ML22340A589
| ML22340A589 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 12/13/2022 |
| From: | Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research |
| To: | |
| References | |
| Download: ML22340A589 (8) | |
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OFFICIAL USE ONLY - SENSITIVE INTERNAL INFORMATION DROP-IN BRIEF ON A SHEET Health Physics Society (HPS)
Tekia Govan, SES 415-6197 Don Lowman, POC 415-5452 Accession No. ML22340A589 Date Time Person Visiting Point of Contact Phone December 13, 2022 11:00 am Chairman Hanson (in person)
Kathleen Blake/
Patty Jimenez 301-415-0566
Participants:
Brett Burk, Executive Director of HPS
David Connolly Esq., Congressional Liaison for HPS Topics of Interest - Executive Summary The Health Physics Society has changed member leadership (including President) since their last visit with the Commission in 2019. They will introduce their new leadership team and wish to discuss their current initiatives to increase funding for health physics education support; the aging health physics workforce; and support for low-dose radiation research. The HPS celebrated its 65th anniversary in July 2020.
HPS Suggested Topics 1.
Introduction of HPS and its Composition HPS Mission Excellence in the science and practice of radiation safety.
HPS Suggested Topics NRC Staff Topics Issues in Adjudication
Introduction of HPS and its composition
Current initiatives within HPS regarding increased funding for educational support
Aging of the health physics workforce shortage
Support for low-dose radiation research
None
None
OFFICIAL USE ONLY - SENSITIVE INTERNAL INFORMATION HPS Strategies
Promote the science and sound practice of radiation safety.
Advance member careers.
Ensure HPS as the trusted source of expertise in radiation safety.
The Health Physics Society Vision Statement HPS will be the home for radiation safety specialists and the trusted source of radiation safety information that enables the safe use of radiation to improve people's lives.
HPS Strategic Plan The HPS Strategic Plan is developed by the HPS Board of Directors and guides HPS leadership in achieving its mission through the establishment of priorities, short-term goals, and specific tasks, which are then carried out by HPS committees, task forces, and operational staff, under the leadership of the officers and directors. This 2022 HPS Strategic Plan can be found at https://hps.org/documents/FY2022_strategic_plan.pdf.
HPS Code of Ethics The HPS Code of Ethics enumerates the principles by which members of HPS maintain a professional level of conduct. The HPS Code of Ethics can be found at http://hps.org/aboutthesociety/codeofethics.html.
2.
Current Initiatives Within HPS Regarding Increased Funding for Educational Support Staff is not aware of current initiatives HPS has regarding increased funding for educational support. However, NRC has its own University Nuclear Leadership Program (UNLP). Below are the goals and objectives of the UNLP:
NRCs UNLP provides R&D and educational grants to universities/institutions of higher education.
Helps agency assess the future nuclear energy landscape and prepare for upcoming technical challenges.
Focuses on university led projects to complement current and future research needs.
NRC seeks to leverage universities capabilities through R&D grants.
o Since 2009, 598 educational grants totaling more than $192M have been awarded.
o Approximately $52M in grants awarded to health physics and radiochemistry programs.
NRC Student Service Agreement:
o Service agreement only applies to scholarships and fellowships.
o Maintain satisfactory academic progress.
o Serve six months in nuclear-related employment for each year of grant support.
o Employment may be with NRC or other Federal agency, State agencies, national laboratories, nuclear industry, academia.
o NRC may non-competitively select grant recipients for job opportunities.
OFFICIAL USE ONLY - SENSITIVE INTERNAL INFORMATION Sustaining Health Physics at the NRC The NRC staff also has initiatives underway to mitigate the risk of current and future gaps in the health physics knowledge base. Over the last two years, the staff has:
Increased the visibility of health physics and related radiation-protection specialties in its annual Notice of Funding Opportunity for the University Nuclear Leadership Program (scholarships, fellowships, etc.).
Advertised the grants program as a pathway into careers in Agreement States as well as the NRC given common challenges.
Increased number of participants with health-physics related backgrounds in the Nuclear Regulator Apprenticeship Network (NRAN).
Added University Champions for recruiting at schools with notable health physics programs
Recruited and provided presentations on NRC grants and opportunities at the HPS annual meeting.
Other pipeline-related efforts underway include apprenticeships for NRAN cohort members in health-physics-related jobs, encouraging health physics summer hires, and posting multiple external vacancies for health physics. The staff is also taking action to retain and develop the current staff (e.g., through an informal Health Physics community, supporting Certified Health Physicist accreditation through grassroots study groups and external training, and updating competency models and qualifications to reflect specialized needs). In these efforts, the staff is partnering with outside organizations including other Federal agencies, HPS, and the Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors to support joint initiatives and raise the profile of the NRCs efforts.
3.
Aging of the Health Physics Workforce Shortage The Health Physics Society (HPS) would like to engage the NRC Chairman and Commissioners on how best it can serve the agency as a resource to address the human capital crisis in the radiation safety community related to the aging of the workforce that will potentially result in a radiation protection professionals shortage issue.
An insufficient amount of trained health physics professionals can negatively impact nuclear security, safety, legislation, and standards, while the need for these professionals will continue to exist and will likely grow as decommissioning activities of shutdown nuclear power plants may require more HP coverage than routine operations. Also, with the increase in medical care using ionizing radiation and radiopharmaceuticals, more health physics professionals are needed.
4.
Support for Low-Dose Radiation Research Research provides the foundation for technical advice, tools, and information used to identify and resolve safety issues; supports regulatory decision-making; and enhances the technical basis for guidance (e.g., regulatory guides). The regulatory guides are developed for public use and present approaches that the staff considers acceptable in implementing the agencys regulations.
OFFICIAL USE ONLY - SENSITIVE INTERNAL INFORMATION Experimental data is used by professional organizations to develop consensus standards associated with systems, structures, equipment, or materials that the nuclear industry uses. These standards or groups of standards are incorporated by reference into the NRC rules and regulatory guidance.
In March 2018, the HPS sent a letter to urge the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to support the re-establishment of the low-dose radiation research program at the Department of Energy. The HPS asked to include H.R. 4675, or a similar authorization for a low-dose radiation program, in any comprehensive energy bill or passed as stand-alone legislation to quickly move this authorization to the Senate and Congress.
Per the HPS, a greater understanding of the effect of exposure to low dose sources of radiation will ensure safe working environments and potentially lead to revised radiation protection standards that could result in substantial savings in the national efforts to maintain adequate radiation safety protections. On this latter point, a more complete understanding of low dose radiation effects could lead to billions of dollars in savings for the Federal government over the foreseeable future through reductions in cleanup costs of Federal and private sites, among others.
It is important to begin this research program now to enhance our understanding of low-dose radiation health effects and the ability to set appropriate standards that could lead to savings in low-dose radiation environments and radiation cleanup activities.
The NRC has supported low-dose radiation research in the past, including the DOEs Million Worker Study through the now cancelled Low Dose Radiation Research Program that HPS is interested in reviving.
OFFICIAL USE ONLY - SENSITIVE INTERNAL INFORMATION Organizational Chart Health Physics Society HPS OFFICERS The following is a listing of officers of the Health Physics Society.
President (2023)
John Cardarelli President-elect Elizabeth Brackett Secretary-elect Tim Kirkham Secretary (2023)
Nicole Martinez Executive Director Brett J. Burk Treasurer (2024)
Kendall Berry
OFFICIAL USE ONLY - SENSITIVE INTERNAL INFORMATION Biographical Information Brett J. Burk Executive Director Burk & Associates, Inc.
Employment History:
US National Park Service: 1989 - 1992 (3 years) Harpers Ferry NHP Mr. Burk as a zoo archaeologist ran the faunal remains program. Mr. Burk set up the laboratory and relationships with The Smithsonian and The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation for sharing type collections and resources. Mr. Burk worked as both field archaeologist and laboratory researcher. Mr. Burk was responsible for publishing results and analyses in both grey literature of the NPS and in scientific publications.
Burk & Associates, Inc.: 1992 - Present (25 years) McLean, VA Mr. Burk has held various positions from Administrative Associate to Vice President to President to CEO and Owner in various roles with both Burk & Associates and clients (all non-profit scientific societies). Mr. Burk manages daily operations of societies and Burk & Associates, with primary responsibility as Business Director or Executive Director for many of the client societies.
Education:
Col. Zadok Magruder High School, Gaithersburg MD 1981-1985 Diploma
College of William and Mary in Virginia, Williamsburg, Virginia 1985-1989 B.A. Anthropology, Minor French Literature Brett has been with the Health Physics Society for 30 years. He has been the Executive Director for the last 9 years. His organization provides management and support for 10 different scientific societies based in the USA. The company has personnel that run all of the logistics for the scientific conferences, the accounting and financial needs and the membership databases. In his role with these societies and the Health Physics Society, Brett serves on the Board of Directors as an Officer.
OFFICIAL USE ONLY - SENSITIVE INTERNAL INFORMATION David Connolly Congressional Liaison David A. Connolly was born in Brooklyn, New York. He received a B.A. in political science from Fordham University and a Juris Doctor degree from Brooklyn Law School. After graduating from law school, he served on active duty with the U.S. Army in both the Corps of Engineers and the JAG Corps.
After representing churches and charities with the Congress and the Executive Branch, Mr. Connolly practiced law as a partner with McChesney and Dale. At this firm, which was based in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area, he represented health and pension plans governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).
At the start of the 106th Congress, he joined the staff of the House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce. He also was a part of the Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations, the same subcommittee that has primary jurisdiction over employer-sponsored pension and health benefits. During the 106th - 108th Congresses, he worked on legislation dealing with:
The Patients Bill of Rights
Retiree Health Legislation
Mental Health Parity Act
Other Proposals to Expand Pension Coverage Under Employee Retirement Income Security Act Since 2004, Mr. Connolly has represented various health organizations with the Congress and Executive agencies. He has worked on issues related to:
Federal Scholarships for College and Graduate Students (e.g. Health Physics)
Extravasation
Medical Isotopes
Radiation Safety
Radioactive Waste Disposal
Low Dose Radiation Research Funding
Joint Commission Standards for Radiation Safety of Hospital Workers and Patients
Marriage And Family Therapists as Medicare Providers
Employment Of Marriage and Family Therapists in The Department of Veteran Affairs
Mental Health Care for Veterans
Minority Fellowship Program for Marriage and Family Therapists
ML22340A589; ML22340A589 OFFICE NMSS/MSST/MSTB RES NAME DLowman RFurstenau KWebber for DATE Dec 6, 2022 Dec 8, 2022