WM2025 to focus on impact of advanced technology on waste management

Waste Management Symposia announced that the theme of next year's Waste Management Conference (WM2025) will be "Empowering A Sustainable Future-Advanced Technologies, AI, and Workforce Development across the Nuclear Landscape." To be held in Phoenix, Ariz., March 9-13, the conference will showcase how new technologies and the evolving digital world are transforming the global nuclear landscape, supply chains, infrastructure, and work norms.

According to conference organizers, WM2025 will highlight current state-of-the-art and emerging future-of-the-art technologies, enabling the full program life cycle, including radioactive waste management, facility decommissioning, environmental cleanup, used fuel and nuclear materials management, and long-term environmental stewardship. Global insights and perspectives on the pros and cons of operating in an increasingly digital and sustainable environment, coupled with the emergence of artificial intelligence and advanced nuclear technologies, are to be discussed.

Featured country and site: Each year the conference chooses a featured country and featured Department of Energy cleanup site, with expanded technical sessions dedicated to developments in radioactive waste management within that country and site. For WM2025, Canada has been selected as the featured country, while the DOE's Oak Ridge Site in Tennessee has been chosen as the featured site.

According to organizers, Canada will bring perspectives on new technologies, new approaches, and ways in which its relationships with indigenous peoples are evolving to address the complex and long-term challenges of managing radioactive waste. Recently, Canada has made notable progress on siting a deep geological repository, the in situ decommissioning of legacy reactors, and the construction of a near-surface disposal facility the Chalk River Laboratories.

For Oak Ridge, weeklong sessions will feature representatives from the DOE Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management and its contractors, United Cleanup Oak Ridge (UCOR) and Isotek, who will discuss missions, challenges, and success stories. Also, sessions from Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the National Nuclear Security Administration will cover new technologies, partnerships, and activities that have helped bring about progress at the site.

Demonstration zones: WM Symposia also announced that two specifically designated demonstration zones will be located in the conference exhibit hall: the Technology & Innovation Zone and the Drone Zone. In addition to supporting the WM2025 theme, the new demonstration zones will provide another opportunity to showcase the technologies and the evolving AI-enabled digital world that are transforming the global nuclear landscape, supply chains, infrastructure, and work norms.

WM2025 will also feature a STEM Zone to help companies build a sustainable technical workforce by connecting attendees to professional networks and providing opportunities for companies to learn from the experiences of others. According to WM Symposia, participants will walk away with a vision to implement or enhance their own STEM programs through meaningful networking opportunities with professionals involved in STEM education, hands-on demonstrations, and discussions centered on lessons learned.

DOE matchmaking: WM Symposia is forming a partnership with the DOE's Office of Environmental Management to host small business outreach matchmaking sessions during WM2025. Offices of the DOE will participate in the matchmaking sessions to engage with interested small businesses. Major DOE prime contractors are being encouraged to participate as well.

More information will be distributed in early 2025 before the event regarding scheduling details for matchmaking sessions.