James Marra Executive Director -...
Transcript of James Marra Executive Director -...
![Page 1: James Marra Executive Director - dels.nas.edudels.nas.edu/resources/static-assets/nrsb/miscellaneous/WIPP3/wipp...• 1995-1996: Immobilization alternatives narrowed o Titanate based](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051407/5affd73f7f8b9a54578bb15d/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
James Marra
Executive Director
![Page 2: James Marra Executive Director - dels.nas.edudels.nas.edu/resources/static-assets/nrsb/miscellaneous/WIPP3/wipp...• 1995-1996: Immobilization alternatives narrowed o Titanate based](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051407/5affd73f7f8b9a54578bb15d/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
• Founded in 1991
• We are the
largest citizen-
based nonprofit
nuclear science
and technology
education
organization in
the US
![Page 3: James Marra Executive Director - dels.nas.edudels.nas.edu/resources/static-assets/nrsb/miscellaneous/WIPP3/wipp...• 1995-1996: Immobilization alternatives narrowed o Titanate based](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051407/5affd73f7f8b9a54578bb15d/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
Nonprofit organization
• Approximately 350 individual
members
• 30 corporate and business
sponsors (local businesses to
national/international
companies)
• Largely a volunteer
organization with
o An Executive Director
o Office Manager
o Board of Directors
o Committee Structure
OUR CORE MISSION IS
EDUCATION
COMMUNICATING THE VALUE OF NUCLEAR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
FOR OUR
- HEALTH - ENVIRONMENT - NATIONAL SECURITY - ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
![Page 4: James Marra Executive Director - dels.nas.edudels.nas.edu/resources/static-assets/nrsb/miscellaneous/WIPP3/wipp...• 1995-1996: Immobilization alternatives narrowed o Titanate based](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051407/5affd73f7f8b9a54578bb15d/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
• Education o Workshops
o Scholarships
o Teach-ins
• Outreach o STEM events
o Published articles
o Speaker’s Bureau
• Networking o Up and Atom breakfasts
o Teller Lecture
o Costume Ball
o Golf tournament
![Page 5: James Marra Executive Director - dels.nas.edudels.nas.edu/resources/static-assets/nrsb/miscellaneous/WIPP3/wipp...• 1995-1996: Immobilization alternatives narrowed o Titanate based](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051407/5affd73f7f8b9a54578bb15d/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
![Page 6: James Marra Executive Director - dels.nas.edudels.nas.edu/resources/static-assets/nrsb/miscellaneous/WIPP3/wipp...• 1995-1996: Immobilization alternatives narrowed o Titanate based](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051407/5affd73f7f8b9a54578bb15d/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Pu Immobilization Timeline
• Early 1994: NAS Review – theft or diversion of excess Pu is a “clear and present danger”
• 1995: Alternatives studies for Pu disposition – reactor and immobilization options identified
• 1995-1996: Immobilization alternatives narrowed
o Titanate based ceramic by cold press and sinter
o Lanthanide borosilicate (LaBS) glass in Pt/Rh induction melter
• Mid 1997: Can-in-canister selected as preferred disposition method
• Late 1997: Titanate (Synroc) based ceramic selected as preferred form
• 2001: Pu Immobilization Program canceled
• 2004: New interest in immobilization of Pu feeds not suitable for MOX
o LaBS glass form preferred due to tolerance to impurities
• 2009: Evaluation of alkali borosilicate (DWPF-type) glasses using existing high level waste processing facilities
• 1995-2014: Several plutonium disposition alternative studies conducted
Pu ceramic puck
LaBS glass pour
DWPF-type glass with Pu
Can-in-Canister
schematic
Can-in-Canister
section
![Page 7: James Marra Executive Director - dels.nas.edudels.nas.edu/resources/static-assets/nrsb/miscellaneous/WIPP3/wipp...• 1995-1996: Immobilization alternatives narrowed o Titanate based](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051407/5affd73f7f8b9a54578bb15d/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
• Ceramic and glass both
deemed acceptable
• Ceramic advantages
o Higher Pu loading
o Better initial durability
o Lower radiation dose during
processing
• Glass advantages
o Better tolerance to impurities
o Higher radiation damage
resistance
o Established repository waste
acceptance protocol
![Page 8: James Marra Executive Director - dels.nas.edudels.nas.edu/resources/static-assets/nrsb/miscellaneous/WIPP3/wipp...• 1995-1996: Immobilization alternatives narrowed o Titanate based](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051407/5affd73f7f8b9a54578bb15d/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
• Based on Synroc waste forms
• Synroc developed by
Australians in 1970s to
immobilize radioactive high
level waste
o Titanate based minerals
o Analogs containing actinides
found in nature
• Pu ceramic similar to “Synroc
F” composition
• Evaluate stability and durability
of end member phases and
multiphase assemblage
![Page 9: James Marra Executive Director - dels.nas.edudels.nas.edu/resources/static-assets/nrsb/miscellaneous/WIPP3/wipp...• 1995-1996: Immobilization alternatives narrowed o Titanate based](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051407/5affd73f7f8b9a54578bb15d/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
• In the 1990s, LaBS glass
developed
• Based on high rare earth (RE)
optical glasses
• LaBS “Frit A” demonstrated
>13 wt % PuO2
• LaBS “Frit B” identified as
reference composition in initial
development
o Included both Gd and Hf
• LaBS “Frit X” current reference
composition
o Improved processing properties
and actinide solubility
![Page 10: James Marra Executive Director - dels.nas.edudels.nas.edu/resources/static-assets/nrsb/miscellaneous/WIPP3/wipp...• 1995-1996: Immobilization alternatives narrowed o Titanate based](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051407/5affd73f7f8b9a54578bb15d/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
• Safeguards and Security
• Repository acceptance
• Radionuclide release behavior
• Criticality
• Technical maturity
• Commercial practicability
• Transportation requirements
• Regulatory compliance
• International agreements
• Environmental, safety and health
• Cost
• Schedule
![Page 11: James Marra Executive Director - dels.nas.edudels.nas.edu/resources/static-assets/nrsb/miscellaneous/WIPP3/wipp...• 1995-1996: Immobilization alternatives narrowed o Titanate based](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051407/5affd73f7f8b9a54578bb15d/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
• CNTA supports DOE’s missions at SRS and throughout
the complex
• The NAS review to assess disposal of surplus plutonium
in WIPP is important and timely
• CNTA will continue to educate the public on the value of nuclear technologies