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Improving the Regulation and Management of Low-Activity Radioactive Wastes (2006)

Chapter: Appendix D Committee Biographies

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Suggested Citation:"Appendix D Committee Biographies." National Research Council. 2006. Improving the Regulation and Management of Low-Activity Radioactive Wastes. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11595.
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Appendix D
Committee Biographies

CHAIRMAN

David H. Leroy has his own law practice in Boise, Idaho, which specializes in governmental and administrative law issues. He has extensive experience in the legal, policy, and political arenas. As an appointee of President George H. Bush, he was confirmed by the Senate in August 1990 as the first U.S. waste negotiator, a post created by Congress in the 1987 Waste Policy Amendments Act to assist the government in siting a geologic repository for high-level waste. In 1993 Mr. Leroy turned his attention to low-level waste, especially the general failure of the 1980 Low-Level Waste Policy Act. Recently he has sought to develop improved technical and public policy solutions for managing low-level waste, including the assured storage concept. Before his appointment as waste negotiator, he served as Lieutenant Governor of Idaho and Idaho Attorney General. He has made numerous presentations and authored a variety of publications, including reports on low-level waste disposal, repository siting, and negotiation. Mr. Leroy received his B.S. in 1969 and J.D. in 1971 from the University of Idaho, and Master of Laws in Trial Practice and Procedure in 1972 from New York University School of Law.

VICE CHAIRMAN

Michael T. Ryan is an independent consultant in radiological sciences and health physics. He is an adjunct associate professor in the College of Health Professions at the Medical University of South Carolina. He is also

Suggested Citation:"Appendix D Committee Biographies." National Research Council. 2006. Improving the Regulation and Management of Low-Activity Radioactive Wastes. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11595.
×

an adjunct faculty member at the Charleston Southern University and the College of Charleston. Dr. Ryan is editor-in-chief of Health Physics Journal. Recently he was appointed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to a four-year term (2002-2006) as a member of the Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste. In addition, he is currently serving on the Scientific Review Group appointed by the Assistant Secretary of Energy to review the ongoing research in health effects at the former Soviet weapons complex sites the Southern Urals and on two committees of the National Academies. In 1996-1997 Dr. Ryan was the vice president of Barnwell Operations for Chem-Nuclear Systems, Inc., where he had overall responsibility for operation of the low-level radioactive waste disposal and service facilities in Barnwell, South Carolina. From 1984 to 1996 he served as the company’s director, and then vice president of regulatory affairs with the responsibility for developing and implementing regulatory compliance policies and programs to comply with state and federal regulations. Before that, Dr. Ryan spent seven years in environmental health physics at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Dr. Ryan received his Ph.D. in 1982 from the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he was recently inducted into the Academy of Distinguished Alumni. He earned his M.S. in radiological sciences and protection from the University of Lowell, Mass. in 1976 and his B.S. in radiological health physics from Lowell Technological Institute in 1974. He is a recipient of the University of Massachusetts—Lowell’s Francis Cabot Lowell Distinguished Alumni for Arts and Sciences Award.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Edward Albenesius retired in 1992 as manager of the advanced waste technology division and senior advisory scientist at the Savannah River Site, SC. His expertise includes treating and disposing of low-level and transuranic waste from nuclear fuel reprocessing and nuclear materials production for national defense, environmental monitoring, and health physics. He conceived and implemented the first integrated program for managing low-level wastes at a major Department of Energy (DOE) site, resulting in large reductions in waste volume and disposal in engineered facilities—departing from earlier practices of disposal in open trenches. Dr. Albenesius also held temporary assignments with the DOE where he coordinated the revision of DOE Order 5820.2A on radioactive waste management and with several task forces for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the National Council on Radiation Protection (NCRP). As a consultant to the International Atomic Energy Agency in 1995 he helped prepare management plans for low-activity waste and spent sealed sources for 20 developing countries. Dr. Albenesius received his Ph.D.

Suggested Citation:"Appendix D Committee Biographies." National Research Council. 2006. Improving the Regulation and Management of Low-Activity Radioactive Wastes. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11595.
×

degree in organic chemistry from the University of North Carolina in 1952 and his A.B. degree in chemistry from the College of Charleston, SC in 1947.


Wm. Howard Arnold (NAE) retired in 1989 as general manager of the advanced energy systems division of Westinghouse Electric Company. His primary area of expertise is in the commercial nuclear fuel cycle, including nuclear power, fuel, and waste management. He has managed multidisciplinary groups of engineers and scientists working in reactor core design and led work that promoted the use of centrifuge technology in uranium enrichment. Dr. Arnold’s experience includes managing residues from uranium enrichment and low-activity wastes from reactor operation and spent fuel storage. As vice president, Westinghouse Hanford Company, he was responsible for engineering, development, and project management at the Hanford Site from 1986-1989. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1974. Recently Dr. Arnold has been involved in an advisory capacity in the cleanup of DOE nuclear weapons material productions sites, especially in the vitrification plant at the Savannah River Site. Currently he is chairman of the National Academies’ Committee on Improving the Scientific Basis for Managing Nuclear Materials and Spent Nuclear Fuel. He received his A.B. in 1951 from Cornell University, and his M.A. 1953 and Ph.D. in physics in 1955, both from Princeton University.


François Besnus is head of the office for safety evaluation of radioactive waste disposal in the Institute of Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN), Fountenay aux Roses, France. His current work includes evaluating the safety of near surface disposals of low- and intermediate-activity waste in France and participating in the development of safety standards for the European Union. Previously as a staff officer in the IRSN department for protection of man and the environment, he was in charge of very low-level and mining and milling waste management. He helped to establish French collaborations with eastern countries for assessing the extent of radioactivity migration in the Chernobyl area and for managing the large volumes of low-activity waste that resulted from the cleanup of contaminated areas. Dr. Besnus received his Ph.D. in radiochemistry in 1991, an M.S. degree in radiochemistry in 1986, and an M.S. degree in geology in 1985, all from Paris XI University.


Perry H. Charley is director of the uranium education and geographical information systems programs within the division of math, science, and technology at the Shiprock campus of Dinè College, NM, a Navajo institution. Mr. Charley has over 30 years of experience performing environ-

Suggested Citation:"Appendix D Committee Biographies." National Research Council. 2006. Improving the Regulation and Management of Low-Activity Radioactive Wastes. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11595.
×

mental, health impact, and psychosocial impact studies. Currently he is the principal investigator of four epidemiological research projects, the foremost being a DNA damage study of Navajo communities impacted by past uranium mining practices. From 1983 through 1999 he held several positions for the DOE and EPA uranium mill tailings remedial action (UMTRA) project, including director of the Navajo Nation’s UMTRA program and the Navajo Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program. He has served on several EPA advisory committees. Mr. Charley received his B.S. degree in environmental science from the University of Arizona in 1979.


Gail Charnley is principal of HealthRisk Strategies, a consulting firm in Washington, DC. Dr. Charnley’s areas of expertise are toxicology, environmental health risk assessment, and risk management science and policy. She writes and speaks extensively on issues related to the role of science and risk analysis in environmental health policy and decision-making. She is an adjunct faculty member in the Harvard School of Public Health’s Center for Risk Analysis and has chaired or served on numerous peer review panels convened by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration. During its tenure, she was executive director of the Presidential/Congressional Commission on Risk Assessment and Risk Management, mandated by Congress to evaluate the role that risk assessment and risk management play in federal regulatory programs. Before her appointment to the Commission, she served as acting director of the toxicology and risk assessment program at the National Academies. She has been the project director for several National Academies committees, including the Committee on Risk Assessment Methodology and the Complex Mixtures Committee, and served as the chair of several U.S. Army Science Advisory Board committees that evaluated health risk assessment practices in the Army. Dr. Charnley received her Ph.D. in toxicology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1984 and her A.B. (with honors) in molecular biology from Wellesley College in 1977.


Sharon M. Friedman is professor of journalism and communication and director of the science and environmental writing program at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA. Her research and consulting activities focus on how scientific, environmental, and health risk issues are communicated to the public. Prof. Friedman chaired the DOE’s Advisory Committee for its low dose radiation research program. She has served as a consultant to the President’s Commission on the Accident at Three Mile Island, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, and various U.S. government agencies and industries on environmental and risk communication. Elected a Fellow of the American Asso-

Suggested Citation:"Appendix D Committee Biographies." National Research Council. 2006. Improving the Regulation and Management of Low-Activity Radioactive Wastes. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11595.
×

ciation for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 1989 for her contributions toward furthering the public understanding of science and technology, she served as a member of the AAAS Council for six years. Besides co-editing of two books, Communicating Uncertainty: Media Coverage of New and Controversial Science and Scientists and Journalists: Reporting Science as News, she has authored another book and numerous articles and book chapters. Prof. Friedman is associate editor of the journal, Risk: Health, Safety and Environment, and a member of the editorial advisory board of the journal, Science Communication. She is a member of the National Academies’ Committee on Assessment of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Radiation Studies. She received her M.A. in Journalism from Pennsylvania State University in 1974, a graduate certificate in public relations from American University in 1970, and her B.A. in biology from Temple University in 1964.


Maurice Fuerstenau (NAE) is professor of metallurgy at the Mackay School of Mines, University of Nevada, Reno. His expertise is in mineral extraction, processing, and hydrometallurgy. His work covers ore benefaction and dealing with residues, which include technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive materials. Among his numerous refereed publications and books, Dr. Fuerstenau has recently completed the volume Principles of Mineral Processing. He has been recognized by awards from the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, and by election to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) in 1991. He has served as member, vice chair, and chair of committees of the NAE section on petroleum, mining, and geological engineering, and the NAE committee on membership. Dr. Fuerstenau received his Sc.D. in 1961 and S.M. in 1957 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and his B.S. in 1955 from the South Dakota School of Mines.


James T. Hamilton is professor of public policy, economics, and political science at Duke University, where he served as associate director of the Sanford Institute for Public Policy. His expertise includes the economics of regulation, public choice in a political economy, and environmental policy. Dr. Hamilton’s numerous publications include the book, Calculating Risks: The Spatial and Political Dimensions of Hazardous Waste Policy, co-authored with W. Kip Viscusi (MIT Press 1999). His article “Testing for Environmental Racism: Prejudice, Profits, Political Power?” Journal of Policy Analysis and Management 14:1 (Winter 1995) won the journal’s best article of the year award. In 2001 he won the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management’s David N. Kershaw award. He earned his Ph.D. in economics in 1991 and his B.A. summa cum laude in economics and government in 1983, both from Harvard.

Suggested Citation:"Appendix D Committee Biographies." National Research Council. 2006. Improving the Regulation and Management of Low-Activity Radioactive Wastes. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11595.
×

Ann Rappaport is a faculty member in the department of urban and environmental policy and planning at Tufts University. She held previous appointments in the department of civil and environmental engineering and in the center for environmental management at Tufts. Her work deals with both the technical and policy challenges of managing hazardous waste: health effects, site assessment and management, waste reduction and treatment, and risk assessment and management—with an emphasis on corporate responsibility and decision making. Her research has examined environmental, health, and safety programs in multinational corporations. Dr. Rappaport has published two books, several chapters, and numerous articles and reports. She was a member of the international committee of the National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology for the Environmental Protection Agency. She also served on the National Academies’ Committee on Evaluation Protocols for Commercializing Innovative Remediation Technologies. Dr. Rappaport received her Ph.D. in civil engineering from Tufts University in 1992, her M.S. in civil engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1976, and her B.A. in Asian and environmental studies from Wellesley College in 1973.


D. Kip Solomon is an associate professor in the Department of Geology and Geophysics at the University of Utah. He specializes in fluid flow in soils and shallow aquifers, emphasizing the fate and transport of contaminants. Dr. Solomon has also worked on techniques for determining the age of shallow groundwater using tritium and helium isotopes and using these tools to examine fluid flow in porous and fractured systems. He won the outstanding faculty research award in his department in 1997-1998 and was associate editor of Ground Water from 1996-2001. He served on the National Academies’ Panel on Conceptual Models of Flow and Transport in the Fractured Vadose Zone from 1998 to 2001. Dr. Solomon received his B.Sc. in geological engineering in 1983 and his M.Sc. in geology in 1985 from the University of Utah, and his Ph.D. in earth sciences in 1992 from the University of Waterloo.


Kimberly Thomas is deputy division leader of the chemistry division at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). Her expertise includes managing wastes from research and medical isotope production. Dr. Thomas has supervised all aspects of medical isotope production at LANL. She has also directed research on accelerator transmutation of waste, geo-chemical behavior of radionuclides, actinide bioassay measurements, nuclear weapons debris analyses, processing of uranium ores, and fundamental actinide chemistry. She has evaluated how options for treating Hanford tank waste and for accelerator transmutation of wastes would fit

Suggested Citation:"Appendix D Committee Biographies." National Research Council. 2006. Improving the Regulation and Management of Low-Activity Radioactive Wastes. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11595.
×

with waste acceptance criteria for geological disposal. Dr. Thomas is a member of the American Chemical Society’s division of nuclear chemistry and technology and the Network for Women in Science, and she has served on the DOE advisory committee on nuclear and radiochemistry education. In 2000, she received a LANL outstanding mentoring award for her work in fostering career development of women and members of her community. Dr. Thomas received her Ph.D. in nuclear chemistry as a student of Glenn Seaborg and her Master of Bioradiology, both from the University of California–Berkeley. She received her A.B. in chemistry from Middlebury College.

Suggested Citation:"Appendix D Committee Biographies." National Research Council. 2006. Improving the Regulation and Management of Low-Activity Radioactive Wastes. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11595.
×

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Suggested Citation:"Appendix D Committee Biographies." National Research Council. 2006. Improving the Regulation and Management of Low-Activity Radioactive Wastes. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11595.
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix D Committee Biographies." National Research Council. 2006. Improving the Regulation and Management of Low-Activity Radioactive Wastes. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11595.
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix D Committee Biographies." National Research Council. 2006. Improving the Regulation and Management of Low-Activity Radioactive Wastes. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11595.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix D Committee Biographies." National Research Council. 2006. Improving the Regulation and Management of Low-Activity Radioactive Wastes. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11595.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix D Committee Biographies." National Research Council. 2006. Improving the Regulation and Management of Low-Activity Radioactive Wastes. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11595.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix D Committee Biographies." National Research Council. 2006. Improving the Regulation and Management of Low-Activity Radioactive Wastes. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11595.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix D Committee Biographies." National Research Council. 2006. Improving the Regulation and Management of Low-Activity Radioactive Wastes. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11595.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix D Committee Biographies." National Research Council. 2006. Improving the Regulation and Management of Low-Activity Radioactive Wastes. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11595.
×
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The largest volumes of radioactive wastes in the United States contain only small amounts of radioactive material. These low-activity wastes (LAW) come from hospitals, utilities, research institutions, and defense installations where nuclear material is used. Millions of cubic feet of LAW also arise every year from non-nuclear enterprises such as mining and water treatment. While LAW present much less of a radiation hazard than spent nuclear fuel or high-level radioactive wastes, they can cause health risks if controlled improperly.

Improving the Regulation and Management of Low-Activity Radioactive Wastes asserts that LAW should be regulated and managed according to the degree of risk they pose for treatment, storage, and disposal. Current regulations are based primarily on the type of industry that produced the waste--the waste's origin--rather than its risk. In this report, a risk-informed approach for regulating and managing all types of LAW in the United States is proposed. Implemented in a gradual or stepwise fashion, this approach combines scientific risk assessment with public values and perceptions. It focuses on the hazardous properties of the waste in question and how they compare with other waste materials. The approach is based on established principles for risk-informed decision making, current risk-informed initiatives by waste regulators in the United States and abroad, solutions available under current regulatory authorities, and remedies through new legislation when necessary.

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