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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
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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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Latest News
Take steps on SNF and HLW disposal
Matt Bowen
With a new administration and Congress, it is time once again to ponder what will happen—if anything—on U.S. spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste management policy over the next few years. One element of the forthcoming discussion seems clear: The executive and legislative branches are eager to talk about recycling commercial SNF. Whatever the merits of doing so, it does not obviate the need for one or more facilities for disposal of remaining long-lived radionuclides. For that reason, making progress on U.S. disposal capabilities remains urgent, lest the associated radionuclide inventories simply be left for future generations to deal with.
In March, Rick Perry, who was secretary of energy during President Trump’s first administration, observed that during his tenure at the Department of Energy it became clear to him that any plan to move SNF “required some practical consent of the receiving state and local community.”1
Gerhard Petersen, Michael Peltzer
Nuclear Technology | Volume 38 | Number 1 | April 1978 | Pages 69-74
Technical Paper | Low-Temperature Nuclear Heat / Reactor | doi.org/10.13182/NT78-A16157
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Investigations of the requirements for seawater desalination plants with a performance in the range from 10 000 to 80 000 m3 distillate per day heated by a nuclear reactor were conducted. The desalination plants consist of Multi-Stage-Flash (MSF) evaporators of proven design. The reactor concept is similar to the integrated pressurized water reactor (IPWR) of the nuclear ship OTTO HAHN. The design study shows that IPWR systems have specific advantages compared to other reactor types when they are adapted to single-purpose plants for water desalination or to dual-purpose plants for water desalination and electrical power generation. The calculated costs of the dual-purpose plant show the advantages of the larger unit size and the reduction in water production costs through the sale of electrical power and also gives some flexibility in the pricing of the joint products.
