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NRIC Tech Talk: Stakeholder Engagement

Date: March 9, 2023, 10:00-11:30 a.m. MST

Effective stakeholder engagement can improve siting and construction outcomes for nuclear energy infrastructure by building stronger relationships with the communities that host this infrastructure. In this webinar, professionals from both inside and outside the nuclear industry share how operationalizing stakeholder engagement in company practices can help to achieve these benefits.

Presenters

Elizabeth Helvey

Elizabeth Helvey

Project Manager, North Wind Services, LLC

Elizabeth Helvey has over 30 years of experience designing stakeholder engagement strategies related to the transportation of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and the siting of nuclear facilities. Ms. Helvey specializes in working with state and tribal governments to prepare emergency responders, elected officials, and the public along the routes used for shipments of SNF. She has supported the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) efforts with the National Transportation Stakeholder Forum and the Tribal Radioactive Materials Transportation Committee as well as private industry clients siting nuclear facilities. Her experience includes support to the Office of the Nuclear Waste Negotiator’s effort to site an interim storage facility in the 1990s, leading a team that supported DOE’s consent-based siting effort in 2015-17, leading a team advising Southern California Edison on strategic considerations to move their SNF off-site from the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, and working with Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation on siting micro modular reactors

James Hamilton

James Hamilton

Executive Director, Nuclear Decommissioning Collaborative

James (Jim) A. Hamilton specializes in the socioeconomic, regulatory and public consultation aspects of large-scale energy infrastructure projects.

At present, he is the Executive Director of the Nuclear Decommissioning Collaborative: In his work with the Collaborative, Jim helps local, state and federal stakeholders quantify, then mitigate, the socioeconomic impacts from commercial nuclear power plant closure. In parallel, The Collaborative works with host communities and utilities to plan for long-term economic resiliency in the energy transition arena. His focus areas include spent fuel storage systems, socioeconomic impact management, environmental justice, stakeholder engagement, economic development and creating local community hosting agreements.

Mr. Hamilton is also working with the U.S. Department of Energy on its nuclear waste management program, specifically their near-terms efforts with respect to federal consolidated interim storage. Jim has also advised Canada’s First Nation’s communities on environmental matters, served as the Vice President of Sustainability for a global mining entity, and taught graduate courses in Environmental Policy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Jim earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of British Columbia and MIT respectively. His volunteer work has included serving as Co-Chairman of MIT’s Energy, Environment and Sustainability Global Collaboration Committee.

 

Mckinsey Lyon

Mckinsey Lyon

VP of External Affairs, Perpetua Resources

Mckinsey Lyon has a bachelor’s degree in History and 16 years of experience. Before joining Perpetua Resources, Mckinsey was a partner at Gallatin Public Affairs where she helped clients achieve business goals by integrating strategies across communications, government relations and stakeholder engagement. As VP of External Affairs, Mckinsey leads the direct advocacy and social license development for the Stibnite Gold Project. Mckinsey joined the company in 2017, because she believes that Perpetua is set to lead the way into the next generation of mining that will bring forward the responsible production of the metals and minerals that are essential for a more sustainable future. She also believes that the Perpetua team is dedicated to Idaho and to doing business the right way. Mckinsey is a fifth-generation Idahoan, who grew up exploring Idaho’s wilderness with her father. With the help of her husband, she is not only instilling her love for Idaho’s rich and diverse landscapes in their three young children, but they are also teaching them the importance of protecting our environment.

 

Past Events & Webinars

Tech Talk: STAND Tool - January 26, 2022

Watch this webinar recording and learn more about the Siting Tool for Advanced Nuclear Development (STAND), a user-friendly decision tool that supports current and emerging advanced nuclear companies in locating potential host communities. STAND’s expansive data sets go beyond traditional proximity and safety siting data to also include socioeconomic data at the community level, which will help your team facilitate and accelerate the siting process.

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Tech Talk: Enveloping Advanced Reactors to Streamline Environmental Analysis - August 12th, 2021

The NRIC Plant Parameter Envelope uses a bounding approach to efficiently analyze environmental impacts of reactor siting, construction, and operation. PNNL’s team developed parameters for the reactor plant and site, encompassing a wide array of potential designs and footprints. Learn more by watching this webinar recording.

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Tech Talk: Construction Activities with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission webinar - July 6, 2021

This webinar built on NRIC’s previous Tech Talks with NRC experts. In this session, presenters explained differences between a Limited Work Authorization (LWA) versus “pre-construction” activities, and the process for obtaining an LWA as part of a Combined License Application or Early Site Permit.

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Tech Talk: Pre-application Process with the NRC webinar -May 26, 2021

This webinar focused on topical reports, meetings, audits, and white papers for the pre-application process with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Adrian Muñiz, licensing project manager in the Division of Advanced Reactor and Non-Power Production and Utilization Facilities in the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) presented.

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Tech Talk: Environmental Reviews with the NRC webinar - April 20, 2021

This webinar will allow you to engage with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and learn more about the National Environmental Policy Act process.

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What Inspires Us: an Interactive Webinar on Nuclear Narratives - March 23, 2021

Inspiring others to understand the benefits of nuclear energy involves more than just laying out the facts. Thoughtful and personal storytelling bridges gaps between inspired individuals early in their careers and those who are unfamiliar with the field. Telling our personal stories and motivations for working in nuclear creates common ground. Human stories are our strongest tools when speaking to the public.

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Tech Talk: Digital Engineering - February 16, 2021

Learn how this valuable tool can effectively and efficiently accelerate highly complex projects like advanced nuclear energy technologies.
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What Inspires Us: Advanced Reactor Demonstrations - Jan. 7, 2021

This 90-minute webinar, “What Inspires Us: Advanced Reactor Demonstrations,” is moderated by Ashley Finan, director of the National Reactor Innovation Center. It features Chris Levesque, president and chief executive officer of TerraPower, and Clay Sell, chief executive officer of X-energy. During this webinar they talk about their advanced reactor designs, which were awarded federal assistance under the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program. Opening remarks are offered by Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson.

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What Inspires Us - Sept 29, 2020

“What Inspires Us” features Dr. Ashley Finan, director of NRIC, Mark Peters, director of Idaho National Laboratory and Suzanne Baker, creative director at the University of Michigan’s Fastest Path to Zero Initiative and founder of Good Energy Collective.
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