Ken Baer

Founder and Board Member, Secretary and Treasurer

Inventor and Technical Director

Qualifications:

  • Inventor of the patent pending Dry Process for Converting Spent Nuclear Fuel into Uranium Chloride Fuel Salt for Molten Salt Reactors (No. 16/415,668 May 17, 2019 )
  • BS in Environment and Hazardous Materials from University of Maryland, 1997. I have worked in the following areas for the benefit of the nuclear industrt: government / academia / and the commercial nuclear power plants
  • Past Senior Engineer for AECOM Safety Management Solutions, developed Engineering Maintenance management assessment of Safety Basis equipment, targeted to prevent frequent safety systems out of service and more attention directed to upgrades. Developed Calcnotes for Savannah River Site – identified need to update facility safety plans containing requirements for nuclear material storage, and large radioactive source storage, developed new facilities.
  • Developed an entire Commercial Boiling Water Reactor Training segment adapted from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chattanooga, Tennessee Training Office, intended as a technical overview course, for use at the AECOM Fort Mill training office
  • Cross-trained as a Nuclear Criticality Safety Engineer for AECOM Safety Management Sol.
  • Safeguards and Security Vulnerability Analysis Team: Principle Nuclear Sabotage Vulnerability Analyst (SVA), conducted sabotage vulnerability analysis for all major chemical and radiological hazards at Category I, II, III, and IV nuclear facilities at the Savannah River Site. Verified the SRS Weapons Grade Plutonium Storage Facility Site Safeguards & Security Plan (SSSP).
  • Checker /Verifier for the DOE Office of Security Site Safeguards Security Plan (SSSP), encompassed a range of additional – critical protection elements (CPE’s): conformance to DOE Security Orders, the largest omission/addition was provision for the “base case” analysis, as a basis for , the “upgrade-case ” analysis, necessitated by DOE Headquarters for Category I nuclear facilities
  • Developed security Radiological, Chemical, and Biological Sabotage Analyses as for each of the most hazardous facilities, reported separately, required by the Savannah River Site Safeguards & Security Plan, for the Dept. of Energy (DOE) Safeguards and Security Office, Savannah River Site. In two of these cases, the DOE decided to move nuclear materials to a more secure facility and consolidate the original facility.
  • Team member, developed bounding sabotage vulnerability analyses for DOE “New Green Field” 1,000 acre project with nine major secure ‘canyon’ buildings. The purpose of this project was to receive and develop processes for Commercial Nuclear Power Plant Spent Nuclear Fuel. This project intended to develop separate product streams for example, (a) fissionable and actinide materials, (b) Technetium, (c) Cesium and Strontium, (d) fission product waste, and specific permanent facilities. Rail spurs intended to deliver spent nuclear fuel casks from nuclear power plants.
  • Savannah River Site Emergency Preparedness Coordinator responsible to the Facility Managers for preparing, conducting, briefing, and reporting Facility Drills, and Conduct of Operations training drills, including as appropriate, participation of SRS Law Enforcement, Security, and EMS department.
  • As SRS Emergency Preparedness Program Controller, was responsible for training the facility’s emergency response (EP) personnel and drill controllers, during performance of conducted, and critiqued security, emergency medical, chemical, and radiological drill scenarios.
  • As a team member, participated as Science Officer Controller of the Science Officer, for an announced major site drill conducted at the Nevada Test Site (NTS), at the Invitation of DOE Site Management. The drill involved participation of the four counties representing the site, their response vehicles and personnel, and Air Force personnel ‘victim’ volunteers, and a Las Vegas Hospital supplied flight nurse staff. Attended the ‘Hot Wash’ critique immediately following the drill and presented findings and observations to the entire assembly at the North Las Vegas Office.
  • As a team member for the SRS KArea Reactor Operational Readiness Review (ORR), assessed massive upgrades and intended startup and operation, conducted operational readiness reviews in several discipline areas: Radiation and Health Physics; Training and Procedures; Fire Protection; Conduct of Operations; Modifications and Upgrades; Startup Testing, and other areas. This task entailed report appearances before the ORR Readiness Review Board (oral report) of areas to be accepted/completed.
  • Was an instructor for SRO/RO operator licenses candidates at the South Texas Project Electrical Generation Station (STPEGS) Houston Power & Light new twin unit Nuclear Power Plant, located in Palacios, Texas.
  • Was Shift Forman and Control Room on-shift Startup Test Coordinator at the Braidwood Nuclear Power Station, providing direction, test coordination during Integrated Hot Functionals (IHF). I directed operation actions to a main steam rupture event; these actions resulted in displacement of the large diameter main steam lines, dislodging embedded steel hangars from concrete emplacements, caused by water-hammer. An engineering evaluation of this event determined the main steam lines were angled improperly and were not equipped for removing water from the lines.
  • Was a contract classroom and simulator instructor at the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant.
  • Was a Senior Instructor at Memphis State University; this involve sheparding a class of 29 nuclear operator and radiation technician candidates, through a series of courses as their lead floor instructor 8 hours per day. This concluded in invitations to many utility’s human resources personnel to come to the University and interview my students. All were hired by these utilities, as RO or Radiation Technician candidates. Reports verified these candidates have done well in the nuclear industry.
  • While employed as a Senior Instructor at Memphis State University, was assigned to head up activities requiring visits to, acquisition of, and analysis of emergency operations documents leading to Nuclear Power Plant shutdown or Safety System actuation. This program, named Safety Related Operator Action (SROA), was announced and managed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, involved my visits to approximately 30 Boiling Water Reactor and Pressurized Water Reactors.
  • Was an SRO Unit Forman and Acting Shift Operating Engineer at the Donald C. Cook Nuclear Power Plant. I was one of the initial staff and was on shift during construction and testing. As an RO, I performed many reactor startup to criticality and power escalation. More information is available on request.
  • Enlisted in the United States Navy Nuclear Power Program, completed the program, and was assigned to nuclear powered submarines, completed the normal term of enlistment.