Archives for December 2009

INTERA’s Dr. Michael “Mick” Apted served as a lecturer for an International Atomic Energy Administration (IAEA) training course titled “The Key Components in a Programme for the Geological Disposal of Radioactive Waste.”

As one of six international lecturers, Dr. Apted gave presentations on topics that included the nuclear fuel cycle and the generation of radioactive waste; geological disposal and what it entails; development of a safety case and safety assessment; strategies for the safe disposal of radioactive waste; and conducting performance assessments. The course was presented as part of the Geological Disposal of High Level Radioactive Waste Conference held in Beijing, China, from November 30 through December 5, 2009.

INTERA Incorporated, an international environmental and water resources consulting firm headquartered in Austin, Texas, is pleased to announce the acquisition of Monitor Scientific LLC, a Denver-based consulting firm specializing in radioactive waste management services. With experts in geochemistry, radiochemistry, and nuclear and chemical engineering, Monitor Scientific provides services concerning the development of design and safety cases for geological waste repositories, multi-phase contaminant transport modeling, geostatistical analyses, regulatory compliance, scenario analyses, CO2 sequestration, and software development. The company provides these services to a variety of clients in the U.S. such as the Department of Energy, Electric Power Research Institute, and Environmental Protection Agency. Monitor Scientific brings significant international radioactive waste management experience on projects in Canada, Japan, Sweden, Finland, Switzerland, United Kingdom, France, South Korea, and China.

Monitor Scientific’s technical staff are recognized leaders in the fields of nuclear-waste disposal, design and testing of engineered barrier systems, hydrogeochemical modeling, and safety assessments of waste disposal facilities and contaminated sites. Dr. Mick Apted, the executive technical lead for Monitor Scientific, has served on various U.S. National Academy of Sciences committees related to nuclear waste disposal and has presented and/or published over 150 papers. Regarding the acquisition, INTERA President and CEO, Dr. Marsh Lavenue, stated “We are extremely pleased to have Mick and his team at Monitor join INTERA. This is a key step in expanding our services and our presence in the international radioactive waste management market. INTERA now offers internationally recognized expertise in the full range of disciplines needed to address near-field, far-field, and performance assessment issues related to geologic waste isolation.” Ms. Pat Salter, Monitor Scientific’s Managing Partner, says “we are extremely excited about joining INTERA. INTERA has an outstanding reputation for technical excellence in environmental, water resources, and waste isolation services. Our complementary business areas and technical expertise will allow us to provide an increased level of support to our existing clients and enable us to pursue and achieve a wider range of business opportunities in waste isolation and other environmentally related services round the world.”

Effective December 31, 2009, Monitor Scientific’s staff will be integrated into INTERA’s Waste Isolation Group headed by Dr. Srikanta Mishra. This group provides site characterization, process and system modeling, performance assessment, risk analyses, and regulatory compliance support for radioactive waste isolation projects around the world.