The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced the State of Utah as one of five finalists to host a Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus (NLIC).
The campus, proposed to be sited in Tooele County, would be designed to support activities across the full nuclear fuel lifecycle, including fuel fabrication, enrichment, reprocessing used nuclear fuel, and final disposition of used nuclear fuel.
In response, the American Nuclear Society (ANS) has provided a slate of local experts — all members of the U — who are available to answer questions, brief officials, and take part in public meetings as an independent technical resource. They are experts on nuclear energy and radiation generally, and on the fuel cycle questions a campus raises specifically: used nuclear fuel storage, recycling and reprocessing, transportation, disposal, and the safeguards that apply to each.
“The U is in prime position to assist in these efforts,” said Supathorn Phongikaroon, director of the Nuclear Engineering Program at the U’s John and Marcia Price College of Engineering. “We’re excited to support our state’s vision for advancing nuclear innovation.”
The University of Utah experts are:
- Ted Goodell, Ph.D. — Nuclear Reactor Facility Director
- Frederick A. Monette — Executive Director of Environmental Health and Safety at the University of Utah and Certified Health Physicist
- Michael Simpson, Ph.D. — Professor of Materials Science & Engineering
- Glenn E. Sjoden, Ph.D. — Professor Emeritus of Nuclear Engineering
“A Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus has the potential to advance two important national objectives: strengthening America’s nuclear fuel infrastructure and improving long-term management options for used nuclear fuel,” said ANS CEO Craig Piercy. “We are encouraged to see a cooperative, voluntary process involving the federal government, states, Tribal nations, local communities, and other stakeholders.”
“Communities considering these opportunities deserve clear, accurate, and independent technical information. As a professional scientific society, ANS can help provide objective technical expertise to inform these discussions. Our members stand ready to assist.”
“Utah welcomes the chance to help America reclaim its leadership in civil nuclear energy,” said Utah Governor Spencer J. Cox in a statement published by the DOE. “We’re building the advanced technologies that will drive affordable, abundant power across our country. Through Operation Gigawatt, Utah is developing the entire nuclear lifecycle, from fuel production to advanced reactor deployment—strengthening our national security while helping secure America’s energy independence. This campus will accelerate that work.”