USA board member Larry Weber, AEP senior vice president and chief nuclear officer, was named the 2013 Nuclear Professional of the Year by the North American Information System on Occupational Exposure at their annual symposium Jan. 6. Weber was recognized for his involvement in the U.S. nuclear industry’s response to the accident at the Fukushima plant in Japan, and for several significant accomplishments at USA member Cook Nuclear Plant associated with radiation protection and exposure reduction.
The ISOE, affiliated with the Department of Engineering at the University of Illinois and the International Atomic Energy Agency, provides a global forum to promote the exchange of ideas and management approaches to maintaining occupational radiation exposure as low as reasonably achievable. The symposium was attended by 135 professionals from countries including Canada, Germany, Japan, France, Hungry, Mexico and the U.S. ISOE member Dr. John M. Palms, distinguished president and professor emeritus from the University of South Carolina, presented the award.
Weber has been to Japan twice since the March 2011 earthquake, tsunami and resulting nuclear accident. He has seen first-hand the impact on local villages and participated in forums to discuss actions taken in the aftermath of the event and ways to improve nuclear safety in both countries. In August 2012, he gave a presentation to the Japanese Utility Managers titled, “Development of an Effective Nuclear Safety Culture.”
“Fukushima was a great tragedy, but it would be an even greater tragedy if we don’t take decisive actions to learn from it and make all nuclear plants safer,” said Weber. “Part of the improvements need to be physical modifications to the plants to manage multiple extraordinary events like they experienced in Japan. But the human aspect of ensuring we have a strong nuclear safety culture is equally, if not more, important.”
Cook has done a great deal of employee and general public communication and education about the event. Engineering Vice President Shane Lies and Radiation Protection Manager Bob Hite have also been to Fukushima and have shared their experiences with employees along with Weber. All Berrien County (Mich.) residents were sent a brochure shortly after the event that explained the additional safeguards that are in place at Cook and U.S. nuclear plants. Cook personnel made more than 50 presentations to local community groups in 2011 following the accident.
Innovative radiation exposure reduction and monitoring programs have been a hallmark of Weber’s tenure as chief nuclear officer. Cook’s tritium recapture studies have been published and are considered a model of pressurized water reactor (PWR) site characterization. Cook is the lead plant to field test the University of Michigan Polaris-H CZT system that can locate and identify minute radioactive particles to prevent the spread of contamination. Cook’s efforts to reduce occupational radiation exposure have seen the plant ascend from the fourth quartile of U.S. PWRs annual dose in 2002 to among the lowest in world in 2012.
Larry Weber (center), AEP senior vice president and chief nuclear officer, received the 2013 Nuclear Professional of the Year award by the North American Information System on Occupational Exposure from Dr. John Palms (right), distinguished president and professor emeritus from the University of South Carolina. Looking on at left is Dr. David Miller from the University of Illinois.