J.R. Biggs

Experience

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  Hanford Tank Farms/Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant/Hatch Nuclear Plant/US Navy

  Jan 1978 - Jan 2005

  Management and Operations

  Positions included:-Management of Hanford's West Tank Farms, Tank Characterization and Retrieval groups, Operations Lead on tank SY-101 Remediation, Project Lead on Cross Site Transfer Line Restoration, and managed emergency pumping of tank T-101. -Chemical Weapons disposal Operations on Johnston Atoll-Certified SRO on GE BWR 4 reactors-11+ years as a US Navy Reactor Operator. Honorably discharged at the rank of Chief Petty Officer

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  Riverbend Transfer Systems LLC

  Feb 1999 - now

  Founder/Partner

  Provides quickly deployable and regulatory compliant transfer systems to industry. Safely transferred over 20 million gallons of radioactive waste at sites including DOE Hanford Site and Fukushima. Customers include US Department of Energy, URS, CH2MHill, Lockheed Martin, AREVA, Shaw, Toshiba, and others.

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  Amec Foster Wheeler

  Mar 2005 - Jul 2009

  Managed Site Services Unit in support of the decommissioning at the UKAEA Dounreay site. Directed the strategic planning for Non-nuclear decommissioning, Site Laboratories, Facility Maintenance, Utilities, Estates, Information Technology, Land Remediation, Occupational Health, and Site Fire Department. Annual Unit budget was $50M with a combined workforce of 300 direct and matrixed staff. Directed development and implementation of required programs to ensure safe conduct of all GeoMelt hazardous and radioactive waste vitrification activities. Managed the Demonstration Bulk Vitrification System (DBVS) Project. The $100M+ project for DOE included design, construction, and cold simulant full scale testing of a radioactive treatment facility using GeoMelt technology.

  • Dounreay Site Services Unit Director

    Apr 2008 - Jul 2009

  • GeoMelt Operations Director

    Mar 2005 - Mar 2008
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  IMPACT Services Inc

  Aug 2009 - May 2012

  Facility General Manager

  Responsible for waste processing operations at the company's Oak Ridge Facility. Successfully implemented two advanced thermal processing technologies for waste processing while growing the base capabilities of the company. Notable projects include processing of FFTF/Fermi Sodium Contaminated Low Level Waste for Hanford, size reduction and packaging of the Tank W-1A from ORNL, and size reduction and decon/recycle of four 250-ton Moisture-Separator Re-heaters from Turkey Point Nuclear Plant.

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  Battelle Energy Alliance

  Sept 2014 - Aug 2021

  Responsible for plant operations, maintenance, and experiment execution for the TREAT research reactor.Duties included:-Expanding the role of the TREAT reactor in support of reactor fuels and technology research. Customers include NASA, NNSA, TerraPower, DoD, and national programs developing safer fuels and new reactor technologies.-Developing the processes and organization to standup and operate multiple INL reactor facilities as part of the NRIC initiative.-Overseeing the installation and operation of the MARVEL micro-reactor testbed in the TREAT facility. Show less Responsible for operations re-start and resumption of reactor fuels testing using the TREAT Test Reactor. Beginning operations in 1959 TREAT is a test reactor capable of 19GW prompt critical transients. Shutdown in 1994 DOE it was selected for re-start in 2014 to provide testing of new generation fuels. After thorough systems testing, staff qualification, and independent readiness assessment the core was brought critical on November 14, 2017 completing a 3 year effort. The program came in under budget and a year ahead of schedule. Show less

  • TREAT Reactor Plant Manager

    Apr 2018 - Aug 2021

  • Reactor Operations Manager/Nuclear Facility Manager

    Sept 2014 - Apr 2018
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  BATTELLE ENERGY ALLIANCE LLC BEA ETC

  Aug 2021 - now

  Promoted to Deputy Director to leverage experience gained during TREAT re-start and initial development and execution of project Pele. Portfolio includes commissioning three reactor testbed facilities to support testing of multiple micro-reactors at INL. The Department interfaces and collaborates with multiple stakeholders to inform design, coordinate training and procedure development, provide qualified staff for Operations and Maintenance, and lead the efforts to safely assemble, fuel, operate, and demobilize planned micro-reactors. Present scope includes oversight of the testbed facilities construction and engagement on over six reactor efforts. Show less

  • Deputy Director Advanced Reactor Demonstrations

    Mar 2023 - now

  • Micro-Reactor Facility Manager

    Aug 2021 - Mar 2023