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Conference Spotlight
2026 ANS Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
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WIPP: Lessons in transportation safety
As part of a future consent-based approach by the federal government to site new deep geologic repositories for nuclear waste, local communities and states that are considering hosting such facilities are sure to have many questions. Currently, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico is the only example of such a repository in operation, and it offers the opportunity for state and local officials to visit and judge for themselves the risks and benefits of hosting a similar facility. But its history can also provide lessons for these officials, particularly the political process leading up to the opening of WIPP, the safety of WIPP operations and transportation of waste from generator facilities to the site, and the economic impacts the project has had on the local area of Carlsbad, as well as the rest of the state of New Mexico.
Executive Session|Panel|Sponsored by Executive Track
Thursday, December 2, 2021|3:05–4:50PM EST |International Ballroom East
Session Chairs:
Todd S. Palmer (Professor, School of Nuclear Science and Engineering Oregon State University)
Ryan G. McClarren (Associate Professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering University of Notre Dame)
Student Assistant:
Keenan Hoffman
Computation and simulation have a rich history in the nuclear enterprise. When combined with modern theory and informed by experimental data, virtual scientific exploration can lead to unparalleled technological advances. But while simulations can be predictive, they can also be dead wrong, leading to the potential for devastating errors in judgment. In this panel session we will explore some of the triumphs of computation and dissect those instances when overreliance on simulation has led us astray. With real-world examples, we will show how the nuclear professional community has been at the forefront of computation and how nuclear science remains at the cutting edge today by using high-performance computing, machine learning, and other methods.
Todd Palmer
Oregon State University
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