Talk by Dr. Gail Marcus (Balancing Energy Alternatives and their Risks)

Speaker: Dr. Gail H. Marcus （ANS: American Nuclear Society President 2001-2002)

Title: Balancing Energy Alternatives and their Risks

Abstract:
Dr. Gail H. Marcus is currently an independent consultant on nuclear
power technology and policy.
From 2004-2007, she served as Deputy Director-General of the OECD
Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) in Paris, where she oversaw work on
nuclear safety and regulation, economic and policy analyses of nuclear
power, radiation protection, radioactive waste management, and
nuclear law.
Prior to that, she served as Principal Deputy Director of the Office of
Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology. There she provided technical
leadership for DOE’s nuclear energy programs and facilities, including
the development of next-generation nuclear power systems.
From 1998-1999, she spent a year in Japan as Visiting Professor in the Research Laboratory for Nuclear Reactors,
Tokyo Institute of Technology, conducting research on comparative nuclear regulatory policy in Japan and the
United States.
Before that, Dr. Marcus was at the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). She served there in a variety of
positions, most notably as technical assistant to a Commissioner, providing advice and recommendations on
a broad range of technical and policy issues and rulemakings, including rules for nuclear power plant license
renewal and for the standard design certification and combined licenses for new nuclear power plants.
She also served in a number of other positions at NRC, and was detailed for five months to Japan’s Ministry of
International Trade and Industry, where she was NRC’s first assignee to Japan, studying Japan’s licensing of the
Advanced Boiling Water Reactor.
From 1980-1985, Dr. Marcus was Assistant Chief of the Science Policy Research Division at the Congressional
Research Service, where she was responsible for policy analysis and legislative support for Congress covering all
fields of science and technology, and played a lead role in policy analysis and the development of legislation for
energy, nuclear power, and risk assessment and management. .