March 2015 newsletter - INL Retired Employees Association

AFTER
INL WORDS
March 1, 2015
www.irea.info
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE – Nancy Carlson, 523-9128, nancymcarlson@q.com
For those of us who stayed in Idaho this winter – we are
the snow birds! I am loving my snow shovel crying in the
corner. But as we all know for every wonderful “spring”
day in February we receive, we shall pay. So enjoy the
wonderful weather while we have it.
refresh your knowledge on inheritance and will issues as
they relate to your 401(K) and IRA accounts in John
Johnson’s Investment column; and read a summary of
the status of INL’s Retirement Plan, written in “English”,
provided in Benefits chair, Tom McLaughlin’s column.
Speaking of fun - another thing you will want to mark
down is the IREA Spring Banquet on March 25th. Ann
Rydalch, Social chairman, has reserved the beautiful
Hilton Garden Inn banquet facility. Banquet and speaker
details are included in the Social column as well as the
reservation form. Remember, Ann needs to receive your
reservation form by March 18th so the Hilton staff has
plenty of food ready for us. We will also have a silent
auction, candy guess, and door prizes this year. If you
have an item you would like to donate to the silent
auction, call me so we are sure to have a bid sheet.
Pull out your 2015 calendar as Chuck Briggs, Program
Chair, has set the date for our Annual meeting for May
14th. Ann Rydalch has set the date and location for the
summer picnic - August 13th at the Tautphaus Park
hockey shelter. The hockey shelter removes weather
worries from the picnic.
Read the newsletter cover to cover so you know when
and where to receive assistance via Tax-Aide with your
2015 tax return covered in Gary Johnsen’s column;
Lastly, at the May 14th annual meeting we elect our
2015-2016 officers and committee chairmen. If you would
like to assist IREA in any capacity – committee member,
committee chair, or IREA officer, call Nancy Carlson, your
current president, at 523-9128 or email her at
nancymcarlson@q.com to explore how you can assist
your fellow retirees. We enjoy and welcome new faces
and ideas on the board.
2014-2015 IREA Board
NAME
FUNCTION
PHONE
EMAIL
Nancy Carlson
Pat Marushia
Norm Kramer
John Johnson
LeRoy Meyer
Ann Rydalch
Felix Vandewiele
Bill Toth
Tom McLaughlin
Everett Gruen
John Flinn
Gary Johnsen
Chuck Briggs
John Johnson
Jerry Phillips
Mimi Jones
Ann Rydalch
President and Newsletter
Vice-President
Treasurer
Acting Secretary
Membership
Social
Historian
Consumer Affairs
Benefits
Publicity - Website
Golf Tournament
Energy Education
Program
Investments
Investments
Newsletter Assistance
Energy Advocacy Issues
523-9128
523-1591
522-8677
523-7406
523-7306
522-6741
523-0894
529-0210
523-1481
523-3670
523-7330
529-8849
542-2882
523-7406
360-8120
552-9577
522-6741
nancymcarlson@q.com
paddymar@gmail.com
nak@srv.net
jejohnson@cableone.net
mey217@cableone,net
arydalch@msn.com
vandewielefelix@gmail.com
wjtoth@cableone.net
tommac2230@aol.com
gegruen@cableone.net
flinnjr@hotmail.com
gwjohnsen@gmail.com
carbriggs@cableone.net
jejohnson@cableone.net
phillipsjh@asme.org
mimijones65@gmail.com
arydalch@msn.com
ANNUAL MEETING – Chuck Briggs, 542-2882, carbriggs@cableone.net
Spring Annual Meeting date is set for May 14th.
issues related to their work at INL. Some of the services
provided include health evaluations, assistance in
completing qualification paperwork, and nursing
assistance. If you are unaware of these programs
administered by the US Department of Labor and
Department of Energy – this is a MUST attend meeting
for you! The agencies representatives will work
one-on-one with you to answer all your questions or
schedule a meeting at a later date – whatever works for
you. Also, the agencies will have some fun promotional
items and literature to share with you.
At the annual meeting we elect our 2015-2016 officers. If
you would like to assist IREA in any capacity, call Nancy
Carlson, your current president, at 523-9128 or email her
at nancymcarlson@q.com to explore how you can assist
your fellow retirees.
Following the business portion of the annual meeting, we
will have a technical presentation. Program chair, Chuck
Briggs, is working details on the topic and final details will
be included in the May newsletter.
Additionally, Bill Toth, our Consumer Affairs chairman, is
working with four local agencies that provide services for
former INL workers who have or could develop health
As always, we will serve pizza and pop following the
formal meeting.
TREASURER’S REPORT FOR 2014 - Norm Kramer, 522-8677, nak@srv.net
The information provided is a summary of the financial
status of IREA. The income for the Association comes
from membership dues, banquet and interest from
savings and CDs. As in past years, the financial picture is
sound and healthy. The financial summary is provided
below. If you have any questions regarding the
Association’s finances, please contact me.
Treasurer Report Summary for 2014
Revenue
Dues collected
Interest
Expenses
$2,666.00 Four newsletters & one
postcard
$67.43 Two meetings (hall rental
& food)
Banquet (net expense)
Picnic (net expense)
Postmaster for PO Box
Total Revenue
$1,429.39
$312.20
$280.42
$699.00
$84.00
Website
$206.00
Partnership for Science
and Technology
EITC Foundation
$100.00
$2,733.43 Total Expenses
$100.00
$3,211.01
TAX-AIDE ASSISTANCE DETAILS – Gary Johnsen, 529-8849, gwjohnsen@gmail.com
Free assistance with your 2014 tax returns: At
this time of the year, most of us are beginning to think about
having to file our income tax returns. Several IREA members
serve as volunteer income tax return preparers in the AARP
Tax-Aide program. If you are interested in learning about the
Tax-Aide program, contact Gary Johnsen at 529-8849 or
Norm Kramer at 522-8677. New volunteers are always
needed; training is provided.
If you need help preparing your tax return, you are
encouraged to take advantage of the free help provided by
the Tax-Aide volunteers. Come to the Idaho Falls/Ammon
Tax-Aide Center north of the Ammon WalMart (939 South
Hitt Road, Suite 103), or call the Idaho Falls Senior Citizens
Community Center at 522-4357 for an appointment at the
Senior Center (535 West 21st St.). Hours at the IF/Ammon
Center are 9:30 am to 3:30 pm Monday, Wednesday, Friday,
and 9:30 am to 6:30 pm Tuesday and Thursday.
Appointments at the Senior Center are available from
9:00 am to 2:00 pm Tuesday and Thursday. It is important to
bring all documents showing income (W-2s, 1099s, etc.),
information on potentially deductible expenditures (medical,
med. insurance, mortgage interest, property tax, donations),
identification and social security cards, and last year’s tax
return.
the primary earners payments. If the primary earner dies, the
spouse should apply to the social security office for the full
amount the primary earner was receiving. The primary
earner could be either the man or the woman.
Idaho Medical Savings Accounts: For tax year
2014, Idaho now allows taxpayers to contribute up to
$10,000 ($20,000 for a married filing joint account) to an
Idaho Medical Savings Account. Contributions to such
accounts, plus any interest accrued can be deducted from
the Idaho tax return on Form 39R, line 13.
Social Security for Seniors: If you are married to or
divorced from the primary earner then you can claim a
spouse option of the primary earner's social security
payments. The spouse payments should be about 50% of
BENEFITS – Tom McLaughlin, 523-1481, tommac2230@aol.com
Private industry lobbied congress to pass MAP-21 in
order that they could use the excess funds to expand
business opportunities and operations rather than fund
future obligations of retirement plans. Congress was
amiable to this as lower corporate retirement
contributions resulted in higher tax revenue as the
contributions are tax deductible for the corporations.
Some companies have taken advantage of the lower
required contributions to provide excess cash for their
operations while others have maintained the higher
contribution rate feeling that at a point in the future the
plans will become under-funded and higher contributions
will be required at that time. The jury is still pretty much
out on whether this was a good piece of legislation or a
future failure.
By now all participants in the INL Employee Retirement Plan
should have received their supplement for the annual
funding notice. Participants receive a supplement each year
for the previous plan year. The supplement that you received
is for the plan year 2013/2014 (October 1, 2013 to
September 30, 2014).
This supplement provides a comparison of the funding
status for the present year and the two previous years. Two
columns are provided for each year in order that one can
compare the plan status using the newly enacted method of
calculating plan liabilities (MAP-21) against the previous
method of calculating liabilities. MAP-21 allows companies
to average interest rates over a longer period of time (past
25 years) when calculating future benefit obligations.
Previously these plan liabilities were calculated on a shorter
period of time (2 years). Using the longer period gave a
higher average interest rate than has occurred during the
past few years where interest rates have been at historical
lows. The result has been a lower required annual
contribution by the plan owner in order for the plan to
maintain a specified funding threshold. In the case of the INL
Plan, approximately $100 million have been saved in
required contributions over the past two plan years.
Accompanying the supplement was a summary
description of the retirement plan. It should be noted that
this summary is only for those retiring now. Rules that
govern your retirement plan were the ones in force at the
time you retired. Probably most of the requirements are
the same as previous ones. It should be noted, as the
questions comes up often, that the plan is not insured by
the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporations as are all
private plans.
INVESTMENT – John Johnson, 523-7406, jejohnson@cableone.net
IRA and 401(k) Inheritance Issues: Most of us retirees
have tax-deferred retirement accounts, and we are
probably aware of the most common issues with these
accounts, such as taxability of the money when we start
making withdrawals, penalties for making withdrawals too
early, required minimum distributions beginning when we
reach the age of 70½, and naming beneficiaries for the
accounts. However, there are a few lesser known issues
that deserve mentioning here.
name one or more additional contingent beneficiaries (e.g.,
children) in the event that the spouse dies shortly before
the account owner or simultaneously in an accident. Such
contingent beneficiaries can also be named for life
insurance policies.
For many retirees the IRAs and/or 401(k) constitute(s) a
major portion of their estate, and they may also have a will
specifying how their estate is to be divided among their
heirs. It is extremely important that a person’s (or couple’s)
will is consistent with the beneficiary designations for the
IRAs and/or 401(k). A person’s will cannot override the
For married couples the account owner’s spouse is most
often named as the beneficiary. However, it can be wise to
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beneficiary provisions of an IRA/401(k) if they are in
conflict. It’s very important for retirees to maintain
communication with their heirs on financial matters and
other important estate wishes.
distributions from inherited IRAs immediately, based on
their life expectancy. Thus, withdrawals from inherited IRAs
are not subject to early withdrawal penalties, but are
taxable.
Inheritance of an IRA/401(k) by a surviving spouse is quite
straightforward, especially for IRAs, where the surviving
spouse can simply treat the IRA as their own. Since
401(k)s are employer plans, upon the death of a retiree it
may be necessary for the surviving spouse to roll the
401(k) out into an IRA, depending on the plan’s rules.
Required withdrawals from an IRA inherited by a surviving
spouse are based on the age and life expectancy of the
spouse.
Separate from inheritance issues, there is a change in IRA
rules for 2015. Beginning this year, only one rollover may
be made per year between IRAs by an owner, regardless
of how many IRAs the person has. However, the number of
custodian-to-custodian transfers between IRAs is not
limited, since these transfers are not considered rollovers
by the IRS. The number of conversions or partial
conversions from IRAs to Roth IRAs is not limited. Also,
the IRS has made a change in Publication 590, previously
titled “Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs)”. It has
been split into two documents: Publication 590-A,
“Contributions to Individual Retirement Arrangements
(IRAs)” and Publication 590-B, “Distributions from
Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs)”.
For non-spouse beneficiaries the rules are somewhat more
complicated. For example, when children inherit the
deceased spouse’s IRA (spouse in this case refers to the
child’s parent), each child must establish a separate
“inherited IRA” labeled with the deceased person as the
source. Non-spouse beneficiaries must begin taking
WEB STUFF – Everett Gruen, 523-3670, gegruen@cableone.net
Our web site is located at www.irea.info . The newsletter
and other information are normally on the web site when
sent to the printer. Notification is made to those having
email addresses registered with me. If you are not
receiving IREA email notifications, then I either don’t
have your email address or what I have is incorrect. In
either situation please email me (gegruen@cableone.net)
to be included for email notifications. OR provide
Membership Chairman, LeRoy Meyer, with your current
email address. You can reach LeRoy by phone at
523-7306 or by email at mey217@cableone.net. LeRoy
will send your email address to me.
John Johnson
523-7406
G. Everett Gruen
523-3670
John Wey
529-3402
The Senior PC Assistance Patrol is ongoing. This is our
way to help seniors using computers - for Web services;
and for email with friends, children, and grandchildren.
If you are willing to serve on the PC Assistance Patrol,
please contact Everett Gruen for inclusion in this
volunteer effort. The current volunteers for this service
are listed below. We have computer skills that could be
used to help others with their computer issues so call us
when you have computer problems.
jejohnson@cableone.net
gegruen@cableone.net
johnlwey@yahoo.com
NO LONGER WITH US – Felix Vandewiele, 523-0894, vandewielefelix@gmail.com
The following lists those of our INL friends who passed away in October 2014 - January 2015. IREA’s historian, Felix
Vandewiele, compiles this information from the Post Register (Idaho Falls) and by calls from friends and family. We publish
this list on a monthly basis on our website at www.irea.info in addition to the IREA newsletter. If there are names you know
we have missed, please contact Felix.
INL Employees who died in other than
October 2014 thru January 2015
Delbert Lee Hall (74) died 4/14/14. He
worked at the INL for Argonne National
Laboratory as a Nuclear Engineer for 36
years.
Sharon Louise Commander (71) died
5/23/14. She worked at the INL as a
Health and Safety Trainer from 1976 to
1994. She retired from the Nevada test
site in 1999.
Robert Edwin Commander (86) died
8/24/2014. He worked at the INL at CPP
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as a manager for the Program Control and
Administration Department. He retired in
1991.
October 2014
JoAnn Edith Lance (75) died 10/4/14. She
worked at the INL for General Electric.
Harold Albert Treibs (84) died 10/5/14. He
worked at the INL starting in 1987 for
Westinghouse Nuclear Co. on the Special
Isotope Separation Project and other
Laboratory Design Projects. He retired in
1995.
William Hall Love (89) died 10/6/14. He
worked at the INL for 27 years.
Gary Lynn Delong (55) died 10/8/14. He
worked at the INL in many positions and
last as the Training Manager for ATR
Programs.
JoLee Thorngren (70) died 10/17/14. She
worked at the INL in Maintenance for
Argonne National Laboratory
Zella Evalyn Gardner Hansen (97) died
10/17/14. She worked at the INL as a
Secretary.
Allen Charles Jorgensen (60) died
10/20/14. He worked at the INL for over
30 years. He retired in September 2014
Bobbygene Potter Rigoulot (85) died
10/24/14. She worked at the INL.
November 2014.
Victor Walter Owens (85) died 11/7/14. He
worked at the INL for 41 years as an
Electrician and Electrical Engineer.
Betty Jean Carter Hackworth (90) died
11/8/14. She worked at the INL for Argonne
National Laboratory in the Cafeteria (She
retired in 1990.
Gordon “Gordo” Dennis Lassahn (74) died
11/8/14. He came to work in 1974 and
worked on several reactor safety test
programs that established the technical
basis for effective regulation of Nuclear
Power. On 2/28/14 he was inducted into the
INL’s Inventors Hall of Fame honoring him
as an inventor who had received five
patents.
to the SL-1 Reactor facility on the frigid
night of 1/3/61.
Connie Adele Borrowman Nebeker (47)
died 11/26/14. She worked in Idaho Falls as
a CNA and at the INL site cafeteria. She
also worked as a teller at Westmark Credit
Union.
Joan C. Hughes Smith (86) died 11/30/14.
She worked at the INL as a Secretary and
Technician.
December 2014
Davis “Dave” Rydalch (70) died 12/3/14. He
worked at the INL and was a member of the
INL Citizens Advisory Board.
Calvin T. Woodbridge (85) died 12/4/14. He
worked at the INL and retired from there.
Nyman Dale Johnson (78) died 12/12/14.
He worked at the INL and retired in 2007.
Larry Dean Reynolds (78) died on 12/13/14.
Larry conducted research in optics and
lasers and was a valued team member of
both the Physics and Welding groups in the
Science and Technology Directorate. He
retired from INL in the mid-1990s to pursue
his love of photography and mountain
climbing and moved to Driggs. Larry shared
his passion for optics with the community
by teaching adult education classes in
photography at Eastern Idaho Technical
College for many years.
Beulah ”Boots” Gosnell (71) died 12/16/14.
She worked at the INL in security for AEC.
Charles “Ray” Carlson (86) died 12/20/14.
He worked at the INL as a Nuclear
Engineer for Westinghouse Nuclear and
retired in 1991.
Daniel ”Dan” Conan (84) died 12/24/14. He
worked at the INL in Construction for
18 years and retired in 1998.
George Josef Danklefsen (96) died 11/9/14.
He worked at the INL as a Painter.
Ivy Elaine Crystal Hoggan (81) died
12/26/14. She worked at the INL as a
nurse.
Weslie Edmund Molen (87) died 11/15/14.
He worked at the INL for Argonne National
Laboratory as a Procurement Agent where
he continued for 42 years until he retired.
Eve Elayne Bybee (88) died 12/16/14. She
worked at the INL as a Technical Writer and
Business System Specialist for 16 years.
She retired in 1995.
Egon Lamprecht (79) died 11/22/14. He
worked at the INL as a Fireman from 1957
to 1995. He was one of the last surviving
members of a team of 6 firemen that rushed
Leonard S.”Lee” Sygitowicz (73) died
12/27/14. He worked at the INL as a
Certified Health Physicist.
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Conrad Paul Willis (90) died 12/29/14. He
worked at the INL as a Nuclear Chemist for
the Department of Energy.
January 2015
Ira “Jay” Marchant (85) died 1/2/15. He
worked at the INL starting in 1977 at the
Idaho Chemical Processing Plant as an
Industrial Hygienist; a position which he
held until he retired in 1992.
Gerald Leon Sanford (80) died 1/10/15. He
worked at the INL for Westinghouse since
1967. He retired in 1994.
Steve Wesley Owen (67) died 1/12/15. He
worked at the INL for NRF.
Brent Elwood Dye (75) died 1/14/15. He
worked at the INL as a Bus Driver for
28 years.
Dr. Lee Spencer Richardson (85) died
1/15/15. He worked at the INL for
Westinghouse, who loaned him to AEC and
was sent to Oak Ridge, Tenn. and Los
Alamos, NM.
Kenneth Paul Fielding (76) died 1/15/15. He
worked at the INL for DOE. He began his
career in the mail room and ended his
career as the Acting Chief Financial Officer.
He retired at the age of 55.
John Kenneth Greene (82) died 1/17/15. He
worked at the INL for 27 years.
Dean Bernell Allgood (94) died 1/21/15. He
worked at the INL as a Security Guard for
General Electric. He retired in 1983.
Gloy Wood (81) died 1/23/15. She worked
at the INL.
Donna Doreen Mondala (80) died 1/24/15.
She worked at the INL starting in 1956 for
Westinghouse.
Verl LaVar Hansen (79) died 1/26/15. He
worked at the INL for Argonne National
Laboratory as an Electrician for over 25
years. He retired in 2013 at the age of 77.
Ronnie Dale Hammon (74) died 1/27/15.
He worked at the INL as a Painter.
Donald Luther Hovis (69) died 1/30/15. He
worked at the INL as a Project Engineer at
CPP. He retired in 2001.
Ethel Mae Davis Anderson (83) died
1/31/15. She worked at the INL in the
secretarial pool, and was promoted to the
role of Executive Secretary in Security.
SOCIAL EVENTS – Ann Rydalch, 522-6741, arydalch@msn.com
served in the White House as Deputy Assistant to the
Vice President for National Security Affairs from 2001
through 2005. During his tenure in government, he
was deeply involved in the development and
execution of U. S. foreign policy priorities. Mr. Yates
provided direct support to the Vice President and his
national security advisor for White House
deliberations.
SPRING BANQUET TO HOST
NATIONAL SECURITY SPEAKER
IREA Spring Banquet details: The IREA
Spring Banquet will be held Wednesday,
March 25, 2015 at the Hilton Garden Inn at
700 Lindsay Blvd., Idaho Falls. Registration will begin
at 6 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m.
The buffet menu will include roast beef and fresh
turkey breast with aujus gravy, mashed potatoes &
gravy, seasonal vegetables, stuffing & cranberry
sauce, garden tossed salad with assorted dressings,
Caesar salad, fresh fruit salad, assorted cakes and
pies and coffee, ice water and punch – all available to
members and a spouse, or one guest, at $18.00 per
attendee. Additional guests and non-members
(2014 dues not paid) are welcome at $25.00 each. A
no-host bar will be available from 6 to 8 p.m.
Mr. Yates is currently a distinguished fellow with The
Hamilton Foundation, which aims to redefine the
center of public policy debate. He is a regular
contributor to the nationally syndicated Dana Loesch
Radio Show and John Batchelor Show, as well as
several Idaho and regional radio programs. On
television, he is regularly seen on CNN, Fox News,
and the Fox Business channel. Other networks
carrying Yates’ commentary and analysis include The
Blaze, Newsmax, BBC News, CNBC Asia, ABC Four
Corners, America’s Morning News, and The Daily
Caller.
Reservations and payment (checks made payable to
IREA) can be made using the reservation form
included with the newsletter and on the website at
www.irea.info, and sent to Ann Rydalch,
3824 E. 17th St., Idaho Falls, ID 83406, by
Wednesday, March 18, 2015.
Mr. Yates previously served as Senior Policy Analyst
at the Heritage Foundation and an analyst at the
National Security Agency. Fluent in Mandarin
Chinese, he received a Master’s degree in China
Studies from the Johns Hopkins University Paul H.
Nitze School of Advanced International Studies
(SAIS). He resides in Idaho Falls, Idaho.
There will be a silent auction. Ella Ellis has promised
one of her wonderful paintings as an auction
contribution. If you have items you would like to
donate to the auction, please contact Nancy Carlson
at 523-9128 by March 23, 2015 so we are sure to
have a bid sheet prepared for your donated item.
Back by popular demand is the candy guess. Dave
Ellis is carefully counting each piece of candy in the
jar and if your guess is the closest to his number, you
will go home with the jar and all the candy. And we
will have donated raffle prizes.
SUMMER PICNIC DATE IS SET –
AUGUST 13th: Thursday, August 13, 2015 is
reserved for the IREA Summer Picnic in the Hockey
Shelter at Tautphaus Park. Registration will begin at
1 p.m., with the picnic at 2 p.m. Plan to join us. We
had a great time at the 2014 picnic, in spite of the rain
(see below), and this year will be even better!
The banquet keynote speaker will be
Stephen Yates, Chief Executive Officer of DC
International Advisory in Idaho Falls. Mr. Yates is an
analyst, commentator, and advisor on US politics,
policy, and international affairs. With experience at
senior levels of the White House, international
business and public policy institutions, he has been
involved with foreign policy and cross-border
corporate transactions in Asia, the Middle East and
other geographies.
Since 2006, he has been senior advisor to
presidential campaigns, a frequent media
commentator, and CEO of DC International Advisory.
Before opening DC International Advisory, Mr. Yates
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INL RETIRED EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION
SPRING BANQUET REGISTRATION FORM
The Spring Banquet will be held on Wednesday, March 25, 2015, at the Hilton Garden
Inn, 700 Lindsay Blvd., Idaho Falls. The no host social hour and registration begins at
6 p.m. with dinner at 7 p.m.
Please send this form along with your payment (checks made payable to IREA) by
March 18, 2015, to Ann Rydalch, 3824 E. 17th St., Idaho Falls, ID 83406.
Names should be as you want them on your name tag:
Member Name (Print)
_______________________________________
Spouse Name (Print)
________________________________________
Guest Name(s) (Print)
_______________________________________
Payment for Member:
Spring Banquet $18.00
Spouse or Guest:
Spring Banquet $18.00
Member pay at door:
_______________________
________________________
$20.00 ________________________
Non-member payment:
Spring Banquet $25.00 ________________________
Membership Dues (if applicable)
$10/year or $40 for 5 years
(Jan. 1 thru Dec. 31)
________________________
Total Amount Enclosed ________________________
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INL RESEARCH/OPERATION HAPPENINGS – Nancy Carlson, 523-9128,
nancymcarlson@q.com
Thanks to INL Communications and Governmental Affairs for the following articles:
Researchers take important step towards advanced nuclear fuels
By Casey O'Donnell for INL Communications & Governmental Affairs
The summer of 2014 marked an important milestone toward further innovation in the nation's nuclear plants regarding the development of light water
reactor nuclear fuel with enhanced accident tolerant characteristics.
For several years, nuclear researchers have designed, fabricated and tested a host of
novel nuclear fuels and fuel cladding materials (enclosed tubes that house the fuel in a
reactor) in laboratories across the U.S. Now, testing of promising fuels and materials
with enhanced accident tolerant characteristics in a U.S. nuclear test reactor is
commencing. Scientists and engineers from research labs and industry have prepared
advanced concepts for insertion into Idaho National Laboratory's Advanced Test
Reactor.
These efforts are central to the Department of Energy's Advanced Fuels Campaign.
Prior to the unfortunate events at the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plants in Japan,
the Fuels Campaign focused on development of higher performance fuels that could
offer opportunity for power uprates or allow use of the fuel in a reactor for longer periods
of time. Following the accident in Japan, this research shifted to include both higher
performance and enhanced tolerance to severe, beyond design basis accident
conditions.
Final assembly of ATR experiments occurs at the nearby
The proposed light water reactor (LWR) fuel and cladding improvements center on an Test Train Assembly Facility.
increased tolerance to postulated beyond design basis accident scenarios within a
nuclear reactor. Several adjustments target fuel and cladding physical integrity under severe accident conditions, including enhanced retention of fission
products and resistance to increased temperature. Certain novel compositions look at chemical properties as well.
The advanced LWR fuels and claddings that will be tested contain a range of modifications to the current LWR fuel system to improve fuel performance
in addition to enhancing safety characteristics. Desirable performance attributes include increased power density, longer fuel cycle and operation to
higher burnup. In other words, in addition to characteristics of enhanced accident tolerance, these new fuels have the potential to last longer and
produce more energy.
For example, one technology of interest is silicon carbide-based cladding. Shannon
Bragg-Sitton, the Deputy National Technical Director for the Advanced Fuels Campaign,
explained the possible advantages this cladding could offer.
"In Fukushima, the fuel's zirconium cladding reacted with high temperature steam to
produce hydrogen. This ultimately resulted in the explosions that were observed when
the hydrogen was combusted," Bragg-Sitton said. "A silicon carbide cladding would still
react with high temperature steam, but the reactions would occur at a much slower rate
with massively reduced hydrogen production. Responders would have more time to
mitigate the problem."
The technologies that have been prepared for insertion into the Advanced Test Reactor
have been developed by three different industry teams — Westinghouse, AREVA, and
General Electric. These small-scale rodlet experiments include both novel fuel variants
in standard cladding and novel cladding on standard fuel.
This cutaway illustration shows the ATF-1 irradiation
Test rodlet capsules have been fully assembled and will begin irradiation in early 2015.
capsule assembly containing the fuel and cladding for the These experiments are referred to as the "ATF-1" test series. Additional fuel and
test rodlet.
cladding concepts may be inserted into the reactor for testing later in 2015.
The ATF-1 experiments mark the beginning of four new test series for the Advanced Fuels Campaign. The first series will evaluate interactions between
the fuel and its cladding. The materials will be irradiated in the test reactor for different lengths of time and examined for performance. The most
promising concepts will advance to the next round of tests. The remaining three LWR accident tolerant fuel test series will also be conducted at INL. The
second series will be conducted in the Advanced Test Reactor and will measure fuel-cladding and cladding-coolant interactions using a water test loop.
The third and fourth test series will be conducted at INL's Transient Reactor Test (TREAT) facility.
Similar to automobile safety testing, the TREAT reactor can be used to push fuel and cladding inserted in an experiment location to failure to determine
the maximum conditions the materials can withstand. Between the third and fourth series, a lead fuel rod, containing the most promising fuel or cladding
material concepts, is planned for demonstration in a commercial nuclear reactor. After each phase of testing and evaluation, the list of concepts will be
further down-selected, or prioritized, until only the most promising options are left.
"I think we have some good concepts to work with," Bragg-Sitton said. "The projects we're developing now could significantly impact nuclear energy in
both the short and long term. Putting these concepts with enhanced accident tolerant characteristics into the Advanced Test Reactor now is a big step
toward the further innovation of the U.S.'s current nuclear system."
9
INL's LEED Platinum research laboratory wins national award
NEWS MEDIA CONTACTS:
Richard Bolton, 208-589-8846, richard.bolton@inl.gov
Misty Benjamin, 208-351-9900, misty.benjamin@inl.gov
IDAHO FALLS — Idaho National Laboratory’s newest research
facility was selected as the Best Green Project in the nation for
2014 by the flagship construction magazine Engineering NewsRecord.
The Energy Innovation Laboratory was chosen as the national
winner for exceptional sustainable design and construction
among the 10 top regional best green projects in ENR
Magazine’s annual competition.
The gateway to INL's Research and Education Campus in
Idaho Falls, EIL has now received regional, national and
international acclaim for sustainable design and construction.
Completed in late 2013, the 148,000-square-foot EIL has
earned the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Platinum
Certification. Worldwide, fewer than 5 percent of research labs
in the LEED registry are Platinum-certified.
As a U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum facility, the EIL
consolidates research and development to enable innovative
solutions for national energy challenges, advanced clean
energy and related environmental projects.
The ENR Best Green Project national award honors the efforts
of many individuals and organizations – including Ormond
Builders, Inc., Plan One/Architects, Engineering System
Solutions, INL as the tenant plus other firms – over the course
of several years.
"The outstanding success of this project is due to the expertise
of the project team led by Reed Miller of Ormond Builders and
Kath Williams, the LEED coordinator,” said Todd Allen, INL
Science and Technology deputy lab director. “The team’s
collaboration with INL’s Project Management Office, Supply
Chain Management and Campus Development Office
produced a nationally recognized facility.”
“Every person on that team participated – made corrections as
necessary – and was committed, and trusted each other to
build this modern, efficient research space for INL’s missions,”
said Randy Bargelt, INL Project Management Office director.
In its “Best of the Best” announcement, ENR Magazine noted
that the selection of the best projects nationwide was “the
culmination of a seven-month effort put forth by dozens of
industry judges and the ENR editorial team to identify the
pinnacle of design and construction achievement in the U.S.
among projects completed between June 2013 and June
2014.” ENR’s competition involved 700 projects designed and
constructed in the U.S.
The entire project team – from architects to project managers
to hundreds of workers who built the EIL – overcame
challenges and difficulties to construct the research facility to
the highest international green standards, said John Baker, INL
Project Management Office director of planning, estimating and
scheduling. “In the design and construction arena, this is a
huge honor,” Baker said, “and we are humbled to be chosen
from among outstanding projects throughout America.”
“Once the regional winners were chosen, the top winners in
each category from each region moved up to the national
competition,” the magazine noted. “A brand new set of judges
from across the country and from all walks of the industry
examined each project in an effort to distinguish the best from
the best in terms of teamwork, safety, overcoming challenges,
innovation and quality.”
INL is one of the DOE's national laboratories. The laboratory
performs work in each of the strategic goal areas of DOE:
energy, national security, science and environment. INL is the
nation's leading center for nuclear energy research and
development. Day-to-day management and operation of the
laboratory is the responsibility of Battelle Energy Alliance.
INL News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan. 26, 2015
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