RICHLAND — Dismantling and converting nuclear weapons is the topic of an Oct. 2 seminar at WSU Tri-Cities.
“The United States has determined that there are nuclear weapons that are excess to the defense needs of the country, and that these excess weapons and the special nuclear materials they contain should be converted into forms that are no longer usable for weapons,” said William G. Richmond with Battelle in Richland.
“Fissile Materials Disposition from Excess Weapons,” a nuclear-related engineering professional development seminar, starts at 12:10 p.m. in the West Building, Room 210, at 2710 University Drive, Richland. It also is available by videoconference at WSU Pullman in Murrow 53.
Admission to the seminar is free and open to the public.
Richmond joined Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in 1991, and since that time has been involved in the development and implementation of many projects ranging from waste form development and process systems design to tritium production. Currently he is Battelle project manager for the Pit Disassembly and Conversion Facility (PDCF) project. This project is designing the facility to dismantle the United States excess nuclear weapons.
“Battelle teamed with URS to design the facility for dismantling these weapons,” Richmond said. “Battelle’s design responsibility includes safeguards and security, radiological safety, nuclear safety, criticality and process design.”
Richmond will talk about the Fissile Materials Disposition program and design of the PDCF focusing on some of the challenges of designing a new nuclear processing facility.
For more information, contact seminar coordinator Richard Stout, at rstout2b@charter.net or 509-528-7023.
