Session X3: Invited Session: Nuclear Scientists and Nuclear Emergency Response

National Labs and Nuclear Emergency Response

The DOE national laboratories, and in particular the three NNSA national security laboratories, have long supported a broad suite of national nuclear security missions for the U.S. government. The capabilities, infrastructure and base of expertise developed to support the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile have been applied to such challenges as stemming nuclear proliferation, understanding the nuclear capabilities of adversaries, and assessing and countering nuclear threats including essential support to nuclear emergency response. This talk will discuss the programs that are underway at the laboratories and the essential role that science and technology plays therein. Nuclear scientists provide expertise, fundamental understanding of nuclear materials, processes and signatures, and tools and technologies to aid in the identification and mitigation of nuclear threats as well as consequence management. This talk will also discuss the importance of direct engagement with the response community, which helps to shape research priorities and to enable development of useful tools and techniques for responders working in the field.   

DOE Response to the Fukushima Accident: Advancing the Science of Emergency Response

The US Department of Energy maintains specialized technical teams to respond to radiological/nuclear emergencies. They apply well-established laboratory nuclear measurement techniques in field environments, conduct rapid analysis, and deliver data products to government leaders in support of real-time public safety decisions. Meeting these requirements, often in the face of incomplete and imperfect information, takes a great deal of training and practice to effectively translate science into operations. Since large-scale emergencies are rare, the Fukushima nuclear accident in March 2011 provided an opportunity to employ these teams. Their timely support to both US and Japanese decision makers provides an excellent case study in the application of instrumentation, analysis methods, data presentation, and training to emergency response.   

Experiences of an Engineer working in Reactor Safety and Emergency Response

The U.S. Department of Energy's Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center Consequence Management Home Team (FRMAC/CMHT) Assessment Scientist's roles, responsibilities incorporate the FRMAC with other federal, state, and local agencies during a nuclear/radiological emergency. Before the Consequence Management Response Team arrives on-site, the FRMAC/CMHT provides technical and logistical support to the FRMAC and to state, local, and tribal authorities following a nuclear/radiological event. The FRMAC/CMHT support includes analyzing event data, evaluating hazards that relate to protection of the public, and providing event information and data products to protective action decision makers. The Assessment Scientist is the primary scientist responsible for performing calculations and analyses and communicating results to the field during any activation of the FRMAC/CMHT assets. As such, the FRMAC/CMHT Assessment Scientist has a number of different roles and responsibilities to fill depending upon the type of response that is required. Additionally, the Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) Consequence Assessment Team (CAT) Consequence Assessor roles, responsibilities involve hazardous materials operational emergency at SNL New Mexico facilities (SNL/NM) which include loss of control over radioactive, chemical, or explosive hazardous materials. When a hazardous materials operational emergency occurs, key decisions must be made in order to regain control over the hazards, protect personnel from the effects of the hazards, and mitigate impacts on operations, facilities, property, and the environment. Many of these decisions depend in whole or in part on the evaluation of potential consequences from a loss of control over the hazards. As such, the CAT has a number of different roles and responsibilities to fill depending upon the type of response that is required. Primary consequence-based decisions supported by the CAT during a hazardous materials operational emergency at SNL/NM include: \begin{itemize} \itemsep -7pt \item Onsite Protective Actions \item Offsite Protective Action Recommendations \item Event categorization \item Event classification \end{itemize} Other consequence-based decisions supported by the CAT include: \begin{itemize} \itemsep -7pt \item Response planning and operations \item Event termination \item Reentry planning and operations \item Recovery planning and operations \end{itemize}