RSCS Achieves Record-Breaking Approval for NS Savannah License Termination Plan

SEABROOK, NH, February 18, 2025 – In a groundbreaking achievement for the nuclear industry, the License Termination Plan (LTP) for the historic NS Savannah has received approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in record time. The approval process, managed by the client, Maritime Administration (MARAD), and supported by Radiation Safety & Control Services (RSCS) was granted this January and marks a critical milestone in the nuclear-powered merchant ship’s decommissioning process.

The LTP, a federally mandated document required for the termination of a nuclear power plant’s operating license, is typically an extensive and complex submission. The development of such a plan can take one to three years, followed by an NRC review process lasting several years. However, RSCS completed the plan for submission in October 2023 and obtained NRC approval in January 2025—just 15 months later, marking the fastest approval on record.

“This accomplishment reflects our deep expertise and proactive engagement with MARAD and the NRC throughout the process,” said RSCS Executive Director, Eric Darois, “By anticipating regulatory concerns, addressing key technical questions in advance, and maintaining open communication, MARAD and RSCS significantly streamlined the approval timeline.”
As of now, the final phase of the implementation process is nearing completion, with all remaining fieldwork expected to conclude by mid-2025. RSCS aims to submit final documentation to the NRC by the summer of 2025, paving the way for full license termination within a year—a timeline that, if achieved, will set another industry record.

This success contributes to broader industry advancements. The Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) has formed a decommissioning task force that includes Eric Darois and other industry experts, who are charged with developing a best-practices guide for future license termination plans. The initiative aims to streamline LTP development for nuclear plants, creating a more efficient regulatory path forward.

“The NS Savannah project’s success underscores the value of experience, strategic planning, and regulatory collaboration,” added Eric Darois. “It affirms our team’s commitment to excellence in nuclear decommissioning and regulatory compliance.”

ABOUT RSCS
For over 35 years, Radiation Safety & Control Services has provided technical consulting, training, staff augmentation, radiological environmental & engineering, and instrument support services to commercial nuclear, private industrial, medical, academic, and government facilities. RSCS’s core competence is health physics and radiation protection. RSCS professionals have experience in virtually all areas of nuclear and radiological operations, decontamination, and decommissioning. RSCS is a division of the Allied Power Platform. The Allied Power Platform was formed with Allied Power’s acquisition of Dominion Engineering and RSCS, combining industry-leading engineering, component integrity, asset management, and radiological protection services to deliver maintenance, modifications, and project services. To learn more about RSCS, visit https://www.radsafety.com/

Seabrook, NH, December 16, 2024 – Radiation Safety & Control Services (RSCS) is proud to announce the purchase of SaaS application RACER® from Risk Assessment Corporation (RAC).  As part of this acquisition, RSCS has established a teaming arrangement with de maximis Data Management Solutions (ddms) for the support, maintenance, and continued development of the software.

“The addition of RACER® to our radiation safety services enables us to help customers streamline their annual environmental and effluent reporting,” said James P. Tarzia, RSCS Principal and Executive Director.

Annual environmental and effluent reporting involves the documentation and submission of data related to environmental impacts and effluent discharges by nuclear power plants and other radiological waste sites. Such reporting is required by regulatory agencies to ensures compliance with environmental laws and standards.

RACER® enables data vendors to upload information directly into the system saving time and reducing the chance of errors. The NISP annual report template is automatically populated with REMP, RGPP, and RETS data from RACER.

RACER® is an innovative and interactive SaaS platform that compiles environmental data to achieve:

• A single, centralized web-accessible location for managing and accessing environmental and effluent data
• Decision-making and communication about risks from radionuclides and chemicals in the environment
• Pattern and trend analysis for anomaly detection
• Automated environmental and effluent report generation (e.g., AREOR and ARERR) coming in early 2025.

RACER® facilitates access to and use of environmental measurement data for various applications, from basic data evaluation to more complex dose and risk calculations. RACER® integrates science with data management expertise, informed by years of experience in environmental dose and risk assessment. The result is an application that supports technically sound decision-making and effective communication with all stakeholders.

“ddms looks forward to our continued support of RACER® on behalf of RSCS. We are excited about the significant benefits it has to offer the nuclear power industry,” said Mark Packard, ddms CEO.

For more information or to request a demo of RACER, please contact [email protected] or visit www.radsafety.com/services/racer.

ABOUT RSCS

Radiation Safety & Control Services, located in Seabrook, NH, has been in business for over 35 years. RSCS provides technical consulting, training, staff augmentation, radiological environmental & engineering, and instrument support services to commercial nuclear, private industrial, medical, academic, and government facilities. RSCS’s core competence is health physics and radiation protection. RSCS professionals have experience in virtually all areas of nuclear and radiological operations, decontamination, and decommissioning. RSCS is a division of the Allied Power Platform. The Allied Power Platform was formed with Allied Power’s acquisition of Dominion Engineering and RSCS, combining industry-leading engineering, component integrity, asset management, and radiological protection services to deliver maintenance, modifications, and project services. To learn more about RSCS, visit https://www.radsafety.com/.

Check out a recent demonstration of one of RSCS’ latest SIM-Teq training products—the RIDTag, paired with a real FLIR identiFINDER R425 radioisotope identification device. The demonstration was recorded at the 2024 New England Hazmat Conference and features Chris Skrocki, Senior Sales Manager from Teledyne FLIR, and The Hazmat Guys’ Co-Founder and COO, Mike Monaco.

RSCS recently showcased our SIM-Teq products at this year’s New England Hazmat Conference, demonstrating their features and capabilities to the local first responders. SIM-Teq enables first responders to practice radiation response procedures using real radiation detection devices that respond to simulated radioactive sources; eliminating the risk of radiation exposure and transforming the way we train.

The 2024 New England Hazmat Conference, held in March at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA, offered great views and engaging conversations. Vendors and attendees discussed strategies for improving preparedness for hazardous conditions to ensure the safety of our first responders.

For more information about the RIDTag and other SIM-Teq products, visit SIM-Teq.com

RSCS is proud to announce that our renowned training is now available online with our new web-based training platform—RSCS Academy. RSCS has long been recognized by the Health Physics Society as experts in the field of radiation safety and has been providing American Academy of Health Physics approved courses since 1992.

Our online courses were authored by training professionals and reviewed by Certified Health Physicists, and are objective-based to meet INPO, EPRI, NRC, DOD, and DOE standards and requirements. We offer a variety of technical courses such as Radiation Safety Officer and Radiation Safety Fundamentals, as well as over 400 professional development courses.

The new platform is optimized for desktops, laptops, tablets, and mobile devices, allowing students to take self-paced courses from their home, office, or on the go.

To learn more about our training services visit radsafety.com/training

To view ourRSCS Academy course catalog, visit academy.radsafety.com