magazine Visit us at: NIRMA.org

Leading the way in Nuclear Informa on and Records Management

Inside

Issu

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14, S

um

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2 Challenges of Different and Odd Film nextScan

Get Updated on Vogtle 3 & 4 During NIRMA Symposium from Keynote Speaker, Dan Bierbrauer

Transforma ons Are Everywhere A Message from NIRMA’s President

Transac onal vs Batch‐Oriented Capture Methodologies Integrated Scanning of America

2 Summer 2022 NIRMA.org Inside NIRMA

Contents

Transformations Are Everywhere

By Janice Hoerber, NIRMA’s President Challenges of Different and Odd Film?

By Matt Anderson, Vice President of Marketing, nextScan Announcing NIRMA Symposium Keynote Speakers

Transactional vs Batch-Oriented Capture Methodologies

By Manuel Bulwa, Integrated Scanning of America , ISAUSA

TMI-Really? By Bob Larrivee, NIRMA’s Director of Technical Programs

NIRMA Symposium Schedule

Chronicles of NIM: A Retrospective on Information Management in Nuclear Power By Eugene Yang, KISMET

Consulting, Inc. From the CRM, The Institute of Certified Records Managers (ICRM): the History, the Organization, and its People By Jerry Lucente-Kirkpatrick

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Summer 2022

On the Cover: Georgia Power’s Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4 will be the first new nuclear units built in the United States in more than three decades. The Unit 3 fuel pool is fully loaded with all fuel assemblies necessary for the safe and reliable startup of Unit 3. Loading of the Unit 3 Reactor Core is expected to take place in the coming months. Dan Bierbrauer, Southern Company Technology Director will be a keynote speaker at the upcoming Symposium. See Dan’s bio on page 9. The cover photo is copyrighted 2022 and is reprinted with the permission of Georgia Power Company.

 

in every issue

VICE-PRESIDENT’S REPORT—5

PDBU NEWS—20

M&MBU NEWS—21

TREASURER REPORT—21

RIMBU NEWS—22

INDUSTRY NEWS—23

Editors Neal and Sandra Miller

DevereauxInc@outlook.com

Advertising Neal.F.Miller@gmail.com

NIRMA Headquarters Sarah Perkins

NIRMA Administrator 245 Sunnyridge Ave., #41

Fairfield, CT 06824 nirma@nirma.org

Back to Content | Inside NIRMA NIRMA.org Summer 2022 3

Summer 2022

In addition to our own articles, Inside NIRMA publishes guest articles from agencies and vendors. Please be advised that the views and opinions expressed in these articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of NIRMA or its Board of Directors.

Letter from the Editors We at Inside NIRMA, value your opinion and are always looking to improve our magazine. Let us know what you like and dislike and what you’d like to see more of. Share your thoughts with our Communication Team at DevereauxInc@outlook.com. If you haven’t already done so, please take a moment to follow NIRMA on Twitter and Instagram, like NIRMA on Facebook, connect with NIRMA on LinkedIn and NIRMA is now on YouTube! Thanks for reading. Please keep in touch!

Neal and Sandra Miller Editors

4 Summer 2022 NIRMA.org Inside NIRMA

ome of the first transformations were Digital Transformations that many of our

organizations embarked upon and are changing the tools we work with. Unfortunately, most have not successfully transformed the business processes nor the culture which are key to unlocking the real value.

Our Nuclear industry is in the great pursuit of Innovation. We are all looking to technology to enhance decisions based on the data and to eliminate human error. The roadmaps are often vague (or non-existent) which leads to separate initiatives in our organizations that struggle to achieve the real value.

There are some success stories that NIRMA has tapped and will be shared during the August 1-3 Symposium in Las Vegas. Nuclear is at an inflection point to learn from the first "wins" and then set the course for the next-gen of transformations. It is an exciting

time as we are seeing how the technologies have advanced in recent years. The foundation pieces are coming together like no time before!

The solution providers are able to implement products to assist the Nuclear Renaissance and add value to our data. For example, early adopters of technology to perform predictive maintenance are showing impressive results. Sure, at first we may not fully trust what a computer is telling us. Our predecessors only dreamed of tools that could forecast an outage, yet the technology may finally be here.

There are many more innovations in motion, some that we will dive into at the NIRMA Symposium, such as computer-based procedures and dynamic work instructions. As we try to leave our paper-based processes, we will need to think differently. An example is transforming away from Microsoft Word for plant procedures and instead leveraging software-based instructions.

So where does NIRMA fit into all of this? Right alongside, providing the leadership to publish guidance and eventual standards around these topics. NIRMA was there in full force when the Nuclear industry began in the U.S. The young industry needed well-defined guidance established and NIRMA filled the need, especially in Nuclear Records Management to ensure long-term retention and retrieval.

NIRMA also enabled the development of an ANSI standard that is still referenced today for new projects, ANSI/NIRMA CM 1.0-2007 (R2021), “Guidelines on Configuration Management for Nuclear Facilities.”

NIRMA remains ready and able in its 46th year as an association to serve its members and the future of the Nuclear industry. I look forward to an outstanding agenda of topics and sessions in August.

Please accept my invitation to join us in Las Vegas!

S

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Janice Hoerber

Transformations are everywhere!

It is an exciting time as we are seeing how the technologies have

advanced in recent years. The foundation

pieces are coming together like no time

before!

2022 NIRMA Symposium

August 1-3, 2022

Held at the

JW Marriott Resort and

Spa

Las Vegas, Nevada

he 2022 Nuclear Information Management Symposium (August 1-3) at the JW Marriott Resort and Spa in Las Vegas, Nevada is quickly approaching. We have several brand-new

topics and speakers, as well as our renewed fundamental sessions lined up for you. We are striving to look forward knowledge-wise, while still providing the fundamentals for our newest members. AND we will be fully back to in-person attendance, giving us all an opportunity to reconnect with friends and colleagues and for the new generation of members to get personally acquainted with us old timers. Let’s preview some of the Keynotes (see Page 9 for more details) and other Sessions (see Page 15 for more details):

Dr. Bruce Hallbert with the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is our kickoff Keynote speaker addressing “Records, Digitalization, and Innovation: Vital Partnerships for Competitive Nuclear Power.”

Dan Bierbrauer with Southern Nuclear who will provide “Vogtle 3&4 Update.”

We will hear sessions on:

a year-two progress report on our successful Mentorship Program

the introduction of Special Interest Group for Emerging Technologies (SIGET) with an array of sessions, to include Computer Based Procedures at Nawah Energy Company in the United Arab Emirates as well as Work Digitalization Initiative at INL

configuration management

building information modeling to visualize digital 3D models

viability of blockchain for long-term digital preservation

five different case studies, including the records management practice at Nawah Energy Company

cyber security

the ever-popular government updates & benchmarking session

a new electronic signatures benchmarking session, and others

many fundamentals sessions, including why’s and what’s of Technical Guidelines (TG’s)

an overview of the Institute of Certified Records Managers

public speaking

odd film types

two little words (post-pandemic)

and more

We will have speakers from Canada and the United Arab Emirates, while wishing our Japanese colleagues could join us, thus expanding our international reach.

Registration for the 46th annual Symposium is open on our website (click here). Also, hotel reservations can be made now. We encourage you to come and participate with us. Come in time to take an early Sunday afternoon tour with us to the National Atomic Testing Museum. This year’s Symposium will be well worth your while in attending. I am excited to greet you there IN PERSON!

T

FROM THE VICE-PRESIDENT Bruce Walters, CRM/NS

  43th Annual NIRMA Symposium Keynote Speaker, Waco Bankston, STP Nuclear Opera ng Company (2018) 

Back to Content | Inside NIRMA NIRMA.org Summer 2022 5

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Back to Content | Inside NIRMA NIRMA.org Summer 2022 7

s Record Managers, you are very familiar that records come in all types of formats, sizes, densities,

colors and more. And while most are now created with a digital backup, there are still many documents on old analog file types.

For the last two decades, the team of nextScan has been developing the world’s most advanced scanning systems for micrographics. But did you know the company’s history of imaging

goes back over half a century? Digital Check, nextScan’s parent company, has been in the check imaging industry for the past 25 years and was born from a company called Microseal. That company, founded in the 1950s, would revolutionize the way micro-documents were stored, from aperture cards, to film, to fiche, jackets and more.

This experience with so many different file types has created the environment for engineers to

develop different solutions for the different scanning challenges. For example, Digital Check check scanners use a Contact Image Sensor (CIS) to scan checks and other bank notes. On the other hand, nextScan uses line scan cameras to capture microfilm and microfiche at high speeds. And finally, our ST Imaging line of microfilm scanners use an area image sensor to capture images one at a time. As you can see there are several different ways for images to be captured. When approached with a new challenge, we sometimes need to develop a new technique.

A few years back, a United States government agency approached nextScan with their problem. They needed to scan their archive of aerial film, which was up to 10+ inches wide and hundreds

Challenges of Different and Odd Film

By Matt Anderson, Vice President of Marketing, nextScan

Continued on next page.

A

Apex Scanner

The team at nextScan really enjoys a

challenge and this was a big one!

of feet long, with the goal of completion by 2030. Their previous solution

was to scan one section at a time and then stich the images together. That technology is over 20 years old and was severely limited to the digital storage technology of the era. With the time it took to scan each roll by individually stitching the images together, there was no chance of completing their mission.

The team at nextScan really enjoys a challenge and this was a big one! To continuously scan a roll of 10.23” film, to a 4-micron resolution, and capable of storing all that data. Kurt Breish, lead engineer and nextScan founder, said, “There are two types of cameras in our line of work: an area array sensor, which takes pictures like a normal camera that you or I would use at home; and a line-scan sensor, which continually captures single-pixel ‘slices’ of whatever is moving past it. From our past work with microfilm, we knew that line-scan was the superior way of digitally capturing roll film, not only because of its speed, but because it was continuous – you weren’t left needing to line up the edge of one picture you took with the start of the next.”

With the scanning part taken care of, the nextScan team focused on how we store this massive amount of data. Thankfully with today’s technology there are solutions that were not available even a decade ago. For example, the scanner uses a 25-gigabit Ethernet cable developed in 2015. And we still have to factor in data storage. With the amount of information being

generated, a new configuration of 24 drives in a RAID-4 array would allow for the capture in real time.

We call our creation Apex. Capable of high-speed, wide-format scanning of film up to 10.23” in width. The government agency has received four of their seven scanners, which will be installed before the end of the summer.

If you are having trouble with a particular type of film, there is a good chance a colleague of yours is experiencing it as well. Over the next month, take an inventory of any odd formats you work with. We welcome you to bring your challenges to us next month as we will have Rich Chaney, Vice President and General Manager of nextScan, speaking about the different file types that nextScan has been challenged with scanning and how our expertise may be able to help you.

Continued from previous page.

8 Summer 2022 NIRMA.org Inside NIRMA

Over the next month, take an inventory of any odd formats you

work with. We welcome you to bring your challenges [to the NIRMA

Symposium] to us next month as we will have Rich Chaney, Vice President

and General Manager of nextScan, speaking about the different file types

that nextScan has been challenged with scanning and how our expertise

may be able to help you.

Not a Member?

Click here to join.

Back to Content | Inside NIRMA NIRMA.org Summer 2022 9

ANNOUNCING NIRMA SYMPOSIUM

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Keynote:

Vogtle 3 & 4 Update

Dan Bierbrauer Director, Nuclear Technology Solutions

Southern Company

Dan is currently the Technology Director for Southern Nuclear. In this role, Dan’s primary responsibility is to provide leadership and oversight of the Information Technology department and ensure alignment of Southern Nuclear strategic technology initiatives. Most recently, Dan served as the IT-General Manager for Southern Nuclear and as the Cyber Security Manager at Vogtle 3&4. Prior to joining Southern Company in 2013, Dan worked at Exelon/Constellation for 24 years in various roles of increasing responsibility in Nuclear Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Information Technology, Cyber Security, Emergency Preparedness, Licensing and Security. Dan earned a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the State University of New York at Buffalo, a Master’s degree in Management from the State University of New York at Oswego and a Master’s degree in Information Technology from Syracuse University. He previously held a Senior Reactor Operator and Site Nuclear Engineering Certification. Lastly, Dan remains active in NITSL and EPRI and also served as the NITSL Executive Committee Chair in 2019. He currently resides in the Birmingham Area with his wife, Kendra and family.

Keynote:

Records, Digitalization, and Innovation: Vital Partnerships for

Competitive Nuclear Power

Bruce P. Hallbert, Ph.D. Director, Technical Integration Office

Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program, Idaho National Laboratory

Dr. Bruce Hallbert leads the Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program, a DOE-sponsored multi-Laboratory multi-disciplinary program that conducts collaborative research with stakeholders of the commercial nuclear power industry to sustain US nuclear power generation assets. Dr. Hallbert has worked in the international nuclear power industry serving in a variety of positions of organizational responsibility, in engineering and safety analysis, research & development concerning the safety and efficiency of current and future nuclear energy and fuel cycle systems and technologies.

46th Annual NIRMA Symposium August 1-3, 2022

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Back to Content | Inside NIRMA NIRMA.org Summer 2022 11

ost large volume document capture projects involve a finite backfile conversion phase (all file cabinets in the basement) and a lower volume, day-forward capture phase (daily new

documents) that may last indefinitely. Each is better served using quite different methodologies and resources:

Batch-oriented methodologies are best suited for the backfile phase, and

Transactional methodologies are the recommended approach for the day-forward phase.

One of the lessons of more than three decades courting with the art and science of Document Capture, was to learn that using the wrong methodology on either phase has negative consequences impacting capture integrity, accuracy, deadlines and budgets.

A Transactional Document Capture methodology applies all workflow tasks to a single document, frequently by a single operator. Batch-oriented Capture methodologies, in contrast, process all the documents in a batch by splitting, deferring and monitoring workflow tasks across various operators and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). Simplistically, we may use the analogies of online shopping and container shipping.

Given its liabilities, costs and complexities, the backfile phase is usually outsourced to a professional Document Capture Service Provider to be performed onsite (at client premises) or offsite (at the service provider plant) for the duration. The day-forward phase is virtually always

conducted onsite and operated by user staff without much need (if any) for support from external SMEs.

The resources best suited for either phase involve separate hardware, different software, different staff and distinct training and support. The hardware, software and trained staff used for the backfile phase are no longer needed once that phase is completed, so their procurement is typically via lease, rent or supplied by a scanning service provider only while needed.

The hardware and software used for the day-forward phase become part of the cyclical IT infrastructure and the latest adopted Document Management System (DMS), which usually provides only Transactional Capture functionalities with limited or no Batch Capture functionalities.

Common user mistakes include:

failing to differentiate the two phases,

blending their disparate resources, attempting to use DMS capture functionalities for the backfile phase,

M

Transactional vs. Batch-Oriented Capture Methodologies

By Manuel Bulwa Integrated Scanning of America

www.isausa.com

Con nued on next page.

12 Summer 2022 NIRMA.org Inside NIRMA

underestimating the need for professional capture subject matter expertise and

demanding onsite backfile capture even if better options exist.

DMS or Knowledge Management implementations involve costly IT infrastructure, software licenses, professional service fees and ongoing user training and support, so DMS vendors compete for their share of the client’s budget against Document Capture Service Providers. One such vendor tactics (sometimes in alliance with IT) is to bundle capture as a subordinate DMS component, which does not work in the best interest of the user. As the complexities of document capture are often misunderstood and underappreciated, users can be ill-advised and get stuck with only the capture functionalities intrinsic in a DMS.

There are many reasons why a batch methodology works uniquely well with the backfile phase, but one dominant reason is its ability to contain Errors and Omissions (EOs) via checks and balances on data gathered at various workflow checkpoints throughout a batch. When analyzing aggregate data at these checkpoints, patterns emerge and EOs become much more conspicuous. Workflow datapoints include: boxing and inventory, manifest, prepping/de-prepping, batching, scanning, image processing, QC/repair, classification, coding, indexing, lookups, formatting, publishing, testing, handling on-demand work in progress (WIP) requests, deployment, reporting, submittal and final acceptance.

Each datapoint offers a different perspective of all metrics of a record as it navigates the workflow, but it all

must fit at the end as in a gigantic puzzle, connecting the many dots generated. The diverse perspectives play a role similar to what they do for triangulation in research, surveying, computer vision, etc. Triangulation is the combination of at least two or more perspectives, methodological approaches, data sources, investigators, or data analysis methods. The intent of using triangulation is to decrease, negate, or counterbalance the deficiency of a single strategy, thereby increasing the ability to interpret the findings.

Batch processing also facilitates the use of smart redundancies, which further improves containment of EOs, much the same way double entry accounting helps contain bookkeeping errors and dual blind data entry helps contain indexing errors. Redundancies not only relate to data, as in the case of prepping and de-prepping documents, where a scanning or de-prepping operator may “catch” errors committed by a prepping operator.

In summary, clients planning backfile conversions and new content management software should seriously consider separate vendors, keeping both projects cautiously independent from each other, and differentiating backfile capture methodologies from day forward scanning.

...clients planning backfile conversions and new content management software should seriously

consider separate vendors, keeping both projects cautiously independent from each other, and

differentiating backfile capture methodologies from day forward scanning.

Con nued from previous page.

 

46th Annual

NIRMA Symposium

August 1-3, 2022

JW Marriott Resort

and Spa

Las Vegas, Nevada

Click here to Register

 

n Social media terms, TMI is the acronym for Too Much Information. I have always questioned if there is such a

thing as TMI, or is what we need more accurate information? When I was teaching at the Association for Intelligent Information Management (AIIM), I would always pose this question and suggest that the purpose of Information and Process Management (IPM) is to deliver the right information to the right people at the time it is needed, accurately and securely.

This became more evident as I viewed the Netflix Documentary titled Meltdown: Three Mile Island. (Just to keep the acronyms flowing, TMI is used in this documentary to refer to Three Mile Island. See page 24 for NEI’s watch guide on the series). I found it interesting that information flow throughout this event was there, but not always the right information and in some cases, no information was available as this was a first of its kind event that had never been anticipated from a procedural perspective.

My point in using this reference to TMI is that we can and have learned

from Three Mile Island that sometimes too much information is in fact too much while what we seek is more accurate information to make better decisions. This is where Artificial Intelligence (AI) of today, combined with strong information and process management practices can help reduce the potential for human error. This is also where the new NIRMA Special Interest Group on Emerging Technologies (SIGET) can aid in providing guidance in incorporating advanced and emerging technologies into information management in the nuclear industry.

In My View It is at times, easy to look back at an incident like TMI and point out areas where improvement can be made, but after the fact, is too late. I must say that given the situation and information at hand, the folks at TMI did their best in preventing what could have been a catastrophic event using the information and technology they had available at the time.

Today, we have more available to us regarding information and technology that can and should be leveraged. As information professionals, it is our role to provide the most accurate information available, and help guide

our organizations in preparing for the unimaginable. For example, using robots to enter the radioactive areas, take readings, and deliver highly accurate and timely information back to the operators.

I know I am not doing this any justice, but my intent is to get you thinking about how we can better serve our organizations in addressing information and process-related areas as a strategic partner and not a reactive responder. I encourage you to watch the documentary twice, once for the historical value and secondly, as an information professional looking for opportunities to help prepare your organizations.

I also encourage you to join me as we launch the Special Interest Group at the Symposium in August, and begin our journey as we look into the future of technology and plan for how to incorporate it today.

I

TMI—REALLY?

By Bob Larrivee NIRMA’s Director of Technical Programs

...my intent is to get you thinking about how we can

better serve our organizations in addressing information and

process related areas as a strategic partner and not a

reactive responder.

Back to Content | Inside NIRMA NIRMA.org Summer 2022 13

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Back to Content | Inside NIRMA NIRMA.org Summer 2022 15

NIRMA SYMPOSIUM SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS

MONDAY, AUGUST 1 Welcome Reception 4:30-6:00 pm (Palms Tower)

Records, Digitalization, and Innovation: Vital partnership for Competitive Nuclear Power Keynote: Dr. Bruce Hallbert, Director, Idaho National Laboratory

Fundamental Sessions include: Electronic Records, Records Management, Document Control, What are NIRMA Technical Guidelines, Public Speaking tips, NIRMA Mentoring Program, Utility Benchmarking Q&A Session

NIRMA Lifetime Members & Hans Ebner recipients: Eugene Yang, Rich Giska NIRMA Technical Programs Director: Bob Larrivee & Director Infrastructure: Sheila Pearcy NIRMA Professional Development Business Unit Leads: Lou Rofrano & Gil Brueckner

TUESDAY, AUGUST 2 Vendor Exhibitor Day & Networking event 4:00-6:00 pm

Inaugural NIRMA Track: SIGET (Special Interest Group on Emerging Technologies) New Plant Update: Vogle 3 & 4

Keynote: Dan Bierbrauer, Director, Southern Nuclear

Technical Sessions include: ICRM certifications, Electronic Signatures, Computer-based Procedures in Abu Dhabi, Dynamic Work Instructions, Configuration Management, Robots, Digitalization of Work, and Case Study: Radiographs Digitized at Constellation Energy

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3

NIRMA Annual Business Meeting & Awards

Technical Sessions include: Government Updates/Benchmarking, Email Case Study, Blockchain for Long-term Digital Preservation, Cyber Security, RM Practices, Federal Regulations, M-19-21 Federal Records Directive, Case Study: Electronic Records in the Cloud at Wolf Creek, and "Two Little Words"

THURSDAY, AUGUST 4 All Attendees Welcome! NIRMA BUSINESS UNIT MEETINGS (7:30 Breakfast, Meetings 8:30-4:00pm, Palms Tower)

FRIDAY, AUGUST 5

Continue only RIMBU ½ day

Click here to Register

Full schedule will be posted to NIRMA’s website.

oly Grail. The very term conjures up images of King Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table, and “the Quest”. The Eden-like

countryside ruled by Arthur from the parapets of Camelot has gone to rot, and Arthur sends forth his knights to find this “holy chalice”, for it has miraculous powers of sustenance in infinite abundance. Thus, from this legend, emerged the analogy that a goal of great significance may be perceived as a “holy grail” by those seeking it.

For us, the holy grail in the management of information in operating and maintaining a nuclear power plant is systems integration. In the nascent years of the nuclear industry, when a plant was in the construction phase, each contractor company brought its own data systems to support their scope of work; within those systems were gold mines of information, but siloed with very limited capability to share that information to gain a view of “the big picture”.

Early in my career, I worked for Middle South Utilities (now known as Entergy Corporation), employed by the services subsidiary where the IT organization was. This was in 1983-84 when Arkansas Nuclear One (ANO) was operating, Waterford 3 was in startup, and Grand Gulf was under construction. I was part of a team that was directed to develop an enterprise systems model of plant functions, the data, and the interchange of data between systems. The challenge was to use this model to compare current information

systems being used at the plants; it could then be used as a roadmap on transitioning from construction/startup mode to operations. This meant figuring out what systems stayed…and what systems had to go. And if those systems “went”, where was the data going to go, and how could the remaining systems “talk to each other.” We called our model the Power Plant Management Information System (PPMIS).

Over the decades of plant operations, I’ve seen (and been part of implementing) information systems that support areas, such as: asset management, supply chain management, human resources, plant operations , document control and records management.

I’ve seen diagrams that depict integration as “hub-and-spokes”, “block-and-brick”, “ball-of-yarn”, “spaghetti-and-meatballs”, and even a “bagel”. Concepts for sharing data ranged anywhere from “pushing-and-pulling” data amongst systems in overnight batches to huge database schemas (each functional piece dipping into one big pool of structured

CHRONICLES OF NIM A Retrospective on Information Management in Nuclear Power

H

16 Summer 2022 NIRMA.org Inside NIRMA

By Eugene Y. Yang, Principal Consultant

KISMET Consulting, Inc.

I have been writing a multi-part series on the fundamentals of electronic records management in the nuclear power industry. The subjects have ranged from regulations and guidance to processing, authentication, and storage. In this issue, I’ll speak to the topic of systems integration.

Con nued on next page.

Back to Content | Inside NIRMA NIRMA.org Summer 2022 17

data). That was pretty challenging with data; but what about content?

(As he eases back in his rocking chair), “Well, sonny, back in the old days…” Document and records management systems were constructed to manage electronic indexes – they started essentially as electronic versions of the three-ring binders (remember the procedure indexing book or the calcs indexing log?) to evolving into general document control and records management applications. However, the content was still in paper…that moved on to microfilm; walking by cubicles was like a hike through the Rockies – stacks of procedures, drawings, reports, computer printouts, etc. reaching up to the ceiling. Then scanning technology came into being, personal computer workstations came in to the office, and desktop applications created documents electronically (“born digital”). Now document control and records management systems expanded from “mere” indexing applications to major relational database management systems that trapped the content as BLOBS…to content management systems that manage the full lifecycle of electronic objects, from creation to disposition.

One of the visionary objectives of electronic recordkeeping is to receive metadata and content from other applications – directly, without human intervention. Getting metadata transferred from another application to the recordkeeping system could be done in “real-time” or in overnight batch add/update programs. The complexity increases when dealing with transferring content: decisions on what is the information that constitutes “the record”, the file format of the electronic record (native vs. pdf vs. pdf/a), associating the content with its related metadata, and then how near to “real time” is the record to be posted. Examples of this include:

“Drop-folders” – the record generating system creates the appropriate electronic object, places it in

a folder on the share drive, and it is manually picked up and entered into the recordkeeping system;

“Watched folders” – the record generating system creates the appropriate electronic object, places it in a folder on the share drive, an XML file is created that contains the metadata. The record generating system has a “polling” mechanism that watches for items in that folder; if it finds them, it then scoops them up, using the XML file to create the index and then attaching the electronic object;

Use of APIs – a set of Application Programming Interface code that has a series of functions (GET, INPUT, IMPORT, etc.) where the record generating system uses to call out to the recordkeeping system to perform – there is still a need for scratch space to temporarily house the rendered object, then the API messages the recordkeeping system to do its job. Each record generating system has to access this API to communicate with the recordkeeping system.

SOA – Service Oriented Architecture – this provides an independent structure for the APIs that communicate with the recordkeeping system. In other words, instead of each record generating system having to have the API set with its respective boundaries, SOA provides a common “bus” that any system can communicate with.

As we gain further capabilities in information technologies (increase processing power, bigger bandwidth, messaging technologies), the integration – or interoperability – of systems will improve. The danger is what happens in a disruption – power outage, data corruption, etc.? The systems will be so intertwined that the interactions between systems will stall out and the overall scheme will come crashing down. We shall see!

Eugene has been a member of NIRMA for 35 years. At the time he joined, NIRMA had only been in existence for 11 years. He would love to hear about stories and anecdotes from others, so please email him at eugene.yang@kismetconsulting.com.

Con nued from previous page.

he Institute of Certified Records Managers (ICRM) was incorporated in 1975 as an international certifying organization of and for professional Records and Information

Managers, established by their peers. The original need that led to the creation of the ICRM was a standard by which Records Managers were measured, accredited, and recognized for their experience and capability. More than 45 years later, the organization and the credentials remain a valuable part of the Records and Information Management (RIM) community, an expanding interdisciplinary, global and diverse constituency.

The ICRM is governed by the Board of Regents, composed of the following elected, fully volunteer positions: Chair of the Board, President, President-Elect/Treasurer, Regent for Exam Development, Regent for Exam Administration and Grading, Regent of Applicant and Member Relations, Regent of Legislation and Appeals, and the Regent of Marketing and Communications. Other leadership positions include the Chair of the Mentoring Committee, Chair of the Strategic Alliance Committee, Webmaster, and Newsletter Editor.

The Regent of Exam Administration and Grading, Melissa Dederer, CRM, is responsible for everything related to the administration and grading of exams, which is now done online. More information on the certifications offered by the ICRM is below. The Regent of Applicant and Member Relations, Patricia Burns, CRM, manages the processing of eligible candidates for taking exams, and all activities related to the Certification Management Program and Certification Maintenance Points (CMPs), and member status.

The ICRM has six (6) Committees, each governed by one of the above-mentioned Regents, and detailed as follows:

The Regent of Legislation and Appeals, Brian Starck, CRM, IGP, CIP, oversees the Appeals Committee. As such, Brian manages all candidate appeals related to the exams, in addition to updating organizational procedures and By-laws, as directed by the Board.

The next two Committees fall under the leadership of Sara Sherwood, CRM, and Regent for Exam Development. Sarah is responsible for the development and content of the examinations for Certified Records Analyst (CRA) and Certified Records Manager (CRM). As such, Sarah administers the Exam Development Committee, which reviews, updates, and revises the exam outlines and exam question in the exam database. Sara also administers the Exam Prep Product Committee, responsible for developing the exam preparation materials used during pre-conference sessions at RIM Conferences, such as ARMA International, ARMA Canada, MER, and others.

In addition to the CRA and CRM exams, there are also three Specialty Designations:

CRM-Federal Specialist (FS), associated with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA),

CRM-Nuclear Specialist (NS), associated with the Nuclear Information and Records Management Association (NIRMA), and

CRM-Certified Information Governance Officer (CIGO). The CIGO is a reseller agreement executed with Robert Smallwood. CIGO was

18 Summer 2022 NIRMA.org Inside NIRMA

T

From the CRM

The Institute of Certified Records Managers (ICRM): the History, the Organization and its People

By Jerry Lucente-Kirkpatrick

designed to reflect an individual who earns the CIGO designation under the certification program, and has demonstrated their knowledge of Information Governance.

The Marketing Committee, Newsletter, and the Webmaster fall under the management of Jerry Lucente-Kirkpatrick, CRM, IGP, and Regent of Marketing and Communications. The Committee assists the ICRM through social media marketing and communication, via the website, develops marketing opportunities, and ensures booths at events are staffed and swag is available for handouts to those visiting the ICRM Booth. The Newsletter was revived in 2021, is published bi-monthly, and is led by Editor, Peter Kurilecz, CRM. Peter is responsible for the continuing content of the Newsletter, oversees staff interviewers and writers, making the final determination of what gets published, and related operations of this publication. The Webmaster, Angel Ramos, CRM, maintains the website by publishing new content, revising existing content, and removing outdated content, and works closely with Prolydian, the ICRM’s technology provider.

The Mentoring Committee is chaired by Deborah Robbins, CRM, and is the first point of contact for

candidates who are interested in the assistance of a Mentor while they prepare for Parts 1-6. This Committee maintains current lists of approved Mentors and eligible Mentees, ensuring that contact information is up-to-date, provides access to mentoring guidance and study materials for Mentors, and accurately records all Mentor and Mentee activity in support of the mentoring program.

There is also the Strategic Alliance Committee (SAC), chaired by Rae Lynn Haliday, MBA, CRM/CIGO, which was featured as an article in an earlier edition of Inside NIRMA. I will allow that article to speak to the complexities of the SAC.

If you would like to know more about the ICRM, please feel free to follow us on;

Facebook (@instituteofcertifiedrecordsmanagers),

Twitter (@ICRM_crms), and/or

LinkedIn (ICRM – Institute of Certified Records Managers), or

visit our website at icrm.org

We look forward to talking with you soon.

Back to Content | Inside NIRMA NIRMA.org Summer 2022 19

THANK YOU to our

NIRMA 2022 Symposium Sponsors!

NextAxiom Technology, Inc. Constella on Energy Corp

KISMET Consul ng, Inc STP Nuclear Opera ng Company

Register here for the 46th Annual NIRMA Symposium August 1-3, 2022

JW Marriott Resort & Spa

Register to attend the Virtual ICRM Exam Prep session, to be held the week after

the NIRMA conference

(August 8-10, 2022). For more

information about the ICRM Exam

Prep sessions, and to register for a session, click here to visit the

ICRM website. 

20 Summer 2022 NIRMA.org Inside NIRMA

t's time to plan activities for the NIRMA Symposium. The tentative schedule will be posted to NIRMA’s

website. You’re sure to find an interesting topic! Regardless of where you are in the industry--whether utility, government, engineering, construction, IT, etc., there is a session you will find interesting. This is also an opportunity to meet with leading industry vendors, as well as peers across the industry where you can share knowledge and experience.

Get Involved!

While at the Symposium, take the opportunity to get involved with the NIRMA business units. On Thursday, August 4, each business unit will meet to conduct normal business and to plan for the next year. Attendees are welcome to attend! Consider becoming involved in a business unit. It's a great way to engage with NIRMA members and contribute to the organization. Most business units meet once a month for about an hour, so the time commitment is small.

Consider attending the Professional Development Business Unit (PDBU) meeting, which plans to meet on Thursday, August 4 (time to be announced).

If you have had ideas about the things that NIRMA should be doing to add additional value to the members or something we could be doing to support the industry, then

being part of the business units is how to make it happen. The business units work hard to implement both the ideas that come from the Board but also from individual members as well.

Your voice is important and, clearly, working with a business unit is a great way for you to be heard and make good things happen.

NIRMA and ICRM

NIRMA maintains a relationship with the Institute of Certified Records Managers (ICRM). ICRM is an international certifying body for records managers that began the process of issuing the Certified Records Manager (CRM) designation in 1975 (see article on Page 18). This organization and the credentials it offers remain a valuable part of the Records and Information Management Community. This year, the ICRM team will host a virtual ICRM Exam Prep session the week after the NIRMA conference (August 8-10, 2022). For more information about

the ICRM Exam Prep sessions, and to register for a session, click here to visit the ICRM website.

The PDBU looks forward to seeing you at the Symposium!

Professional Development Business Unit (PDBU) News

Lou Rofrano, PDBU Director

I Your voice is important and,

clearly, working with a business unit

is a great way for you to be heard and

make good things happen.

wanted to get a reminder out to you. Time is running out to get registered by July 1 and enjoy this opportunity to tour

the National Atomic Testing Museum on Sunday, July 31. The shuttle will leave the JW Marriott at 11:30am. The tour takes approximately 2 hours, so the shuttle will return to the JW Marriott at approximately 3:30pm. Members can attend for $10.00. The shuttle will be paid for by NIRMA. Family members are welcome to participate in the tour, but they will need to provide their own mode of transportation to and from the Museum. Non-member tickets will be full price. The shuttle holds 27 people. If we don’t get that many members signing up for the tour, family members may be allowed to ride on the shuttle. Sarah Perkins at nirma@nirma.org will contact you after you register for the symposium to ask if you would like to attend the tour.

National Atomic Test Museum visitors will:

Learn about world events leading up to the establishment of the Nevada Test Site.

Learn about the progression of the Test Site from the above-ground tests to underground tests and non-nuclear activities.

See a replica of the Control Point where the countdown was conducted before each nuclear detonation.

Experience a Ground Zero Theater simulation of an above-ground test.

Reflect on the history of atomic testing and its relevance to national security and international stability.

M&MBU is looking for new members to help come up with new ideas to bring new members to NIRMA, as well as new ideas of how

to share everyone’s expertise with the membership. M&MBU meets the first Wednesday of every month for one hour at 12:00 PM CT. Please join us. We are a fun group to work with.

Please contact nirma@nirma.org for additional information or questions on anything mentioned above.

Back to Content | Inside NIRMA NIRMA.org Summer 2022 21

MEMBERSHIP & MARKETING (M&M) Business Unit News

Kathi Cole, CRM M&MBU Director

 

Lona Smith NIRMA Treasurer

NIRMA’s Financial Holdings as of June 9, 2022

Checking Account $56,622.44 Debit Account $ 383.75 Investment Account $89,226.17

I

he RIMBU team successfully completed and published TG24-2022 at the end of May. The new TG is on the development of procurement specifications for digitization services. A lot of

work went into the creation of this document which is aimed at helping those in the industry looking to work with vendors on media conversion. Aging microform and the continued push for information to be available at the click of a button is pushing many of us to take on large media conversion projects. TG24 contains information and suggestions for quality control, media preparation, onsite vs. offsite digitization services, outputs, and storage/delivery mediums. Several of our legacy members, including those who have recently undergone a conversion project, provided guidance and insight for the document. TG24 is now available on the SharePoint site for use by the NIRMA membership.

RIMBU 2022 Summer Meeting The RIMBU team will hold our annual Summer meeting on August 4th and 5th following the NIRMA Symposium. Topics up for discussion are:

Industry Foundation Class (IFC) file format for 3D Models

The Four TGs on Electronic Records Management

A white paper on the value proposition of records management for emerging technologies

How records management can help our organizations leverage AI and Robotic Process Automation while still capturing and managing important data

Identification of new types of data needing to be captured for mobile reactors and NextGen technology

How can we broaden our involvement with other organizations (e.g., AIIM, ASME, ARMA, NITSL)

The summer meeting is open to everyone. RIMBU is a great opportunity to benchmark with others in the industry, share valuable operating experience, and have the opportunity to influence industry standard guidance in records management. If you’re interested in joining, please reach out to me at sjprice@southernco.com.

22 Summer 2022 NIRMA.org Inside NIRMA

Regulatory Information Management Business Unit (RIMBU) News

Stephanie Price, RIMBU Director

T New Technical Guide Published

And now we are on YouTube!

 

World Nuclear Energy Day is on Dec. 2, and the day marks a global celebration of nuclear energy and the people who make it happen. The recognition is well deserved, as the industry works to decarbonize the electricity sector and develop innovative, game-changing technologies. This year’s world nuclear energy day celebrates the theme “nuclear in the neighborhood.”

This is appropriate, as nuclear energy’s benefits reach neighborhoods across the world in a variety of ways—from medicine to agriculture to space missions.

As the world seeks to reduce its CO2 emissions and transition to clean energy, we are faced with the challenge of powering the world to net zero. Nuclear power plants provide many benefits to the

communities where they are built, including lasting, high-paying jobs.

Each plant currently operating employs 500 to 800 workers, and for every 100 nuclear power plant jobs, 66 more jobs are created in the local community for people from a wide range of fields and educational backgrounds.

The industry also employs a large number of veterans, as recent surveys show that the workforce at nuclear utilities is almost 20 percent veterans.

In addition to creating work for multiple generations of workers, salaries in the industry are 50 percent higher on average than those of other electricity generation sources.

Because nuclear power plants are a great source of economic prosperity, there were multiple communities vying to be the location of a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) advanced reactor

demonstration project (ARDP) by TerraPower and Pacificorp.

Earlier this year, TerraPower and Pacificorp announced a partnership to advance the Natrium nuclear demonstration project at the site of a coal plant scheduled for retirement in Wyoming, offering a solution to efficiently and economically bridge the nation’s energy transition as coal plants retire.

It is vitally important to reduce emissions, but closing any major power plant can harm communities that have come to rely on the jobs and tax revenues those plants provide. Nuclear energy can solve that problem.

“The energy communities that have powered us for generations have real opportunities to power our clean energy future through projects just like this one, that provide

Back to Content | Inside NIRMA NIRMA.org Summer 2022 23

Continued on next page.

 

24 Summer 2022 NIRMA.org Inside NIRMA

Netflix is set to release a four-part docuseries this week about the accident in 1979 at the Three Mile Island (TMI) nuclear facility near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The accident caused fear, stress, and confusion, made worse by misinformation—which is why it is important to know the facts.

The accident was caused by a combination of equipment failure and the inability of plant operators to understand the reactor’s condition at certain times during the event. A gradual loss of cooling water to the reactor’s heat-producing core led to partial melting and the release of a small amount of radioactive material.

Although it had no detectable health effects on plant workers or the public, this was the most serious accident in U.S. commercial nuclear power plant operating history. It is important to note as you watch the drama unfold, that the United States’ nuclear industry has an undeniable track record of safety and is known for its standards of

excellence, transparency, and demonstrated ability to improve.

The accident was taken seriously, and as you watch, it is important to remember that actions were taken by the regulator and the industry to implement solutions that correct the issues that contributed to the accident.

Here are the key facts.

1. Scientists Found No Injuries, Deaths, or Health Effects at or

Around the Plant.

No one at the nuclear facility was harmed in the accident, and more than a dozen epidemiological studies conducted by medical experts have concluded that the amount of radiation released into the atmosphere was too small to result in discernible direct health effects to the population in the vicinity of the plant. In fact, exposure to radiation during a chest x-ray is six times higher than the average amount of elevated radiation exposure around the plant.

Continued from previous page.

good-paying jobs and usher in the next wave of nuclear technologies,” said Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm in a TerraPower press release.

The companies evaluated four potential locations, and all four communities leaned forward into the process, expressing their strong interest in the project.

They recently selected the Naughton Power Plant in Kemmerer, Wyoming, where two coal units are scheduled to retire in 2025, as the preferred site for the Natrium reactor.

According to TerraPower, approximately 2,000 workers will be needed for construction at the project’s peak, and once the plant is operational, approximately 250 people will directly support day-to-day activities.

“On behalf of Kemmerer and surrounding communities, we are pleased and excited to host the Natrium demonstration project. This is great for Kemmerer and great for Wyoming,” said Bill Thek, the mayor of Kemmerer.

The coal to nuclear transition demonstrates how nuclear can impact local communities, while nuclear energy works around-the-clock to provide reliable, carbon-free energy to neighborhoods across the nation.

Article reprinted with permission of NEI. Read full article here. Con nued on next page.

2. Three Mile Island Was Shut Down.

A clean-up plan was developed and carried out safely and successfully. Three Mile Island was decommissioned and today is in long-term monitored storage.

3. The Industry Responded Swiftly and Effectively.

The aftermath of the accident brought about sweeping changes involving emergency response planning, reactor operator training, human factors engineering, radiation protection, and many other areas of nuclear power plant operations. Two weeks after the accident, President Jimmy Carter appointed a 12-member commission to investigate what happened. The commission’s report recommended that the industry develop its own standards of excellence and cited a need for agency-accredited training institutions for nuclear plant operators. Within nine months, the industry had formed the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO), whose mission is to promote the highest levels of safety and reliability. To improve training, INPO in 1985 formed the National Academy for

Nuclear Training, which reviews and accredits nuclear utilities’ training programs for all key plant positions. Today, the U.S. nuclear industry is performing at the highest levels of safety and reliability in the world.

4. Nuclear Is One of the Safest Sources of Energy.

U.S. nuclear plants are among the safest and most secure industrial facilities in the country. The risk of accidents in today’s nuclear power plants is very low, and nuclear plants are held to several layers of oversight, the most notable being the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The safety of employees and communities in which plants operate is the top priority. An analysis done by Our World In Data found that nuclear energy and renewables are “far far safer than fossil fuels,” and that “contrary to popular belief, nuclear power has saved lives by displacing fossil fuels.”

Nuclear power today is the U.S.’ largest source of carbon-free electricity. Nuclear energy produces carbon-free power 24/7/365, will help us achieve a carbon-free future while continuing to provide clean air, reliable energy, high-paying jobs, and world-class safety standards

Article reprinted with permission of NEI. Read full article here.

Back to Content | Inside NIRMA NIRMA.org Summer 2022 25

Article reprinted with permission of Reuters. Read full article here.

Bruce Power to study ‘pink’ hydrogen from curtailed nuclear power

Canada’s Bruce Power is planning to produce carbon-free hydrogen via nuclear power, so-called ‘pink’ hydrogen, in one of the first projects of its kind.

The operator runs the second largest nuclear power station in the world, an eight-reactor plant which, when in full operation, has a capacity of 6,400 MW and supplies almost a third of the province of Ontario’s electricity.

The plant is in the midst of a 13-year, multi-billion-dollar refurbishment and Major Component Replacement project (MCR) which aims to gradually exchange older systems in the company’s eight reactors, will secure the site’s operation until 2064 and, potentially, raise the plant’s capacity to over 7,000 MW in the 2030s. Bruce Power have begun to look at how the plant can extend its role in the energy transition.

“The challenge to get to net zero is so immense & to say we need every tool in the toolbox is the understatement of the day,” says Executive VP, Operational Services & Chief Development Officer at Bruce Power James Scongack.

CLICK HERE TO READ

Control room operators at Entergy’s Palisades Power Plant safely removed the nuclear reactor from service for the final time on May 20. The plant was originally scheduled to permanently shut down on May 31, but after careful monitoring, operators made the conservative decision to shut down the plant early due to the performance of a control rod drive seal. The final shut down marks the end of more than 50 successful years of safe, secure, and reliable generation of clean, carbon-free electricity at Palisades, which began commercial operation in 1971. Following the safe removal of used fuel from the reactor, the facility will be transferred to Holtec International for purposes of a safe and timely decommissioning, under the terms of an agreement between Entergy and Holtec International.

“The enduring legacy of Palisades is the thousands of men and women who safely, reliably, and securely operated the plant, helping power Southwest Michigan homes and businesses for more than 50 years,” said Darrell Corbin, site vice president. “We refer to a credo at Palisades: ‘Palisades Proud.’ Thanks to the pride, professionalism, and hard work of our 600-member team, we finished Palisades Proud. We are also grateful to the local community for its support of the plant and for the strong partnership we have enjoyed all these years.”

The shutdown completes a remarkable operating history for the 800-megawatt facility. The facility shut down after continuously generating electricity for 577 days since it was last refueled – a site and world record production run for a plant of its kind. Palisades remains ranked in the U.S. NRC’s highest safety category and is regarded by its peers as one of the top performers in the industry.

Entergy Employees at Palisades Power Plant

Following Entergy’s shutdown announcement in 2017, Entergy made several commitments to its employees at Palisades, including:

Any employee willing to relocate to another Entergy facility would be provided a job for which they were qualified.

As part of the company’s sale agreement with Holtec International, the new owner of the plant post-shutdown will hire approximately 260 current employees for the first phase of decommissioning.

Approximately 180 employees will separate from the company; more than half of those employees are retirement eligible.

In December 2021, the NRC approved the request to transfer the license from Entergy to Holtec International for purposes of the safe and timely decommissioning of Palisades.

26 Summer 2022 NIRMA.org Inside NIRMA

Read full article here.

Entergy’s Palisades team finishes strong as facility

shuts down

  Palisades Operator Danny Wright safely takes the unit off the power grid for the final  me. The enduring legacy of Palisades is thousands of men and women who safe‐ly, reliably and securely operated the plant, powering Southwest Michigan homes and businesses for over 50 years. 

REGISTER SOON! 46th Annual NIRMA Symposium

August 1-3, 2022

Click here to register.