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.
Division Spotlight
Nuclear Installations Safety
Devoted specifically to the safety of nuclear installations and the health and safety of the public, this division seeks a better understanding of the role of safety in the design, construction and operation of nuclear installation facilities. The division also promotes engineering and scientific technology advancement associated with the safety of such facilities.
Meeting Spotlight
2024 ANS Annual Conference
June 16–19, 2024
Las Vegas, NV|Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
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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Nuclear Science and Engineering
June 2024
Nuclear Technology
May 2024
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Commercial nuclear innovation "new space" age
In early 2006, a start-up company launched a small rocket from a tiny island in the Pacific. It exploded, showering the island with debris. A year later, a second launch attempt sent a rocket to space but failed to make orbit, burning up in the atmosphere. Another year brought a third attempt—and a third failure. The following month, in September 2008, the company used the last of its funds to launch a fourth rocket. It reached orbit, making history as the first privately funded liquid-fueled rocket to do so.
John Kessler (J. Kessler and Associates, LLC)
Proceedings | 16th International High-Level Radioactive Waste Management Conference (IHLRWM 2017) | Charlotte, NC, April 9-13, 2017 | Pages 14-19
Many countries have separate regulations for used nuclear fuel (UNF) and high-level radioactive waste (HLW) storage, transportation, recycling, and disposal. In general, each regulation sets a maximum annual dose or health risk just for that waste management component (storage, transportation, or disposal). In addition to dose or health risk limits, many of the regulations either specifically require or recommend that the health risk to members of the public be kept As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) using Best Available Technology (BAT). Again, ALARA and BAT requirements are to be applied only to the system that it is subject to the regulation. This paper provides some examples of the impacts of health risk from the entire back end of the fuel cycle from attempts to minimize risk from just one part of the back end of the fuel cycle. With separate regulations that minimize individual dose rates for storage, transportation, and disposal, the overall health risk from the back end of the fuel cycle may not be minimized. This calls into the question whether ALARA and BAT concepts should be part of compliance.
