[cdn-nucl-l] " Young nuclear professionals aim to rattle activists' strategies"

["Franta, Jaroslav" <frantaj@aecl.ca>]

NUCLEONICS WEEK MAY 19, 2005

Young nuclear professionals aim

to rattle activists' strategies

A group of young professionals who support the nuclear

industry are shaking up advocacy groups' strategies for fighting

nuclear projects, said Lisa Shell, incoming president of

the North American Young Generation in Nuclear (NA-YGN).

Shell said the organization has had an impact on advocacy

groups' demonstration tactics and on public opinion of

nuclear energy, particularly in Virginia. She told the Nuclear

Energy Assembly in Washington, D.C. that a local chapter of

NA-YGN started organizing about a year ago to support

Dominion's early site permit (ESP) efforts. Group members

then began attending meetings, responding to negative

charges, and adding their voice on blogs (Web logs) to

"counter spin" from activists.

The group organized a pro-nuclear rally in February at an

NRC public meeting on Dominion's ESP request. The result,

she said, was more balanced media coverage.

"We have a lot of opponents running scared," Shell said.

She noted that one advocacy group began posting meeting

notices just days, rather than weeks, in advance to discourage

NA-YGN's presence. And the Blue Ridge Environmental

Defense League removed information from its Web site after

NA-YGA challenged the data, she said.

She said the group is becoming more savvy about communications

and counter-demonstrations, and it plans to

pass on its knowledge to help local chapters on an interna-

tional scale confront anti-nuclear groups.

Attracting and retaining young engineers and other new

employees into nuclear companies is crucial for the survival

of the industry, said Donna Jacobs, vice president of nuclear

services for Pacific Gas & Electric Co. She told the conference

that her company has made an effort to look into the

needs of young hires. With a wave of retirements expected

to hit the industry in the next five years, efforts are under

way to recruit and retain a new crop of professionals.

Through extensive interviews, Jacobs said she found the

employees wanted "to feel valued," "see results," and know

there were career opportunities. In addition to pay and benefits,

the employees were interested in having a company

offer rotations and a mentoring program.

"New employees have a lot of ideas, and they will challenge

things," she said. What they don't want to encounter

is having their suggestions rebuffed with the response,

"We've always done things that way," Jacobs said.

Jacobs encouraged companies to set up organized orientation

programs and not stifle new ideas that "challenge the status quo."

-Jenny Weil, Washington

 

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