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.
Explore membership for yourself or for your organization.
Conference Spotlight
2026 ANS Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
Latest Magazine Issues
Feb 2026
Jul 2025
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
February 2026
Nuclear Technology
January 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
DOE announces NEPA exclusion for advanced reactors
The Department of Energy has announced that it is establishing a categorical exclusion for the application of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) procedures to the authorization, siting, construction, operation, reauthorization, and decommissioning of advanced nuclear reactors.
According to the DOE, this significant change, which goes into effect today, “is based on the experience of DOE and other federal agencies, current technologies, regulatory requirements, and accepted industry practice.”
P. T. Spampinato, P. A. Finn, M. Y. Gohar, R. R. Stasko
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 8 | Number 1 | July 1985 | Pages 308-313
Operation and Maintenance | Proceedings of the Sixth Topical Meeting on the Technology of Fusion Energy (San Francisco, California, March 3-7, 1985) | doi.org/10.13182/FST85-A40062
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The INTOR reference design was developed to permit limited maintenance operations external to the reactor in a “hands-on” mode; all internal operations would be remotely accomplished. The design embodies those requirements for shielding, tritium containment and cleanup, and confinement of contaminated particulate matter to permit personnel access. The cost reflects these requirements, at least to first order. The impact of personnel access on the reactor design and its cost are cause to reexamine the maintenance approach on which much of the present configuration is based. The purpose of this study is to compare the benefits and costs associated with personnel access maintenence procedures to those associated with all-remote maintenance procedures and to identify modifications to the baseline design that could enhance maintenance operations.