As part of the Chief Nuclear Safety (CNS) role supporting safe operation for DOE nuclear facilities, CNS sponsors efforts to improve nuclear facilities’ ability to withstand natural phenomena hazards (NPH). Natural phenomena of primary concern are earthquakes, high winds, floods, extreme precipitation and volcanic eruptions. CNS supports site efforts to properly characterize NPH and ensure facilities are designed to withstand the hazards. CNS maintains a panel of experts known as the Seismic Lessons-Learned Panel, which meets periodically to discuss seismic issues impacting DOE facilities. CNS also sponsors periodic, larger meetings of NPH experts to discuss the latest research in NPH characterization and mitigation as it impacts DOE and other nuclear facilities. These meetings see participation from DOE Headquarters, many site offices and National Laboratories, staff from the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board and US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, as well as experts from the private sector and academia. CNS also supports larger, cross-cutting projects that benefit the DOE complex and was a primary sponsor of the Central and Eastern United States Seismic Source Characterization for Nuclear Facilities (CEUS-SSC) in 2012, as well as the Next Generation Attenuation (NGA)-East in 2015. CNS strives to support NPH characterization and mitigation across the DOE complex, facilitating compliance with DOE NPH requirements, and thus safe operations. 

For past meeting details and presentations, please contact us by email at: cns@hq.doe.gov