Get ready to perfect your FSS skills because a brand-new course is being offered at Radiation Safety & Control Services. ‘FSS Academy,’ the brainchild of industry experts and educators, Radiation Safety & Control Services, is set to become your ultimate source of hands-on experience and skill development.

As project managers, you are fully aware of the difficulty in finding, hiring, and retaining engineers and technicians with actual FSS experience. This trend will likely continue. Therefore, the FSS Academy can reinforce your FSS personnel requirements by training your select group of employees to effectively perform FSS quality surveys.

Whether you’re a seasoned professional or someone new to FSS, this course has something for everyone. Here’s a sneak peek into what ‘FSS Academy’ is all about:

• MARSSIM Basis Fundamentals
• Classroom and hands-on field training relative to industry standard FSS survey instrumentation.
• Hands-on field training using our exclusive SIM-Teq FSS instrumentation to match DCGL performance criteria.
• The insight of 25 years of RSCS experience performing FSSs.

If you have any questions, Contact Us

   This summer the Environmental and Engineering Support Team has been working on a unique project, constructing a mobile chemistry trailer. Energy Solutions requested a Chemistry Trailer to support chemistry and counting room analysis for lake discharges, well samples, water chemistry during the RVI process and, analyze soil samples and open-air demo air samples during the D&D process, final status surveys (FSS), and support of the license termination plan (LTP) throughout the site. FSS samples will be counted over the life of the project. The Chemistry trailer will also house the two Tennelecs which will be in service until all waste is removed from the site.

   Chemistry and counting facilities are normally housed in a chemistry lab. D&D requires the evacuation of all buildings on site. To maintain chemistry and counting of all samples temporary facility will be needed, that will be moved. Given industry practices the modification of a semi-trailer has proven to be a good equivalent to a lab facility.

   The Trailer will be the last piece of equipment that leaves the site when D&D and FSS are complete. This project had several engineering challenges, such as reinforcing the floor to take the weight of 4 gamma caves, Tennelecs, and an LSC. Doors, windows, and an HVAC system were also added with a lot of custom fabrication. Separate sinks for regular waste and contaminated, plenty of outlets for additional equipment, and two workstations. 

   The result was a unique mobile lab that can be deployed around the country.

In order to give nuclear utilities confidence in the skill sets of their temporary workforce, and to reduce the cost of redundant site training for routine maintenance tasks that are common to all utilities, EPRI developed a standard series of evaluations that have been vetted by industry groups, such as the Institute of Nuclear Power Operators (INPO), that can be used for standardized testing of RP technicians. A set of guidelines for administering performance evaluations, the Administrative Protocol for Portable Practicals (AP3), was developed to ensure the consistent appraisal of RP technicians’ skills.  

In October 2016, as a provider of RP technicians, RSCS engaged EPRI to participate in administering task evaluations as an AP3 provider. On October 17, 2018, the final step in this process was complete, a quorum of EPRI members made up of nuclear operators, international unions, and nuclear supply and services vendors voted unanimously to assign RSCS AP3 Certification. This certification recognized RSCS as one of a very limited group of companies that have demonstrated the appropriate administrative controls, processes, and expertise to implement STEs. This certification enhances RSCS’ status as a vendor of choice for RP technician support, as our capacity to offer pre-qualified RP technicians reduces in-processing time and related costs. The successful completion of STEs, which may only be conducted by AP3 Certified organizations, allows RP Technicians to attain various task qualifications that will be accepted throughout the nuclear industry. 

The AP3 process includes a periodic renewal assessment. In June of 2023, an “on-site” renewal assessment occurred. This assessment was performed by a team of four EPRI and industry observers, who attended a STE demonstration conducted by RSCS at the RSCS Home Office. The attainment of this AP3 Certification Compliancy Renewal is one more example of RSCS’ commitment to supporting safe nuclear operations in the US.

   National Public Radio recently did a story on the Nuclear Ship Savannah. The link to this article is below. RSCS and our Joint Venture partner Energy Solutions were awarded a five-year contract in 2021 to decommission the NS Savannah. The project is unique in that it is a first-ever combination of NRC License Termination, Coast Guard maritime integrity requirements, and Compliance with the NS Savannah’s National Historic Registry designation. These three unique challenges require a “surgical” decommissioning and a multi-faceted approach. The large and complex project is on budget and on schedule. The bulk of the nuclear components and contaminated systems have been removed. Final material removal will be completed by late Fall and the Ship husbandry, detailed surveys, and technical basis for license termination will be the primary focus. Last November the major milestone of the reactor vessel removal and transport was completed. In this story, the RSCS NS Savannah Radiation Safety Officer provides some insight and perspective on the project.

NRP article: https://www.npr.org/2023/06/23/1182973358/step-aboard-the-nuclear-powered-passenger-ship-of-tomorrow-from-1959

   RSCS has been setting up a demolition project at a southern US Nuclear Station. The subject of the project is to segment a 150,000-gallon contaminated water storage tank to support packaging for disposal. This tank has been situated outside of the site’s restricted area, where segmentation activities will be performed. RSCS will be providing comprehensive services with minimal reliance on the site’s infrastructure, while fully meeting the Site’s stringent controls. RSCS is responsible for leading the project and ensuring radioactive material controls for both workers and the environment are fully met. The comprehensive “layers” of controls being deployed include a large tent containment structure outfitted with HVAC and HEPA ventilation, contamination fixative, specialty cutting techniques, fencing, and a full RCA control point trailer. RSCS also provides all instrumentation, all consumables, and staffing including project management, radiation protection, health and safety, and the demolition crew. Demolition activities are planned to commence in mid-May and complete in June – before going too far into hurricane season. The Site’s confidence in RSCS to perform these activities outside of the boundaries of the site’s restricted area is notable. This project demonstrates the special and unique capabilities of RSCS by combining our operational talent, staffing, fixed and portable instrumentation capabilities, technical analysis, and our key specialty partners.

   Ellen Anderson, Director of Radiological Services, was chosen to make the 2023 Wissink Memorial Lecture at the 54th Northern Central Chapter of the Health Physics Society meeting on April 21st, in Madison Wisconsin. This annual lectureship memorializes Robert Wissink’s lifelong service and contributions to health physics and the North Central Chapter.

  Ms. Anderson’s presentation titled “Health Physics in 2023: Bridging the Knowledge Gap” explained how consultants, and especially RSCS, are providing training and professional health physics and radiation protection expertise to nuclear power plants, medical, industrial, and government agencies.

Jessica Joyce, President NCC HPS (left) & Ellen Anderson (right)

National Geographic recently published an article on the Nuclear Ship Savannah. The link to this article is below. RSCS and our Joint Venture partner Energy Solutions were awarded a five-year contract in 2021 to decommission the NS Savannah.  The project is unique in that it is a first-ever combination of NRC License Termination, Coast Guard maritime integrity requirements, and Compliance with the NS Savannah’s National Historic Registry designation. These three unique challenges require a “surgical” decommissioning and a multi-faceted approach. The large and complex project is on budget and on schedule with a recent major milestone of the reactor vessel removal and transport completed with “flawless execution”.

NS Savannah Nat Geo Article 2