Appendix B: Progress Report
MEMORANDUM
TO: Dr. Elizabeth Tebeaux DATE: November 1, 2007
FROM: Hayes Stripling
SUBJECT: Progress Report: Research on the Future of Commercial Nuclear Power
Summary of Progress on Project
The purpose of this document is to report that my research and drafting progress is on schedule and successful thus far. I have consulted over a dozen usable sources, of which two are personal contacts which will supplement the database searches and add a unique perspective to the report. The use of interviews is a necessary approach because many “outsiders” tend to speculate negatively on nuclear technology; therefore, it is important to seek the opinions of professionals who have experience in the field. In order to process this information, I have already drafted a detailed outline, divided into sections and subtopics, which will serve as the framework of my report. So far, this drafting technique has been successful in organizing my information, and it has kept me ahead of my proposed drafting deadlines. From this point, I will begin composing the paragraphs which will comprise the main sections of my report. Given this progress, I foresee no difficulties in finishing the report by the assigned due date.
Research Consulted______
Articles Concerned With the Aging Nuclear Workforce
1. Adam Aston – “Who Will Run the Plants?”
a. Citation:
i. Aston, Adam. "Who Will Run the Plants: As the nuclear industry starts to expand again, it faces a graying workforce." Business Week 22Jan.2007:78. ABI/INFORM Global. ProQuest. Sterling C. Evans Library, College Station, Texas. 30 Sep. 2007. <http://www.proquest.com.ezproxy.tamu.edu:2048/> .
b. Notes/Observations Concerning This Source
i. This article, from Business Week, is a very generic article relating the need for young people in the nuclear industry to people outside of nuclear power. Therefore, it contains no technical information.
ii. The author provides numerical data comparing the number of people entering the industry to the number of people exiting the industry. These facts will serve as background information for this section.
2. John C. Zink – “Industry Must Address Workforce Issues”
a. Citation:
i. Zink, John C. “Industry Must Address Workforce Issues.” Power Engineering. September 2006: 8. Academic Search Premier. Sterling C. Evans Library, College Station, Texas. 25 September 2007. <http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.tamu.edu:2048>.
b. Notes/Observations Concerning This Source
i. Published in Power Engineering, this article contains more technical information than the previous article.
ii. The major substance of the article is the information concerning technical schools that are sponsored by nuclear corporations. These programs educate the students with the sole purpose of working within the company, and the material is highly specialized to that company.
iii. The author also emphasizes that the specialization involved with the nuclear industry creates a steep learning curve for new workers.
3. Hyun Young Lee – “Energy: Aging Workforce Poses Nuclear Power Challenge”
a. Citation:
i. Lee, Hyun Young. “Energy: Aging Work Force Poses Nuclear-Power Challenge; Lack of Technical Expertise could Complicate Growth as Employees Start to Retire.” Wall Street Journal. [New York, NY]. 11 April 2006, Eastern Edition: A. 12. ABI/INFORM Global. ProQuest. Sterling C. Evans Library, College Station, Texas. 26 September 2007. <http://www.proquest.com>.
b. Notes/Observations Concerning This Source
i. Unfortunately this article repeats much of the information from Aston’s article. It includes statistics about the number of people entering and leaving the field (and these statistics generally agree with Aston’s).
ii. The only new information in this article regards the efforts of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to hire new people in anticipation of new license submissions and a mention of the increasing starting salary for Nuclear Engineers.
iii. Overall, this article will probably prove to be a dud.
Articles Concerning the Need for a Long Term Spent Fuel Storage Facility
1. John C. Zink – “EPA Issues Controversial Yucca Mountain Standards”
a. Citation:
i. Zink, John C. “EPA Issues Controversial Yucca Mountain Standards.” Power Engineering. September 2001: 38. Academic Search Premier. Sterling C. Evans Library, College Station, Texas. 25 September 2007. <http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.tamu.edu:2048>.
b. Notes/Observations Concerning This Source
i. This article is written by the same author as “Industry Must Address Workforce Issues,” which is discussed above.
ii. Zink outlines the evolution of the safety standards applied to Yucca Mountain (YM) and how the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Department of Energy (DOE), and National Academy of Sciences (NAS) struggled to agree on the extent of protections necessary.
iii. This article will serve as concrete evidence of how politics has interfered with the advancement of nuclear technology. It will further lead to a conclusion that the next generation of engineers will have to anticipate and cooperate with this barrier if YM will be successful.
2. Craven Crowell – “Why America Needs a Nuclear Waste Depository”
a. Citation:
i. Crowell, Craven. “Why America Needs a Nuclear Waste Depository.” The Electricity Journal. November 2005: 73-74. Academic Search Premier. Sterling C. Evans Library, College Station, Texas. 25 September 2007. <http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.tamu.edu:2048>.
b. Notes/Observations Concerning This Source
i. The author of this article is pro-nuclear and pro-YM
ii. He discusses the many reasons why YM is not complete, including the lack of funds, poor management, changing administrations, and poor communication with Nevada residents.
iii. He cites examples of foreign countries which have a similar facility and offer incentives to states/citizens for hosting the site.
iv. He emphasizes the fact that the technology to build YM is not complete. The next group of engineers will be burdened with much of the design and maintenance of the facility.
3. Per F. Peterson – “Nuclear Waste and the Distant Future”
a. Citation:
i. Peterson, Per. “Nuclear Waste and the Distant Future.” Issues in Science and Technology. Summer 2006: 22:4. P 47-50. Academic Search Premier. Sterling C. Evans Library, College Station, Texas. 27 September, 2007. <http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.tamu.edu:2048>
b. Notes/Observations Concerning This Source
i. This is a technically strong article which uses data evidence to explain the necessity and feasibility of YM. It begins with a description of the dangers associated with spent nuclear fuel, followed by an explanation of how the YM design can handle these dangers.
ii. I will use this article extensively for both numerical evidence and technical explanation.
iii. The article leads directly to future action necessary, which I can use to explain whywhat role may be in long term spent fuel storage.
Articles Concerning Spent Fuel Reprocessing
1. H. A. Feiveson – “A Wasteful Endeavor”
a. Citation:
i. Feiveson, H. A., “A Wasteful Endeavor.” Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Vol. 63, 5:pp57-59. Academic Search Premier. Sterling C. Evans Library, College Station, Texas. 24 October 2007. <http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.tamu.edu:2048>.
b. Notes/Observations Concerning This Source
i. This author is against the idea of spent fuel reprocessing, which is the process of splitting spent fuel into useful and non-useful parts.
ii. This opinion is very typical of experts outside the nuclear industry. It brings about many good points regarding the dangers and cost of reprocessing.
iii. The article also outlines the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP), which is an attempt to limit reprocessing in foreign countries to those voted on by GNEP members. GNEP will likely be a major focus of this section of my report.
iv. This article is in interesting contrast to the following article.
2. Jeff Johnson – “Reprocessing Key to Nuclear Plan”
a. Citation:
i. Johnson, Jeff. “Reprocessing Key to Nuclear Plan.” American Chemical Society Journals. 2006: 84: 3-33. Academic Search Premier. Sterling C. Evans Library, College Station, Texas. 30 September 2007. <http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.tamu.edu:2048>.
b. Notes/Observations Concerning This Source
i. Johnson portrays GNEP in a positive light, citing its potential to increase nuclear power and decrease proliferation at the same time.
ii. He notes the recent movement by private industry towards reprocessing, since government funds are unavailable.
iii. I will be able to use the combination of this article and the previous to discuss proliferation, as viewed from both sides of the argument. I have found that the entire scientific community is not pro-reprocessing.
iv. There is also valuable mention in this article as to the history of reprocessing in the United States (why we do not do it).
3. “Duke Energy begins Regulatory Process to use MOX Fuel”
a. Citation:
i. "Duke Energy Begins Regulatory Process to Use MOX Fuel."PR Newswire 27February20031.ABI/INFORM Dateline.ProQuest.Sterling C. Evans Library, College Station, Texas. 24 Oct. 2007<http://www.proquest.com/>
b. Notes/Observations Concerning This Source
i. This article provides very little technical information, but it will serve as evidence that American Utilities are interested in using processed or reprocessed fuel (MOX fuel is created from old weapons-grade Plutonium).
Interview
1. Cody Lemons, Reactor Engineer – Telephone Interview
a. Citation:
i. Lemons, Cody. Phone Interview. 15 October 2007.
b. Notes/Observations Concerning This Source
i. Cody provided insight into the nuclear industry from a young engineer’s perspective.
ii. He had statistics specific to Comanche Peak NPP, including the amount of retirements expected in next 10 years, and the inability of the Utility to handle new hires.
iii. Cody’s area of work at Comanche Peak is in spent fuel storage, so he has special insight into Yucca Mountain. He emphasized that the delays are costing customers and utilities money.
iv. Cody knows a little bit about reprocessing, and offered insight into why it will be economical in the future.
v. Cody’s information will supplement my database research by providing a perspective similar to my own.
Articles That are Unusable
1. John C. Zink – “That Old Devil Plutonium is Back”
a. Citation
i. Zink, John C. “That Old Devil Plutonium is Back.” Power Engineering. October 2002: 38. Academic Search Premier. Sterling C. Evans Library, College Station, Texas. 25 September 2007. <http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.tamu.edu:2048>.
b. Reasons Why this is a “Dud”
i. It is more of a propaganda article than informational.
ii. It is written by the same author as two of my other sources, so I worry about getting too much of a bias in my report.
2. “America’s Plan for MOX”
a. Citation:
i. "America's plan for MOX. "Nuclear Engineering International 1Sep.2000:38. ABI/INFORM Trade & Industry. ProQuest. Sterling C. Evans Library, College Station, Texas. 30 Sep. 2007. <http://www.proquest.com.ezproxy.tamu.edu:2048/> .
b. Reasons Why this is a “Dud”
i. The article is too opinionated
ii. The facts cited in the article are mostly repeats of facts from other sources
iii. I cannot tell whether the substance of the article is bias driven or from a credible source
Research Remaining_
Articles
1. William C. Sailor – “The Case Against Reprocessing”
a. Citation:
i. Sailor, William C. “The Case Against Reprocessing.” Forum for Applied Research and Public Policy. Summer 1999: 14:2. P 108-112. Academic Search Premier. Sterling C. Evans Library, College Station, Texas. 25 October 2007. <http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.tamu.edu:2048>.
b. Expected Value From This Source
i. After a brief glance, I believe this article will provide information about the historical context of reprocessing fuel in the United States. Currently, I do not have enough background information on reprocessing.
ii. This article is also another example of a non-nuclear expert who opposed spent fuel reprocessing; this is a recurring trend.
Interview
1. Dr. John Poston – Personal Interview
a. Citation:
i. Poston, Dr. John. Personal Interview. 8 November 2007 [Tentative Date]
b. Expected Value From This Source
i. I am planning to use information from this interview to supplement weak areas in my research. Therefore, I am waiting until I have completed my database searches before I schedule an interview. Dr. Poston has been in the nuclear business since 1957; therefore, he knows a little bit about all things nuclear.
ii. Dr. Poston is readily available any time of the week. He has regular office hours, attends our weekly ANS meetings, and teaches one of my Monday- Wednesday-Friday classes. For these reasons, I am not concerned with his availability.
Assessment of Progress______
Research Progress
My database searches have been very successful, and I think I have ample information to support my report. For each of the three issues I will address, I consulted at least one historical source, one professional journal article, and one or two forward-looking editorial type articles. This combination of sources will allow me to draw conclusions about my role in the future of the nuclear industry. I believe that my research will be thorough and complete after I consult Dr. Poston and the article listed above.
Drafting Progress
In my research proposal, I submitted the following schedule of events. Since this proposal, I have modified each deadline in accordance with assignment due dates. As of November 1st, I am completely up to date with these deadlines and have even made progress on the detailed outline and first full draft, as described below.
Event / Due Date / Revised Due DateProposal Submission/Completion of Document Research / October 4th, 2007 / n/a
Completion and Analysis of Interviews / October 12th, 2007 / n/a
Progress Report Submission / October 18th, 2007 / November 1st,, 2007
Detailed Outline including headings and coherent topic sentences / October 18th, 2007 / November 5th, 2007
First Full Draft excluding introduction, conclusion, and summary / October 25th, 2007 / November 13th, 2007
Final Draft Ready for Submission / November 9th, 2007 / November 20th, 2007
Drafting Technique
I have developed a systematic process to analyze and organize the volume of information that my research has produced. Based on the outline I proposed, I categorized the information from the sources into three major topics, each of which is divided into subtopics. This technique is very effective because it allows me to identify research areas where I need more substance. At this point, I have completed this outline (aside from any information I will include from the outstanding article and interview listed above). I now need to organize the subtopics and develop topic sentences for their paragraphs.
From this outline stage, I will begin to draft the bodies of the paragraphs that will comprise my report. By having the information broken down into subtopics, I will be able to construct logical and coherent paragraphs. I have already written the first rough draft of the history/background information section of the report, and I hope to begin drafting the “issues” paragraphs early in the week of November 5th. Once this step is complete, I will assemble the paragraphs into one document and evaluate the design, flow, and completeness of the report. In accordance with the due date, I must complete this process by November 20th.