Blaine Rice

About Blaine Rice

An experienced Licensed Professional Engineer (PE#116725) in Nuclear Engineering in the State of Tennessee, holding an active DOE “Q” clearance (with an inactive NRC “U” in the past), and has more than 16.5+ years of Nuclear Criticality Safety (NCS) experience with increasing levels of responsibility. This includes a role as Nuclear Criticality Safety Lead, managing NCS projects upward of 2.5 million dollars while utilizing a M.S. in Engineering Management as well as being a Senior NCS Engineer providing guidance to younger NCS staff; finally providing novel engineering solutions to complex problems in a variety of scenarios. Has direct and extensive experience developing, maintaining, and reviewing NCS evaluations (or CSEs) for fissile plant systems and operations, including performing multiphysics calculations using KENO V.a, and KENO VI, as well as MCNP®. This includes Operational Readiness Reviews to implement all applicable regulations and NCS controls to allow plant operations to start up safely, on time, and budget (both NRC and DOE operations) under an NQA-1 and ISO-9001 Quality Assurance rigorous environment. Furthermore, has extensive experience providing audits and surveillance of plant operations, including incident investigation, to allow continued safe and compliant plant operation. Has very strong technical fundamental engineering skills as well as complex problem-solving; additionally, has been very successful as a technical project manager when assuming the role of an NCS Safety Lead. Routinely prepared licensing documents for safety analysis and regulatory applications (including both NRC and DOE), as well as communicates analyses to multi-discipline engineering teams and regulators, including but not limited to verifying the technical accuracy of models, calculations, and licensing documents per regulatory requirements and procedures. Has a further unique experience in Project Engineering which included responsibilities such as planning, budgeting, communicating status to multiple-disciplinary stakeholders, identifying potential risks and mitigation strategies, assigning tasks to technical teams to solve complex problems, and ensuring compliance and safety while meeting the client needs.

Experience

1. Senior Nuclear Criticaily Safety Engineer

   Akima Infrastructure Services

   Apr 2024 — Present · Oak Ridge, TN, US

   Development and revision of Nuclear Criticality Safety (NCS) documentation such as Criticality Safety Evaluations (CSEs), Document Change Notices (DCNs), Nuclear Criticality Safety Determinations (NCSDs), Technical Deviations (TDs), and various other NCS technical basis documentation. Ensure all requirements comply with the Documented Safety Analysis (DSA) and Technical Safety Requirements (TSR) and update the Safety Analysis Report (SAR) when required. Provide NCS review and guidance for Work Orders (WO) involving repair and modification of systems which involve fissile material operations. Participated in a Six Sigma team which utilized techniques and tools with a goal to reduce the NCS review and turnaround time by 50%. Completion of required NCS annual Operational Reviews as needed. Daily nuclear facility supports as needed, consisting of facility walkdowns, review of NCS requirements implementing documents, participation at facility Operational Safety Boards, etc. Includes resolution to closing out operational Deficiencies (DEF), Minor Non-Compliances (MNCs), and Field Reports such that Operations can perform their duties safely and compliantly. Provided technical capabilities in Nuclear Criticality Safety (NCS) to ensure fissile materials are processed, stored, transferred, and handled safely so that personnel and property are protected against a nuclear criticality accident. Conducted surveillances, inspections, walkthroughs, appraisals, or audits of fissile material operations to ensure compliance with approvals. Includes resolution to get operations back into compliance when found deficient. Provided review and support of Extended Life Programs (ELP) for Enduring Facilities to ensure that NCS potential concerns are identified and mitigated as required. Included review and incorporation of Natural Phenomena Hazards (NPH) mitigation to meet the requirements of DOE O 420.1C.

Education

• The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

  Master of Engineering - MEng, Engineering/Industrial Management

  2014 — 2017

• University of Tennessee, Knoxville

  Bachelor's degree, Nuclear Engineering

  2004 — 2008