East Tennessee Economic Council

ETEC News and Notes - January 25, 2012

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ETEC News and Notes
Upcoming 2012 Programs January 27 - Dr. Joe Johnson, President Emeritus, University of Tennessee Click here for more information. February 3 - Tom Trent, Partner, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP February 10 - Michelle Bloodworth, Vice President, Business Development, America's Natural Gas Alliance February 17 - Karla Davis, Commissioner, Department of Labor and Workforce Development, State of Tennessee February 24 - Board of Directors Meeting Upcoming 2012 Events Click here for a calendar of upcoming conferences, meetings and events. Ed Westcott 90th Birthday Celebration The U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge Office and the Y-12 National Security Complex invite you to attend the 90th birthday celebration honoring iconic photographer Ed Westcott on Monday, January 30, 2012, from 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. at the American Museum of Science and Energy. Please RSVP by Thursday, January 26, to the ORO Public Affairs Office at 865.576.0885. Oak Ridge National Laboratory 2nd Annual Bridging the Gap - March 7 - 8, 2012 January 2012 Sponsor Thank you to TownePlace Suites by Marriott for sponsoring breakfast this month. For more information about available sponsorship opportunities, please contact our office at 865.483.4577 or twardy@eteconline.org. New Members AREVA Federal Services LLC AREVA Federal Services LLC (AFS) is a branch of AREVA North America that combines the capabilities, technologies and resources from multiple AREVA companies to serve the United States Department of Energy (DOE), and its subcontractors, in all phases of the nuclear fuel cycle. AFS provides key services as an active member in various projects that support DOE's five strategic services: Environmental Management (EM), Nuclear Energy (NE), Office of Science (SC), Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) and National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). For more information, visit us.areva.com. Atriax Materials, LLC Atriax Materials is in the business of materials development, scale-up of advanced materials, and materials recycling technology. For more information, visit www.atriaxmaterials.com. Pershing Yoakley & Associates, P.C. PYA provides timely insight and strategic support, helping clients thrive in the midst of rapid change. For more than 25 years, PYA has been providing clients with world-class support and delivering comprehensive support in accounting, consulting, and management. PYA has a proven track record of unsurpassed performance in healthcare, finance, and business practice. For more information, visit www. pyapc.com. Strategic Management Solutions, LLC SMSI provides expert management consulting, program and project management, and technical consulting services to government and private sector clients. A small business founded in 2000, SMSI has built an outstanding reputation for client-focused performance and for delivering results that enable clients to meet commitments and milestones. SMSI's expert technical consulting services include nuclear facility operations and safety, engineering support, environmental and waste management, safety and industrial hygiene, and safeguards and security. For more information, visit www.smsi.us. Ready to Join . . . Click here to learn more about the history and evolution of ETEC. To join the Council, please submit a membership application. Already a Member . . . To inquire about the status of your membership, email twardy@eteconline.org. To pay dues by credit card, please complete a credit card authorization form. To update your company profile, please submit a member information update form.
Fed Expects Complete Recovery Still Years Away
*Source: The New York Times* The Federal Reserve said that it was likely to raise interest rates at the end of 2014, but not until then, adding another 18 months to the expected duration of its most basic and longest-running response to the financial crisis. This is the first time the Fed has published such detailed predictions by its senior officials about future policy decisions. The Fed's chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, said that he hoped the forecast would stimulate growth by convincing investors that interest rates will remain low for longer than previously expected. Read more . . .
IAEA: 2012 Priorities
*Source: International Atomic Energy Agency* "The nuclear world has undergone some dramatic changes," IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano told diplomats gathered at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna. Global use of nuclear power will continue to grow in the coming decades, and the IAEA's assistance to newcomer countries will remain a high priority. The Director General's key priority in 2012 will be "to try to make progress towards restoring international confidence in the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear programme." Read more . . .
New Material to Remove Radioactive Gas From Spent Fuel
*Source: Science Daily* The Sandia researchers have used metal-organic frameworks to capture and remove volatile radioactive gas from spent nuclear fuel. The discovery could be applied to nuclear fuel reprocessing or to clean up nuclear reactor accidents. A characteristic of nuclear energy is that used fuel can be reprocessed to recover fissile materials and provide fresh fuel for nuclear power plants. "The goal is to find a methodology for highly selective separations that result in less waste being interred," said chemist Tina Nenoff of Sandia's Surface and Interface Sciences Department. Read more . . .
Murray to Lead Baker Center		Want More News?
*Source: UT Tennessee Today* Professor Matt Murray, associate director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has been appointed director of the Howard H. Baker Center Jr. Center for Public Policy. "I welcome Matt as the new director of the Baker Center. I'm confident his leadership will help it evolve as a thought-leader, both on campus and also with state and national leaders," said Senator Baker. Read more . . .