earned a Bachelor’s degree in physics and astronomy in 2002 and a Master’s degree in nuclear engineering in 2009, both from the University of Maryland, College Park. Since working at the NRC, Anders has been involved in several high-profile, risk-related projects as a lead for the development team for the NRC’s trial Regulatory Guide on PRA acceptability for non-LWR reactors, Regulatory Guide 1.247, and the lead for the development of other key risk-informed NRC regulatory guide revisions related to PRA acceptability for LWRs, Regulatory Guide 1.200, and risk-informed licensing basis changes for LWRs, Regulatory Guide 1.174. Anders was the Technical Lead for the Other Hazards Evaluation under the NRC’s Level 3 PRA Project and supported the development of the Level 2 PRA model for that project. More recently, Anders supported the development of guidance on construction permit PRA acceptability published in RG 1.253, Revision 0. When not working, Anders enjoys spending as much time with his family as he can, rock climbing, and motorsports.
Last modified April 5, 2024, 10:38am PDT
