Chair: Ed Davis, Pegasus Group
Vice-Chair: Tom DePonty, Framatome
Vice-Chair: Eric Knox, Amentum
As part of its initiatives to enhance value to its expanding membership and to recognize the growing importance of adequate and timely supply of advanced nuclear fuel, USNIC is expanding the focus of its long standing Backend Working Group to include both the frontend and backend of the nuclear fuel cycle. In turn, the Backend Working Group will be renamed as the Fuel Cycle Working Group and will include the combined membership of both task forces.This additional focus area will be provided by restructuring the current working group into three separate task forces: Front-End Task Force, Back-End Task Force and Environmental Task Force. These task forces will have separate membership and will meet and develop their initiatives and action plan as deemed appropriate. USNIC members are invited to join each separate task force.
The Fuel Cycle Working Group and its respective task forces provide a mechanism for USNIC membership to share information on technical, business & industry, and policy developments that have an important impact on the U.S. nuclear industry.
The USNIC Front End Task Force will provide a renewed focus on the nuclear fuel cycle supply chain for both the existing fleet and for the deployment of a new generation of advanced reactors. For example, the Front-End Task Force will focus on the availability of the U.S. supply of uranium and on the U.S. DOE efforts to establish a Uranium Reserve as required by recent legislation passed by Congress. In addition, the critical issue of the supply of High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) needed for advanced reactors will be a critical topic and focus of the task force.
The USNIC Back-End Working Group was established in 2012 to follow matters related to spent fuel and high-level waste (HLW) management and encourage actions to resolve the impasse over the Nation’s nuclear waste management program. USNIC believes that decisive, swift, and tangible action is needed to re-establish a comprehensive program to address the federal government’s statutory and contractual obligations for disposition of growing inventories of spent nuclear fuel and HLW. The USNIC Back-End Task Force will work with the new Administration and Congress to identify initiatives and actions that will serve to foster a path forward on developing a workable approach supported by the federal government in establishing 2 permanent disposal pathways for spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste. In addition, the Back-End Task Force will provide a focus on the development and implementation of private-sector approaches for establishing consolidated storage for spent fuel and HLW. In addition, the Back-End Task Force will focus on alternative disposal methodologies and technologies, including deep bore holes, linear accelerators, and advanced reprocessing and other processing and or treatment process.
The USNIC Environmental Management Task Force covers key events, legislation, and policy issues relative to The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM). The USNIC EM TASK FORCE will engage with decision makers on all issues relative to the EM mission. The purpose of the Task Force is to promote continuous improvement on broad issues including nuclear safety culture, policy development, procurement, business practices, technology development and leadership to address the nation’s Cold War environmental legacy resulting from five decades of nuclear weapons production and government-sponsored nuclear energy research. The EM Task Force is undertaking activities that are intended to leverage these attributes and improve business opportunities, strategic partnering and outreach/networking opportunities. These efforts should better position its members to benefit from accurate knowledge and understanding of current activities and initiatives within the EM cleanup market.
