Experience

Paschal Solutions, Inc.

• United States
• Engineering Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Senior Engineer

  • Oct 2014 - Present



Atkins Nuclear Solutions US

• United States
• Oil and Gas
• 100 - 200 Employee

• Senior Consultant

  • May 2013 - Oct 2014



Westinghouse Electric Company

• Nuclear Electric Power Generation
• 700 & Above Employee

• Area manager

  • Sep 2009 - May 2013

  Primary responsibility in this function was the IFBA area, although for several years it also encompassed ADU Rod Loading and Tube Preparation area operations. This includes management of over 90 employees (including engineers, technicians, shift team managers, and operators), as well as an operating budget of over $17,000,000. A major accomplishment has been to position the IFBA area to be able to successfully meet an unprecedented load (approximately 11 percent higher than historical maximum demonstrated load) through the application of innovative modifications to existing capital equipment. In addition, regulatory confidence was restored in the operation of the area after a significant event involving special nuclear material.



Westinghouse Electric Company

• Nuclear Electric Power Generation
• 700 & Above Employee

• EH&S Engineering Manager

  • 2007 - 2009

  Led an integration of the various safety disciplines modeled after the improved, formal methodology developed for the Nuclear Criticality Safety (NCS) program. Managed over 15 professionals (including engineers and technicians) in a variety of specialized fields including fire safety, chemical safety, environmental engineering, and nuclear criticality safety. Successfully completed the NCS Improvement Plan (NCSIP), which was an agreed-upon license condition successfully negotiated with the NRC during the license renewal. An additional duty involved serving as one of four qualified Emergency Directors (EDs) for the Columbia plant.

• Nuclear Criticality Safety Manager

  • 2004 - 2007

  Providing support to Westinghouse as the Nuclear Criticality Safety Engineering Manager. This support involved a major revision/upgrade of the existing NCS program, ensuring that limited NCS staff resources were utilized effectively in providing day-to-day support, and in the recruitment of additional NCS resources to the Columbia Fuel Fabrication Facility. These functions encompass a wide variety of activities for ensuring daily plant operations were supported, including procedure reviews, generation of safety basis documentation, responding to anomalous conditions, etc. Additional duties involved the support for the plant license renewal. A major milestone achieved while in this position included the successful negotiation with the NRC for maintaining the existing Margin of Subcriticality (MoS) in the most recent license renewal – the proposed increase in the MoS by the NRC would have resulted in millions of dollars in capital modifications to the plant.



Atkins Nuclear Solutions US

• United States
• Oil and Gas
• 100 - 200 Employee

• Senior Nuclear Safety Engineer

  • 2002 - 2004

  Supporting the review and revision of NCSEs for transition to the 10 CFR 70.61 update. These activities include the determination and establishment of Items Relied Upon For Safety (IROFS) and supporting risk-indexing tables. Additional activities include the documentation of off-site dose consequences for a criticality accident, including the revision of associated emergency procedures and plans, and the determination of Criticality Accident System (CAS) coverage requirements. Supporting the review and revision of NCSEs for transition to the 10 CFR 70.61 update. These activities include the determination and establishment of Items Relied Upon For Safety (IROFS) and supporting risk-indexing tables. Additional activities include the documentation of off-site dose consequences for a criticality accident, including the revision of associated emergency procedures and plans, and the determination of Criticality Accident System (CAS) coverage requirements.



Centrus Energy Corp.

• United States
• Oil and Gas
• 400 - 500 Employee

• Nuclear Criticality Safety Manager

  • 2001 - 2002

  In addition to performing the duties of a senior nuclear criticality safety engineer, served as Manager of the NCS group. Accomplishments included:• Revised the approach used to determine if potential NCSA violations are reportable to the NRC. That change in philosophy resulted in increased efficiency of the NCS staff as well as improved overall plant image. The new approach was ratified by NRC headquarters through a review of the characterization of incidents, both upon request of the Senior NRC resident and multiple NRC inspections. • Maintained the completion date for the NCS Corrective Action Plan (NCS CAP) in spite of a loss of personnel (both contractor and USEC employees) and while providing NCS support to unexpected emergent work (e.g., the X-705 restart activities). Saved approximately $800k from the overall NCS CAP budget for FY 2002. In addition, due to training of existing NCS staff personnel, no additional money was necessary for the next fiscal year for completion of the NCS CAP. • Participated in the NRC graded Emergency Drill as a controller, and assisted in planning the event.



NYSIS - SAIC

• Senior Nuclear Criticality Safety Engineer

  • 1997 - 2001

  Performed and peer-reviewed nuclear criticality safety analyses and performed field verifications for operations in the uranium analysis laboratory, the non-destructive assay laboratory, and for various glove-box operations, cascade equipment, spray booth decontamination activities, calciner operations, cascade equipment disassembly and decontamination activities, and HEU cylinder cleaning. Supported shipment of HEU cylinders containing heel material to Nuclear Fuel Services, Inc. Served as the team leader for the chemical operations facility work required by the NCS Corrective Action Plan. Provided guidance for development of a new mixed acid waste treatment system. Assured compliance with NRC and DOE regulatory compliance by performing Plant Change Reviews (PCRs) in accordance with 10 CFR 76.68, serving on the Plant Operations Review Committee, participating in self-assessments, and responding and providing guidance to operations for NCS-related anomalous conditions and NRC reportable events.Also, assisted operations with procedure implementation and with operator training on NCSE requirements. Supported transition in regulatory authority from the DOE to the NRC (10 CFR 76).Served as system administrator for the Nuclear Criticality Safety Software system, and revised NCS Software validation (SCALE) to address the intermediate enrichment range. Also served as a mentor for an inexperienced NCS engineer.



Parallax

• Nuclear Criticality Safety Engineer

  • 1995 - 1997

  While supporting the High Assay Upgrade Project at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, performed nuclear criticality safety operations on a variety of systems and operations, including sample transport and handling, operation of a parts washer, converter cooler repair, waste consolidation, and the laboratory drainage system. Because of the nature of the project, a detailed knowledge of the process was required. The analyses included hazard identification, determining conditions of approval, computer calculations, and writing Nuclear Criticality Safety Evaluations (NCSEs).