U.S. Nuclear Experts Invited to Participate in ISO TC 85 Activities

8/07/2012

The Nation's Nuclear Future

The U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) projects that U.S. electricity demand will rise 24 percent by 2035, increasing the need for environmentally sustainable, emission-free sources of power. Nuclear energy currently provides 73 percent of the country's emission-free electricity, making it the U.S.'s single largest source of clean-air power and a potential large-scale, expandable resource for meeting future energy demands.

The Nuclear Energy Standards Coordination Collaborative (NESCC) - a joint initiative of ANSI and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) - works to support the safe, sustainable expansion of nuclear power in the U.S. by researching and identifying the standards needed for the effective design operation, development, and deployment of nuclear power plants and other nuclear-related technologies. Through its activities, NESCC has bolstered collaboration among standards developing organizations (SDOs) and government agencies and pinpointed existing standards needs in the field. NESCC seeks to create a highly inclusive, collaborative forum and is open to all stakeholders, government and regulatory bodies, SDOs, and other interested parties.

For information on joining NESCC, contact Sally Seitz, senior program manager, standards facilitation, at sseitz@ansi.org.

U.S. leadership in international standardization plays a crucial role in maintaining the country's global economic status. U.S. organizations can gain a competitive advantage by influencing the standards that help to shape international trade and industry, providing important support to the U.S. economy as a whole. In addition, significant involvement in international standardization allows the U.S. and its representatives to ensure that vital sectors, including the nuclear industry, are effectively safeguarded by proposed international standards.

In its role as the official U.S. member body to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) facilitates the involvement of U.S. stakeholders from the private and public sectors in international standardization work. U.S. experts and leaders in relevant fields are given the opportunity to help determine the future of their industries through active participation in U.S. Technical Advisory Groups (TAGs) to a variety of ISO Technical Committees (TCs) and Subcommittees (SCs). U.S. TAGs work to develop and implement U.S. positions on ISO activities, including the approval, revision, and withdrawal of ISO standards.

ASTM International serves as the ANSI-accredited administrator of the U.S. TAG to ISO TC 85, Nuclear energy, as well as to three of its SCs. The U.S. TAG is currently seeking industry, government, and other interested experts to participate in the following ISO groups, which work on a variety of standards related to nuclear power:

TC 85, Nuclear energy
TC 85, SC 2, Radiological protection
TC 85, SC 5, Nuclear fuel cycle
TC 85, SC 6, Reactor technology

For more information about U.S. ISO-related activities, or to express interest in establishing or participating in a U.S. TAG, contact Karen Hughes, ANSI program manager, ISO P membership (isot@ansi.org; 212.642.4992). A list of all current ANSI-accredited U.S. TAGs to ISO is available here.

U.S. Nuclear Experts Invited to Participate in ISO TC 85 Activities

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